Marc Almond

Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop duo Soft Cell. He is known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image, and has had a diverse career as a solo artist.

Almond rose to prominence in the early 1980s with Soft Cell's hit "Tainted Love" (1981), which became a defining track of the new wave and synth-pop movement. After Soft Cell disbanded in 1984, Almond pursued a solo career, incorporating elements of pop, cabaret, and electronic music. His hits include a duet with Gene Pitney on the 1989 UK number one single "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". and "Tears Run Rings".

Almond has released numerous albums and collaborated with artists such as Jools Holland, Nico, and Siouxsie Sioux, exploring diverse musical styles ranging from torch songs to Russian folk music. Almond's career spanning over four decades has enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim, and he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. He spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004 and later became a patron of the brain trauma charity Headway.

Almond was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to arts and culture.

Almond was born in Southport, Sefton, the son of a Norwegian mother, Sandra Mary Diesen and a Scottish father, Peter John Almond, a Second Lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was brought up at his grandparents' house in Birkdale with his younger sister, and as a child suffered from bronchitis and asthma. When he was four, they left their grandparents' house and moved to Starbeck, Harrogate. Two years later they returned to Southport, and then moved to Horsforth, Yorkshire. There, he attended Horsforth Featherbank Infant School.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.