Black (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Black
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Vearncombe in Birkenhead, March 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Colin Vearncombe |
| Born | 26 May 1962 |
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Died | 26 January 2016 (aged 53) Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland |
| Genres | Pop, new wave |
| Years active | 1981–2016 |
| Labels | WEA Records A&M Records Ugly Man Nero Schwarz Records |
Colin Vearncombe (born May 26, 1962 – died January 26, 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He was best known by his stage name, Black. Colin started his music journey in the punk rock scene. He became very famous in the late 1980s with his hit song "Wonderful Life" in 1986. This song became a huge success all over the world the next year.
Music experts described Colin Vearncombe as a singer with a "smoky voice." His songs often mixed jazz and pop music, and his singing style was very dramatic.
Contents
Early Life of Colin Vearncombe
Colin Vearncombe was born in Liverpool, England. He went to Prescot Grammar School when he was younger. Later, he studied art at Liverpool Polytechnic. Colin first dreamed of becoming a musician after watching Elvis Presley in the movie Jailhouse Rock.
Black's Music Career
Colin Vearncombe released his very first song, "Human Features," in 1981. At this time, he decided to call himself "Black." He thought his own last name, Vearncombe, would be too hard for people to remember. He released another song, "More than the Sun," in 1982.
Black then teamed up with Dave "Dix" Dickie. They worked together and signed a deal with WEA Records. In 1982, Black even toured with famous bands like the Thompson Twins.
In 1984, Black released the song "Hey Presto." The music video for this song was shown on TV channels outside the UK. However, after releasing another song, Black was dropped by WEA Records. Colin and Dix decided to go their separate ways.
In 1985, Colin Vearncombe wrote the song "Wonderful Life." He released it on his own record label, Ugly Man Records. This song caught the attention of A&M Records, a much bigger company. They signed Colin and helped him become famous around the world.
The song "Wonderful Life" became a top-10 hit in the UK. Many other singers, like Kim Wilde and Katie Melua, later sang their own versions of it. The song also became very popular because it was used in many TV commercials for brands like Cadbury's chocolate.
Black's first single with A&M, "Everything's Coming Up Roses," wasn't a big hit. But his next song, "Sweetest Smile," reached the top 10 in the UK. Then, "Wonderful Life" was released again and became a huge hit everywhere. The album with the same name, released in 1987, was also very successful.
Black sold over two million records worldwide with his albums Comedy (1988) and Black (1991). Colin wasn't happy working with big record companies anymore. So, he started his own independent label called Nero Schwarz. This name means "black" in Italian and German. He released an album called Are We Having Fun Yet? in 1993.
After a break, Colin Vearncombe started releasing music under his own name in 1999. He returned to using the name 'Black' for his album Between Two Churches in 2005. On this album, he even had a song that joked about his famous hit, "Wonderful Life."
In 2009, he released two more albums: The Given and Water on Stone. In 2011, he released Any Colour You Like.
In 2014, Colin asked his fans to help fund a new album through a website called PledgeMusic. This was his first time using crowd-funded project. His fans gave more money than he expected, and he was very thankful. This experience helped him name the album Blind Faith, which came out in 2015. He also recorded a version of "Wonderful Life" in the Catalan language to raise money for a charity telethon.
Colin Vearncombe's Death
On January 10, 2016, Colin Vearncombe was in a car accident in Ireland. He suffered serious head injuries and was put into a special sleep by doctors. He never woke up and sadly passed away from his injuries on January 26, 2016. He was 53 years old.
Colin left behind his wife, Camilla Griehsel, who is an opera singer, and their three children.
Discography
- Wonderful Life (1987)
- Comedy (1988)
- Black (1991)
- Are We Having Fun Yet? (1993)
- The Accused (1999)
- Water on Snow (2000)
- Smoke Up Close (2002)
- Between Two Churches (2005)
- The Given (2009)
- Water on Stone (2009)
- Blind Faith (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Black (músico) para niños
