Damon Albarn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Damon Albarn OBE
Albarn at Wembley Stadium in 2023
Background information
Born	(1968-03-23) 23 March 1968 (age 57) Whitechapel, London, England
Genres	Alternative rock electronic hip hop Britpop art pop
Occupations	Musician singer-songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals keyboards guitar melodica bass guitar
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Food SBK Virgin Parlophone XL Honest Jon's Warner Transgressive

Damon Albarn (born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and main songwriter for the rock band Blur. He also co-created and is the main musical artist behind the virtual band Gorillaz.

Damon grew up in Leytonstone, East London, and later near Colchester, Essex. He went to the Stanway School, where he met Graham Coxon. They later formed Blur together. Blur released their first album, Leisure, in 1991. After touring the US, Damon's songwriting was inspired by British bands from the 1960s. This led to successful Blur albums like Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), and The Great Escape (1995). Blur became very popular in the UK, especially during a friendly rivalry with Oasis.

Damon formed Gorillaz in 1998 with comic book artist Jamie Hewlett. Gorillaz mixes hip hop, electronic, and world music. Their first album in 2001 was a huge success worldwide. Damon has also worked on other projects, including the supergroups The Good, the Bad & the Queen and Rocket Juice & the Moon. He helped start Africa Express, a non-profit music group. Damon has also written music for films and stage shows. His first solo album, Everyday Robots, came out in 2014.

In 2016, Damon received a special award for his lifetime achievements in music. He was also given an OBE award (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his contributions to music. In 2020, he became an Icelandic citizen.

Damon's Early Life

Damon Albarn was born on 23 March 1968. His parents, Keith and Hazel, were both artists. His younger sister, Jessica, also became an artist. His mother was a theatre designer, and his father was a manager for a band and later led an art school.

When Damon was a baby, his father's company used him to test designs for educational toys. His family moved to Leytonstone, East London, and later to Aldham Fordstreet, Essex. Damon's family was very open-minded. They listened to different types of music like blues, Indian, and African music.

Damon loved music from a young age. He started playing guitar, piano, and violin. He even won a young composer competition. At Stanway Comprehensive School, he met Graham Coxon, who would become Blur's guitarist. They became good friends because they both loved music, especially bands like the Jam and the Beatles. Damon also liked the Specials and Fun Boy Three. He said John Lennon inspired him to write songs.

Damon studied acting for a year but then left to focus on music. Before Blur, he played in a few other bands.

Music Career: Blur

How Blur Started

Damon Albarn (right) and Graham Coxon (left) performing with Blur in 2009

In 1988, Damon joined a music course in London. He formed a band called Circus with Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree. Later, Alex James joined as the bassist. In December 1988, they changed their name to Seymour. In March 1990, they signed with Food Records and changed their name again to Blur.

Blur released their first single, "She's So High", in 1990. Their next single, "There's No Other Way", became a big hit. Their first album, Leisure (1991), reached number seven in the UK. Damon later said Leisure was "awful."

Blur's Britpop Era

After their first album, Blur toured the US in 1992. Damon and the band felt homesick and started writing songs that sounded more "English." They wanted to celebrate their British roots, different from the popular American grunge bands.

Their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, came out in 1993. It did not sell well in the US, but Damon liked the band's new direction. Their next album, Parklife, released in 1994, was a huge success. Its first single, "Girls & Boys", was very popular. Parklife went straight to number one in the UK and stayed on the charts for a long time. It is seen as one of the most important albums of the Britpop music style. Blur won four awards in 1995, including Best British Group.

In 1995, Blur started working on their fourth album, The Great Escape. The release of their single "Country House" led to a famous rivalry with the band Oasis. Both bands released their new songs on the same day. "Country House" sold more copies and became Blur's first number-one single.

The Great Escape was released in September 1995 and also reached number one. However, some people started to see Blur as a "middle-class pop band" compared to Oasis. Damon felt "stupid and confused" by this.

Changes and Hiatus

In 1996, the band members felt stressed. Graham Coxon started to dislike the Britpop style and listened to American alternative rock. Damon agreed that Blur needed to change their music. He decided to let Coxon have more control over their new album.

Blur recorded their fifth album, Blur, in Iceland. It came out in February 1997. The album had a different, more experimental sound. The first single, "Beetlebum", and the album both reached number one in the UK. The song "Song 2" became very popular internationally, especially in the US. After this success, Blur went on a nine-month world tour.

Damon Albarn with Blur at the Rock in Roma, 2013

Blur's sixth album, 13, released in 1999, moved even further from Britpop. Damon's songs were more personal, reflecting his breakup with his girlfriend. In 2001, Graham Coxon left the band. Blur's next album, Think Tank (2003), had more electronic sounds. Damon wrote most of the songs for this album. Think Tank was another UK number one album.

Blur's Reunion

Blur performing at Hyde Park in July 2009

In December 2008, Blur announced they would play a concert in London's Hyde Park. They added a second show because of high demand. These shows were very popular. Blur also headlined the Glastonbury Festival in 2009.

After the reunion concerts, Damon said the band did not plan to record or tour again. He explained that a main reason for the reunion was to fix his friendship with Graham Coxon, which worked.

In 2010, a documentary about the band, No Distance Left to Run, was released. In April 2010, Blur released their first new song since 2003, "Fool's Day".

In 2012, Blur received an award for their outstanding contribution to music at the 2012 Brit Awards. They also played a show at Hyde Park for the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. On 19 February 2015, Blur announced their eighth album, The Magic Whip. It was their first album in 12 years and the first with the original band members in 16 years.

Music Career: Gorillaz

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett met in 1990. The idea for Gorillaz came when they were watching MTV. Jamie Hewlett said, "If you watch MTV for too long, it's a bit like hell—there's nothing of substance there. So we got this idea for a cartoon band, something that would be a comment on that."

Gorillaz's music is a mix of different styles like alternative rock, hip-hop, and pop. Damon is the only constant musical member. In 2001, their first album, Gorillaz, sold over seven million copies. It had hit songs like "19-2000" and "Clint Eastwood". They even got into the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band.

Damon Albarn on stage with Gorillaz in London, June 2017

Their second album, Demon Days, came out in 2005. It included popular songs like "Feel Good Inc." and "Dare". Demon Days sold millions of copies and won a Grammy Award. By 2007, Gorillaz had sold over 15 million albums.

Gorillaz released their third album, Plastic Beach, in 2010, which was highly praised. In December 2010, they released The Fall.

After some disagreements, Damon and Jamie Hewlett worked things out. On 23 March 2017, they announced their fifth album, Humanz, which was released in April 2017. Their sixth album, The Now Now, came out in 2018. In 2020, Gorillaz started a project called Song Machine, releasing new songs with guest artists each month. These songs were put together for their seventh album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. Their eighth album, Cracker Island, was released in 2023.

Damon's Solo Work and Other Bands

Damon Albarn has worked on many different music projects. In 2002, he released Mali Music, which he recorded in Mali, Africa, after a trip to support the charity Oxfam. He also recorded music in Nigeria.

In 2003, Damon released an EP called Democrazy. This was a collection of demo songs he recorded in hotel rooms while on tour.

Damon also worked on an album called Kinshasa One Two in 2011. He recorded it in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with other producers. All the money from this album went to Oxfam. In 2013, he released Maison Des Jeunes with his project Africa Express.

His first solo album, Everyday Robots, was released on 25 April 2014. It received good reviews and reached number two on the UK charts. It was also nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize for Best Album. In 2021, he released his second solo album, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows.

The Good, the Bad & the Queen

In 2006, Damon formed a supergroup called the Good, the Bad & the Queen. It included Paul Simonon from The Clash, Simon Tong from The Verve, and Tony Allen, a famous drummer. Their first album won Best Album at the 2007 MOJO Awards.

Their first single, "Herculean", came out in late 2006. Their debut album and a second single, "Kingdom of Doom", were released in January 2007. The album reached number two in the UK.

Rocket Juice and the Moon

Damon also created a project called Rocket Juice & the Moon. This group included Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and drummer Tony Allen. Their first album was released on 26 March 2012.

Studio 13

Damon, along with Tom Girling and Jason Cox, created their own recording studio called Studio 13. They used it for Blur's album Think Tank and Damon's other projects. Other famous artists have also used Studio 13.

Other Collaborations

Damon has worked with many other musicians. In 1998, he recorded a song called "London Pride" with Michael Nyman. He also worked with Terry Hall from The Specials on several songs.

In 2003, Damon worked with the band the Strokes and performed live with David Bowie. He also sang on songs for Massive Attack's albums. In 2012, Damon produced soul singer Bobby Womack's album The Bravest Man in the Universe. He also sang with De La Soul and Mura Masa.

Film, Theatre, and Soundtracks

Damon's music has been used in films. His song "Closet Romantic" was on the soundtrack for Trainspotting. He also wrote the music for the 1999 movie Ravenous.

Damon and Jamie Hewlett (from Gorillaz) created a stage show called Monkey: Journey to the West in 2007. It was based on an old Chinese story. Damon also created an opera called Doctor Dee in 2011.

He wrote the music for the film version of his sister Jessica Albarn's book, The Boy in the Oak. In 2014, he contributed a song to the science fiction film Lucy. Damon also wrote the music for a musical based on Alice in Wonderland called Wonder.land, which premiered in 2015.

Damon's Live Band

When Damon performs his solo music live, his band is called The Heavy Seas. It includes guitarist Seye, drummer Pauli the PSM, guitarist Jeff Wootton, and Mike Smith on keyboards. Some of these musicians have also played live with Gorillaz.

Acting Roles

Damon Albarn has also acted. He was in the 1997 film Face with Ray Winstone. He also appeared in the 2007 film Anna and the Moods and a Radio 4 play called Up Against It.

Damon's Personal Life

Damon had a long relationship with Elastica singer Justine Frischmann from 1991 to 1998. Their breakup influenced some of Blur's songs, like "Tender" and "No Distance Left to Run".

In 1998, Damon started a relationship with artist Suzi Winstanley. Their daughter, Missy, was born on 2 October 1999. Damon said becoming a father changed him a lot. It made him think more about the future. Damon and Suzi are thought to have separated in 2023.

In 2006, Damon received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of East London. In 2015, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to music.

Damon has a strong connection to the music of Mali. In 2016, he was given the title "Local King" there, and a music and dance school was named after him. In 2020, he became an Icelandic citizen. He has visited Iceland many times and owns a house there.

Damon is a fan of Chelsea F.C., a football club. He often wears a special bead necklace that his mother gave him when he was six years old.

Helping Others

Damon Albarn has supported many charities. The group DRC Music, which Damon formed, released an album called Kinshasa One Two. All the money from this album goes to Oxfam. Damon also worked with other musicians to create a charity single, with money going to Oxfam. In 2013, Damon and Graham Coxon performed with Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller to support the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Damon's Views and Activism

Damon has spoken out about important issues. In 2005, he criticized the Live 8 concert for not having enough black artists. He also said he did not want to perform at Live 8 because he thought it was too "exclusive."

Damon is a strong critic of "celebrity culture." He believes that parts of our culture, like reality TV shows, need to change.

He was against the United Kingdom leaving the European Union (Brexit). He called it "wrong" and said it "doesn't make any sense." His album Merrie Land (2018) was inspired by Brexit.

Damon also supports Palestinian rights. He canceled concerts in Israel in 2010 and played a concert to support Palestine in 2014. At the Glastonbury Festival 2024, he spoke about the Israel–Hamas war and encouraged people to vote.

Anti-War Views

Damon is against war, a view shared by his family. In 2001, after the United States invasion of Afghanistan, Damon wore a T-shirt with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament logo at an awards show.

In 2002, when Iraq was facing invasion, Damon spoke out against it. He worked with groups like the Stop the War Coalition to organize campaigns. He even spent money on anti-war adverts in a music magazine.

Damon was supposed to speak at a big anti-war protest in London in February 2003, where a million people gathered. But he became too emotional to give his speech. He later said he thought about his grandfather, who was also a peace activist. Damon believes that people's lack of action led to the war.

Discography

Solo albums

• Everyday Robots (2014)
• The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows (2021)

Collaboration albums

• Mali Music (2002) (with Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté & Friends)
• The Good, the Bad & the Queen (2007) (with The Good, the Bad & the Queen)
• Kinshasa One Two (2011) (as part of DRC Music)
• Rocket Juice & the Moon (2012) (with Flea and Tony Allen as part of "Rocket Juice and the Moon")
• Maison Des Jeunes (2013) (as part of Africa Express)
• In C Mali (2014) (as part of Africa Express)
• The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians and Guests (2016) (with Africa Express)
• Merrie Land (2018) (with The Good, the Bad & the Queen)
• Molo (EP) (2019) (with Africa Express)
• Egoli (2019) (with Africa Express)

Awards and Nominations

Denmark GAFFA Awards

Mercury Prize

The Mercury Prize is a very important music award in the UK and Ireland.

Brit Awards

The Brit Awards are annual music awards in the UK.

Images for kids

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  Commemorative plaque at 21 Fillebrook Road Leytonstone, East London, where Albarn was brought up

See also

In Spanish: Damon Albarn para niños