Gregory Gray facts for kids

Gregory Gray (born Paul Lerwill on 20 May 1959) was a talented singer and songwriter from Northern Ireland. He started his music journey in the 1970s with a boy band called Rosetta Stone. Later, he became a very important musician in the world of indie music. He also made cool videos under the name Mary Cigarettes. He shared his music online on sites like YouTube and SoundCloud. Throughout his career, his music style changed a lot. He explored pop, post-punk, indie rock, electronic dance music, jazz, and folk.

His band, Perfect Crime, which played post-punk music, even opened for famous groups like U2, Eurythmics, Talking Heads, and OMD.

Growing Up in Northern Ireland

Portrush waterfront

Paul Lerwill was born in Portrush, a seaside town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. This was on May 20, 1959. His mother was English, and his father was Anglo-Indian. He had three brothers and one sister. When Paul was 10, his family moved to Singapore. They lived there for three years because his father was in the British Royal Air Force. It was in Singapore that Paul learned to play the guitar.

After returning to Portrush, Paul was 14 years old. He played guitar with "Singing Farmer" John Watt. They performed in the Northern Star pub in Ballymoney. This pub was owned by Paul's father. Paul also worked in arcades in Portrush. He was a DJ at Kelly's, a local nightclub. When he finished school at 16, he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. He worked as a DJ there until he was 19.

Starting a Music Career

Paul Lerwill began his music career in 1979. He was a guitarist for the boy band Rosetta Stone. The band was first called the Young City Stars. Their manager was Tam Paton, who also managed the Bay City Rollers. Paul joined Rosetta Stone to replace Ian Mitchell. Ian had played with both the Bay City Rollers and Rosetta Stone.

Paul recorded music and toured the world with the band for two years. Rosetta Stone mostly played cover versions of pop songs from the 1950s and 1960s. In the UK, they appeared on the children's TV show Crackerjack. They were most popular in Japan. There, they played sold-out shows for 6,000 people.

In 1981, Paul left Rosetta Stone. He went back to Northern Ireland. He changed his name to Gregory Gray. He wanted to start fresh and move on from his boy-band past.

Solo Music Journey

Gregory Gray signed with CBS Records as a solo artist in 1985. His album Think of Swans came out in 1986. Walter Samuel produced the album. It also featured the double-bass player Danny Thompson. Two songs from the album, "Sensual" and "Books to Read Twice," were released as singles. A music video for "Sensual" was often shown on MTV. Gregory also appeared on UK TV and radio shows. He was interviewed by Eamonn Holmes and on The Dave Fanning Show. He toured places in England and Northern Ireland. However, the album did not sell enough copies. His contract was canceled that same year.

His second solo album was Strong at Broken Places. Davitt Sigerson produced it. Atco Records, part of PolyGram, released it in 1990. Sigerson later became the CEO of EMI in 1994. He then signed Gregory to EMI. Gregory released Euroflake in Silverlake in 1995 on that label. Stephen Hague produced this album. Its title refers to the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. These two albums were released in the United States, Europe, and East Asia. But they were not released in the UK. They got good reviews in Rolling Stone magazine. They were popular on US student radio. They were a hit in Japan and sold well in southern Europe.

Becoming Mary Cigarettes

In the late 1990s, Gregory Gray moved to Hertfordshire, near London. He and his partner bought a home there. They built a music room where Gregory could create his own music. He started sharing his work for free online. He used platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube. He used the name Mary Cigarettes. This name was meant to be a bit mysterious. He still used Gregory Gray in his everyday life.

As Mary Cigarettes, he became more daring and creative. He tried many different music styles. These included indie pop, rock, techno, jazz, and folk. He worked with Fish Go Deep, a music duo from Cork. Together, they made electronic dance music. The British musician and radio host Tom Robinson admired his music. Tom played Mary Cigarettes' songs on his show on BBC Radio 6 Music.

In 2012, two professors wrote a book. Noel McLaughlin and Martin McLoone wrote Rock and Popular Music in Ireland Before and After U2. This book included a chapter about Gregory Gray's music. It covered his solo work, his band Perfect Crime, and his work as Mary Cigarettes.

Musical Styles and Influences

Throughout his career, Gregory Gray explored many different music styles. He played pop, post-punk, indie rock, electronic dance music, jazz, and folk. This shows he was a very versatile artist. He was always trying new sounds and ideas in his music.

Later Life and Legacy

After leaving Rosetta Stone in 1981, Gregory legally changed his name. He wanted to leave that part of his life behind. In the mid-1980s, he bought a small farm and cottage. It was on the North Antrim coast. He used it as a quiet place to write and record music. After his contract with CBS ended in 1986, he spent several months at the farm.

Gregory Gray passed away on April 25, 2019. He had been ill for a short time. He died at his home in Hertfordshire. He had lived there with his partner for over 20 years. Following his wishes, he was cremated without a funeral service.

Selected Music Releases