Kate Bush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kate Bush CBE
Bush in 1985
Born	Catherine Bush (1958-07-30) 30 July 1958 (age 66) Bexleyheath, Kent, England
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician dancer record producer
Years active	1975–present
Spouse(s)	Danny McIntosh ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Art pop progressive pop baroque pop art rock
Instruments	Vocals piano keyboards
Labels	Harvest EMI Fish People Columbia Anti Concord Parlophone The state51 Conspiracy

Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958), known as Kate Bush, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. She also dances and plays music. Kate started writing songs when she was just 11 years old.

She signed with EMI Records after David Gilmour from the band Pink Floyd helped her record a demo. In 1978, at 19, her first song "Wuthering Heights" was number one in the UK for four weeks. This made her the first female artist to have a UK number one song that she wrote herself. Her first album, The Kick Inside (1978), reached number three in the UK.

Kate Bush has had 25 songs in the UK Top 40. These include popular hits like "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" (1978), "Babooshka" (1980), and "Running Up That Hill" (1985). She also sang "Don't Give Up" with Peter Gabriel in 1986. All nine of her studio albums reached the UK Top 10. Three of them, Never for Ever (1980), Hounds of Love (1985), and The Whole Story (1986), went to number one.

Since 1982, Kate has produced all her own studio albums. She took a break between her albums The Red Shoes (1993) and Aerial (2005). In 2011, she released two more albums, Director's Cut and 50 Words for Snow. In 2014, she performed live concerts called Before the Dawn. These were her first shows since 1979.

Kate Bush was the first British solo female artist to have a number one album in the UK. Her unique musical style, unusual lyrics, and performances have inspired many other artists. In 2022, her song "Running Up That Hill" became very popular again. This happened after it was featured in the Netflix show Stranger Things. It became her second UK number one song and topped charts in many other countries.

Kate Bush has won many awards. She received 14 Brit Awards nominations and won Best British Female Solo Artist in 1987. She was also nominated for seven Grammy Awards. In 2002, she won the Ivor Novello Award for her amazing contribution to British music. In 2013, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to music. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

Kate Bush's Early Life and Career

Growing Up and Discovering Music

Kate Bush was born on 30 July 1958 in Bexleyheath, England. Her father was a doctor, and her mother was a nurse. She grew up with her two older brothers, John and Paddy. Her family was very artistic. Her mother was an Irish dancer, and her father played the piano. Both her brothers were involved in folk music.

Kate taught herself to play the piano when she was 11. She also played the organ and violin. Soon, she started writing her own songs and lyrics.

How Kate Bush Started Her Music Career

When Kate was a teenager, her family made a demo tape with over 50 of her songs. Many record labels turned it down. But then, David Gilmour, the guitarist from Pink Floyd, heard the tape. He was very impressed!

Gilmour helped the 16-year-old Kate record a more professional demo. This tape had three songs and was produced by Andrew Powell. Powell later produced Kate's first two albums. The tape was sent to EMI, and they signed Kate Bush!

EMI gave Kate a large amount of money. She used it to take classes in interpretive dance and mime. For the first two years of her contract, she focused on school. She left school after getting ten good grades in her exams.

From March to August 1977, Kate performed with her band, the KT Bush Band, in London pubs. She started recording her first album in August 1977.

First Albums: The Kick Inside and Lionheart

Kate Bush during an interview in New Zealand in 1978.

For her first album, The Kick Inside (1978), Kate was encouraged to work with experienced studio musicians. Her brother Paddy played harmonica and mandolin on the album. The Kick Inside was released when Kate was 19. Some of the songs were written when she was as young as 13.

EMI wanted "James and the Cold Gun" to be her first song. But Kate insisted on "Wuthering Heights". She even created two music videos for the song. In one, she dances in a white dress in a misty room. In the other, she dances in a red dress on Salisbury Plain.

The Kick Inside sold over a million copies in the UK. "Wuthering Heights" was number one in the UK and Australia. Kate became the first British woman to reach number one with a song she wrote herself. "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" also became a hit. It won her an Ivor Novello Award in 1979.

Later in 1978, EMI asked Kate to quickly record a second album, Lionheart. This was to follow up on the success of The Kick Inside. While it sold well and had the hit song "Wow", it didn't do as well as her first album. Kate later said she felt Lionheart needed more time.

Kate started her own companies, Kate Bush Music and Novercia. This helped her keep control over her work. After Lionheart, she went on her first and only tour, The Tour of Life, in 1979. It lasted six weeks and was a mix of music, dance, poetry, and magic. Kate was involved in every part of the show. She was known for her dancing and many costume changes. To allow her to dance and sing, engineers created a special headset microphone for her. This was one of the first times such a microphone was used by a rock performer.

New Sounds: Never for Ever and The Dreaming

In September 1980, Kate released Never for Ever. This was her second time producing an album, working with Jon Kelly. Her first two albums had a clear sound with orchestral music. But Never for Ever had many different styles. It included the rock song "Violin" and the hit "Army Dreamers".

Never for Ever was Kate's first album to use synthesizers and drum machines. It was also her first album to reach number one in the UK. This made her the first female British artist to achieve a number one album. The most popular song from the album was "Babooshka", which reached number five in the UK.

In September 1982, Kate released The Dreaming. This was the first album she produced entirely by herself. She tried out new production ideas, creating an album with many different musical styles. It used the Fairlight CMI synthesizer a lot. Some critics found The Dreaming a bit confusing. Kate herself called it her "She's gone mad" album. However, it was her first album to appear on the US Billboard charts.

The songs on The Dreaming told many stories. "There Goes a Tenner" was inspired by old crime films. "Pull Out the Pin" was about the Vietnam War. "The Dreaming" was about Indigenous Australians. "Houdini" was about the famous magician's death.

Huge Success: Hounds of Love and The Whole Story

Hounds of Love came out in 1985. Kate built her own studio at home to work at her own speed. This album topped the charts in the UK, replacing Madonna's Like a Virgin at number one.

The album had two different parts. The first side, Hounds of Love, had five popular songs. These included "Running Up That Hill", "Cloudbusting", and "Hounds of Love". "Running Up That Hill" reached number three in the UK. It also became a hit in the US, reaching number 30. Kate originally wanted to call the song "A Deal With God".

The second side of the album, The Ninth Wave, was a continuous piece of music. It had seven connected songs.

Hounds of Love earned Kate nominations for many awards in 1986. That same year, Kate and Peter Gabriel had a UK Top 10 hit with their duet "Don't Give Up". EMI also released her "greatest hits" album, The Whole Story. Kate recorded a new version of "Wuthering Heights" and a new song, "Experiment IV", for this album. In 1987, Kate won the award for Best British Female Solo Artist.

More Albums and a Break

In 1989, Kate released The Sensual World. She called it her "most honest, personal album". One song, "Heads We're Dancing", was about a woman who dances with a charming stranger who turns out to be Adolf Hitler. The title song was inspired by James Joyce's novel Ulysses. The Sensual World became her best-selling album in the US. It reached number two in the UK.

In 1991, Kate released a cover of Elton John's "Rocket Man". It reached number 12 in the UK and number two in Australia. In 2007, it was voted the greatest cover song ever by readers of The Observer newspaper.

Kate's seventh studio album, The Red Shoes, came out in November 1993. It reached number two in the UK. Songs like "Rubberband Girl" and "The Red Shoes" were popular singles. Kate also directed a short film called The Line, the Cross and the Curve, which featured music from the album.

After The Red Shoes, Kate took a long break from the public eye. She had planned to take one year off, but it turned into twelve years before her next album. During this time, she gave birth to her son, Albert, known as "Bertie", in 1998.

Returning to Music: Aerial and Later Works

Kate Bush's eighth studio album, Aerial, was released in November 2005. The song "King of the Mountain" became her third-highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number four. Aerial entered the UK albums chart at number three.

Like Hounds of Love, Aerial was divided into two parts. The first disc, A Sea of Honey, had different themed songs. These included "King of the Mountain" and "Bertie", a song for her son. The second disc, A Sky of Honey, was one continuous piece of music about 24 hours passing by.

In May 2011, Kate released Director's Cut. This album had 11 reworked songs from her previous albums, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes. All the songs had new vocals and instruments. Kate said it was a new project, not just remixes. It was the first album on her new label, Fish People.

Her ninth studio album, 50 Words for Snow, was released in November 2011. It featured Elton John on the song "Snowed in at Wheeler Street". The album had seven new songs about snow. It received great reviews from music critics. Kate was nominated for Best Female Artist at the 2012 Brit Awards.

In 2013, Kate Bush became the only female artist to have top five albums in the UK charts in five different decades.

Live Comeback and Recent News

Kate Bush performing Before the Dawn at Hammersmith Apollo in 2014.

In March 2014, Kate Bush announced her first live concerts in decades. These were called Before the Dawn. There were 22 shows in London, and tickets sold out in just 15 minutes! The concerts were highly praised. An album of recordings from the concerts was released in 2016.

After these concerts, Kate became the first female performer to have eight albums in the UK Top 40 Albums Chart at the same time. Only Elvis Presley and The Beatles had achieved more.

In 2018, Kate published her first book, How to Be Invisible, which is a collection of her song lyrics. She also released remastered versions of her studio albums. In 2020, Kate became a Fellow of The Ivors Academy, a group for songwriters and composers in the UK.

"Running Up That Hill" Becomes a Hit Again

Kate Bush's 1985 song "Running Up That Hill" became incredibly popular again in May 2022. This happened after it was used in the fourth season of the Netflix series Stranger Things. It quickly became the most streamed song on Spotify in many countries around the world.

Winona Ryder, an actress in Stranger Things, said she had wanted the song to be in the show for years. The song became very popular with younger fans who weren't even born when it first came out. Kate Bush released a statement saying she was "really exciting" about the song's new popularity.

On 17 June 2022, "Running Up That Hill" reached number one in the UK. This was Kate's second UK number one song. It broke several UK chart records. With 44 years since her last number one ("Wuthering Heights" in 1978), Kate broke the record for the longest gap between number ones. She also became the oldest female solo artist to top the UK chart at 63 years old.

The song also reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was Kate's first US top-ten hit. Her album Hounds of Love also became very popular again, reaching number one on Billboard's Top Alternative Albums chart.

In 2023, Kate Bush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was inducted by Big Boi from the group OutKast, who is a big fan of her music. He praised her unique style and how she always does what she wants with her music.

In 2024, Kate Bush was announced as an ambassador for Record Store Day. She said she loves that vinyl records are popular again. She believes that an album on vinyl is "a beautiful thing" and helps people connect more with the artist's work.

In October 2024, Kate released a short animated film called Little Shrew to support the charity War Child. She also said she is "very keen to start working on a new album".

Kate Bush's Music Style

Her Unique Sound and Voice

Kate Bush's music is very diverse. She mixes many different styles, often in one song or album. Her music is often called art pop, art rock, or progressive pop. Even in her early songs, she combined classical music, glam rock, and different types of folk music.

She uses the Fairlight CMI synthesizer a lot. This allowed her to record and change sounds, creating new musical textures. Her music has been described as "surreal" and often combines strong emotions with unusual sounds. Even her happy songs can have a touch of sadness, and vice versa.

Kate Bush has a powerful singing voice, known as a dramatic soprano. Her singing has elements of British and Irish accents. She uses musical instruments from different times and cultures.

What Inspires Her Songs

Kate's song lyrics often use ideas from history or books. For example, her first song "Wuthering Heights" was based on Emily Brontë's novel. She sees herself as a storyteller who acts out the character singing the song. She doesn't think her songs are about her own life.

Kate's lyrics can explore unusual or mysterious topics. She is not afraid to talk about sensitive subjects. "The Kick Inside" is based on an old English folk song. "Kashka from Baghdad" is about a gay couple. "Cloudbusting" was inspired by a book about a boy and his father. "Breathing" is about the fear of nuclear war from a baby's point of view.

Other things that inspire Kate's music include horror films. "Hounds of Love" uses sounds from the 1957 horror movie Night of the Demon. "The Infant Kiss" was inspired by a film about a woman's obsession with a young boy. She also finds inspiration in comedy, like Woody Allen films or Monty Python.

How Kate Bush Innovated Music Technology

Kate Bush is known for being the first artist to use a headset with a wireless microphone in music. For her 1979 tour, she created a small microphone with wire clothes hangers. This meant she didn't have to hold a microphone. Having her hands free allowed her to dance her complex choreography while singing. Other artists like Janet Jackson and Madonna later used this idea.

Kate Bush's Influence on Other Artists

Kate Bush has had a huge impact on many musicians. If a female singer-songwriter is unique, people often compare her to Kate Bush.

Artists who have said Kate Bush influenced them include Björk, Alanis Morissette, Florence Welch, Big Boi, Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, and Grimes.

In 2015, Adele said that Kate Bush's 2014 concert comeback inspired her to release her album 25. Elton John said that Kate Bush's duet with Peter Gabriel, "Don't Give Up", helped him become sober. He called her "groundbreaking" and like a "female equivalent of Freddie Mercury".

Prince thanked Kate Bush in his album notes. Kirk Hammett of Metallica said she influenced his band's album Master of Puppets. Tricky from Massive Attack said her music "has always sounded like dreamland to me". Even John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) from the Sex Pistols called her work "beauty beyond belief".

In 1999, VH1 named Kate Bush the 46th-greatest woman in rock and roll. An asteroid was even named after her in 1998!

Her dancing is also very influential. People have praised her "pioneering mix of music and movement". Thousands of fans around the world gather for "The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever". They recreate her dance from the "Wuthering Heights" music video, wearing red dresses and dancing on moors.

Live Performances

Kate Bush's Before the Dawn concerts in 2014 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London sold out in 15 minutes.

Kate Bush's only full tour, The Tour of Life, happened in 1979. It lasted six weeks and covered Britain and Europe. She described the tour as "enormously enjoyable" but "absolutely exhausting".

During that time, Kate also performed on TV shows like Top of the Pops in the UK and Saturday Night Live in the US. In 1979, BBC TV aired the Kate Bush Christmas Special.

In 1982, Kate performed at a benefit concert for The Prince's Trust. She sang "The Wedding List" with famous musicians like Pete Townshend and Phil Collins. She also performed for the charity event Comic Relief in 1986.

Kate returned to live performances with her 22-night residency, Before the Dawn, in London in 2014. The shows included songs from Hounds of Love and Aerial.

Collaborations with Other Artists

Kate Bush has worked with many other musicians. She sang on two of Peter Gabriel's albums, including the hits "Games Without Frontiers" and "Don't Give Up". They also sang a duet of Roy Harper's "Another Day" on her 1979 TV special.

She has also sung on songs by Big Country, Midge Ure, and Go West. Kate worked with Prince on two songs: "Why Should I Love You?" from her 1993 album The Red Shoes, and "My Computer" from Prince's 1996 album. In 1987, she sang a verse on the charity single "Let It Be" by Ferry Aid.

In 1991, Kate was asked to cover Elton John's song "Rocket Man" for a tribute album. In 2011, Elton John sang with Kate again on "Snowed in at Wheeler Street" for her album 50 Words for Snow.

Artists who have appeared on Kate Bush's albums include Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, and Prince.

Kate also worked with the Bulgarian group Trio Bulgarka. They provided backing vocals on her albums The Sensual World (1989) and The Red Shoes (1993). Kate said that even with a language barrier, their connection felt very genuine.

Kate Bush's Personal Life

Kate Bush has a son named Albert McIntosh, known as Bertie, who was born in 1998. His father is guitarist Danny McIntosh.

From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Kate was in a relationship with bassist and sound engineer Del Palmer.

Kate used to live in southeast London. In the 1990s, she moved to Berkshire, and later bought a second home in Devon. She is a vegetarian.

Kate was raised as a Roman Catholic. In 1999, she said that while she wasn't a strict follower, she found many powerful images in the faith.

The long gaps between her albums have led to rumors about her health. In 2011, she said that the time between albums was stressful. She also said she wasn't a perfectionist and that flaws can make art interesting. She emphasized that her family life was her priority.

Kate's son Bertie performed in her 2014 concerts, Before the Dawn. Her nephew, Raven Bush, is a violinist in the band Syd Arthur.

Political Views

Some of Kate Bush's songs touch on social topics. "Breathing" talks about the fear of nuclear warfare. "Army Dreamers" explores the sadness of mothers who lose children in war. In a 1985 interview, Kate said she writes from an "emotional point of view" rather than a political one.

In 2016, Kate was asked about women in political power. She mentioned that the UK had a female leader, Theresa May, who was the Conservative Prime Minister. Kate said she thought May was "wonderful" and that it was "great to have a woman in charge". In 2019, Kate clarified that she is not a Conservative Party supporter. She only meant to defend women in power.

In 2021, Kate was one of many artists who signed a letter asking for changes to how musicians are paid for streaming their music. In 2022, she supported nurses who were on strike, saying they should be "appreciated and cherished".

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Studio albums

• The Kick Inside (1978)
• Lionheart (1978)
• Never for Ever (1980)
• The Dreaming (1982)
• Hounds of Love (1985)
• The Sensual World (1989)
• The Red Shoes (1993)
• Aerial (2005)
• 50 Words for Snow (2011)

Live Performances

Concert tours

• The Tour of Life (1979)

Concert residences

• Before the Dawn (2014)

Images for kids

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  Kate Bush has used the Fairlight CMI sampler prominently.

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  Fans at the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Kate Bush para niños