Mike Barson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Barson |
|
|---|---|
Barson performing live with Madness at Manchester Arena in 2014
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Barson |
| Born | 21 April 1958 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Genres | 2-tone |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active |
|
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
|
Michael Barson, born on April 21, 1958, is a talented British musician. He plays many instruments, writes songs, and creates music. He became famous in the late 1970s as the keyboard player for the popular band Madness. He has been making music for over 45 years!
Michael Barson's Early Life
Michael Barson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He grew up in North London with his two brothers, Dan and Ben. Both of his brothers are also musicians. People often call Michael by his nicknames, "Monsieur Barso" or "Barzo."
Before he helped start Madness, Barson and another future band member, Lee Thompson, were known for their graffiti art. In the mid-1970s, they learned about the new graffiti scene in New York City. They used spray paint to write their nicknames, "Mr B" and "Kix," around North London. They also wrote the names of two friends, "Cat" and "Columbo." They even sprayed their names on the garage door of a famous writer, George Melly. This made Melly write a newspaper article about them!
In 1976, Barson helped create a band called The Invaders. Later, the band changed its name to Madness. They chose this name after a song by the artist Prince Buster.
Michael Barson's Music Career
Madness became a very successful British band. They were popular from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. They first became famous as part of the Two-Tone music style. Barson was, and still is, an important songwriter for the band. He often guided the band's musical direction.
However, making music became very tiring for him. In 1984, he decided to leave the band after they recorded their fifth album, Keep Moving. He then moved to the Netherlands. Two years later, Madness broke up. But Barson did join them to record their last song, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train."
Madness got back together with all their original members in 1992. Michael Barson still plays with them today. In 1995, he helped write and produce songs for Suggs' first solo album, The Lone Ranger. Suggs is also a member of Madness.
When the band No Doubt was recording their album Rock Steady, Barson was asked to play piano. He played on a version of their song "Everything in Time." This song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who also produced for Madness. The song was not on the main album. However, it was released later in 2003 on a collection album called Everything in Time (B-sides, Rarities, Remixes).
Both Barson and his bandmate, Suggs, have also worked with the music group Audio Bullys. They both appear on the songs "Twist Me Up" and "Goodbye" from the Audio Bullys' album Higher Than the Eiffel.
Michael Barson's Political Views
In September 2016, Michael Barson shared some of his political ideas. He told a website called The Canary that he was a member of Momentum. This is a group that supports left-wing political ideas. He also said he voted for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour Party leadership election. Barson explained that he heard people saying bad things about Momentum, so he decided to check it out. He also thought he should vote for Jeremy Corbyn because some people said Corbyn could not win.
