Peter Murphy (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Murphy
Murphy performing in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Peter John Joseph Murphy
Also known as	Godfather of Goth
Born	(1957-07-11) 11 July 1957 (age 68) Northampton, England
Origin	Wellingborough, England
Genres	Post-punk gothic rock alternative rock world ambient experimental
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards melodica conga
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Beggars Banquet Nettwerk

Peter John Joseph Murphy (born 11 July 1957) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of the post-punk band Bauhaus. He helped start the band with Daniel Ash in 1978.

After Bauhaus broke up, Murphy formed a band called Dalis Car with Japan's bassist Mick Karn. They released one album, The Waking Hour, in 1984. Peter Murphy then started his solo career. He released several albums, including Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (1986) and Love Hysteria (1988).

In 1990, Murphy had a big hit with his song "Cuts You Up". This song reached the top 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. His album Deep also did very well, reaching No. 44 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 1992, Murphy released Holy Smoke, which reached No. 108 on the Billboard 200. After this, he moved to Turkey with his family. From there, he released Cascade in 1995. Bauhaus later got back together for a short tour in 1998.

In 2002, Murphy released Dust with Turkish-Canadian musician Mercan Dede. This album used traditional Turkish instruments and sounds. It was a different style from his earlier pop and rock music. He released Unshattered in 2004. Bauhaus reunited again from 2005 to 2007 and released their last album, Go Away White, in 2008. Peter then went back to his solo work. He released Ninth in 2011 and Lion in 2014. Lion reached No. 173 on the Billboard 200. His latest album, Silver Shade, was released on May 9, 2025.

Peter Murphy is often called the "Godfather of Goth". This is because of his unique look, deep voice, and thoughtful lyrics.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Peter John Joseph Murphy was born on 11 July 1957 in Northampton, England. He was the seventh child in a large family. He grew up in Wellingborough, England, with a strict Catholic upbringing. Peter described his childhood as happy, with a close family. They focused a lot on their Catholic faith.

Murphy's first interest in music came from his mother. She would often hum songs around the house. As a teenager, he was quiet but loved art.

At school, Murphy became friends with Daniel Ash. Peter felt a strong connection to Daniel right away. He saw Daniel as someone who could understand him. Daniel was always positive and wanted to be in a band.

Murphy and Ash both liked Glam rock artists like David Bowie and T. Rex. When Daniel got his first electric guitar, he would play it for Peter during lunch. Daniel wanted to be in a band and told Peter he could join too, because of his looks. But Peter was not interested at first.

When Peter was sixteen, he left school to work at a family printing business. Daniel went to art college. Peter worked as a printer for five years. Later, Daniel suggested Peter apply to art college too. But Peter chose to keep working as a printer's assistant. He worked on painting, writing, and singing in his free time.

Peter still loved music while working at the printing firm. He was interested in artists like David Bowie and Iggy Pop. He went to see bands like Judas Priest. One day, he saw Daniel Ash's band, "Jackplug and The Sockets," play at a local pub. Daniel kept telling Peter that he should be in a band.

After some months, Daniel's band broke up, and he felt sad. But Daniel was still determined to start another band. He needed a singer and remembered Peter. Daniel went to Peter's house and played him a demo tape. He asked Peter if he wanted to start something.

Peter finally said yes to Daniel's offer. He thought, "If you're doing it, I'll do it because you fascinate me." They met over a weekend in a classroom to rehearse. Daniel put a lot of echo on the microphone to help Peter feel confident. Peter started singing from a newspaper. Daniel knew right away that Peter had the voice and charisma to be a star.

Career Highlights and Musical Journey

Joining Bauhaus: A New Sound

Daniel Ash convinced Peter Murphy to join Bauhaus. This band became one of the most important groups in the goth music movement. They used unique recording effects and a dramatic style. This made them very influential in early gothic rock.

In 1983, Bauhaus appeared in the horror film The Hunger. They performed their famous song, "Bela Lugosi's Dead". The camera mostly focused on Peter Murphy during this scene.

Bauhaus reunited in 1998 for a tour called Resurrection. They got back together again in 2005. This led to a tour with the band Nine Inch Nails in 2007. Their last album, "Go Away White," was released in 2008 before they broke up again. They reunited once more in late 2019 for shows in Los Angeles. They also had a reunion tour after the pandemic, which ended in 2022.

Dalis Car and Solo Beginnings

New Directions: 1983–1984

By 1983, Bauhaus had split up. Peter Murphy started looking for new projects. He was offered roles in movies, like playing Fletcher Christian in a remake of Mutiny on the Bounty. He also tried out for the role of Tarzan in Greystoke. However, Peter turned down many of these offers. He felt unsure because he had a slight stammer.

Peter spent a lot of time on dance, especially with his future wife, Beyhan Foulkes, who was a choreographer. He even performed a dance routine on a TV show. After a year, Peter wanted to make music again. But he found it hard because his Bauhaus bandmates used to come up with most of the music. Peter mainly wrote lyrics and sang. He didn't play instruments professionally.

Peter needed someone to work with. Around the same time, Mick Karn, the bass player from the band Japan, was also looking for a singer. In 1984, Murphy and Karn formed Dalis Car. The band was named after a dream Peter's friend had about buying a car belonging to Salvador Dalí.

They recorded one album called The Waking Hour. The album did not do well, and Peter was not interested in continuing the band.

Murphy in San Francisco, 1987

First Solo Album: 1985–1986

After Dalis Car, Peter Murphy wanted more control over his music. He wanted to see if he could make interesting music as a solo artist. He chose to work with L. Howard Hughes from the Associates. Peter picked Ivo Watts-Russell of 4AD records to produce his first solo album.

Hughes helped Peter contribute musical ideas. Peter would come up with small musical parts, and Hughes would turn them into full songs. Peter also invited other musicians to play on his album. These included Turkish guitarist Erkan Oğur and even Daniel Ash.

Peter's first solo album, Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (1986), was released. It included a cover of Pere Ubu's "Final Solution." Peter was hesitant to perform the album live at first. He felt shy and unsure about finding new musicians.

His manager, Graham Bentley, encouraged him to tour. Peter decided to form a backing band for live shows. He auditioned musicians like drummer Terl Bryant, bassist Eddie Branch, guitarist Pete Bonas, and keyboardist Paul Statham. They played some shows in Italy to practice. When they returned to England, the audiences were smaller than during his Bauhaus days.

Howard Hughes decided to leave the band to focus on his own music. Paul Statham took on more duties, playing keyboards and rhythm guitar. He also became Peter's new songwriting partner.

Growing Success: 1987–1988

Back in England, Peter and Paul Statham started writing songs for his second solo album. Peter also worked on some songs by himself. He chose Simon Rogers to produce the album. Peter liked Rogers because they both enjoyed "world music and ambient stuff." The backing band also helped write some songs.

The album, Love Hysteria (1988), was not a big hit in the UK. However, it did better in the US than his first solo album. The songs "All Night Long" and "Indigo Eyes" helped him gain more fans. The music video for "All Night Long" was played on MTV. The album was also played a lot on college radio stations in the United States.

Love Hysteria was more commercial than his earlier albums. This helped Peter reach a new audience, which surprised some of his old fans. To promote the album, Peter toured the United States with the Australian band The Church. Peter's backing band was named The Hundred Men, after a line from his song "All Night Long."

Peak Popularity: 1988–1990

Peter Murphy's solo career reached its highest point in the US with the album Deep (1989). For this album, Peter dyed his hair platinum blonde. He returned to a more energetic rock sound, similar to early Bauhaus.

The song "Cuts You Up" from Deep was a huge success. It stayed at the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for seven weeks. "Cuts You Up" is still Peter Murphy's most popular song. The album Deep sold 350,000 copies and reached number 41 on the Billboard charts. The success of Deep allowed Peter to play in bigger venues. He even played for 25,000 people at the Universal Amphitheatre in California.

During this time, The Hundred Men wanted to be recognized as a band, not just Peter's backing musicians. But promoters and management felt that people came to see Peter, not the band. Peter enjoyed his solo career because he had more control over his music.

Later Albums and Turkish Influence: 1990s and 2000s

After the success of Deep, Peter wanted a break to spend time with his family in Turkey. He divided his time between London and Turkey. Two years later, he decided to record again.

His next album, Holy Smoke, was released in 1992. It sold about 100,000 copies in America. One of the singles was "You're So Close." Peter appeared on the Dennis Miller Show to perform this song. For the album cover, Peter chose a powerful photograph by Anton Corbijn. Peter felt it was a statement against the fake images in the music business.

After the tour for Holy Smoke, Peter decided to split up The Hundred Men. He felt the band had run its course. Peter then moved permanently to Turkey with his wife. This move brought a Middle Eastern influence to his later music. Holy Smoke already had some traditional Turkish sounds mixed in.

In 1995, Peter released Cascade. This album had a softer, more electronic sound. It was his last major collaboration with Paul Statham. Cascade was also Peter's last original album for Beggars Banquet Records. To promote the album, Peter performed on MTV's The Jon Stewart Show. The American folk singer Jewel opened for Peter on his North American tour.

After leaving Beggars Banquet, Peter released the Recall EP in 1997. This EP had new songs and electronic versions of older ones. In 1998, Bauhaus reunited for the Resurrection tour, which was very successful.

2000s and Beyond

In 2000, Peter Murphy went on his Just for Love tour. A live album from this tour, aLive Just for Love, was recorded in Los Angeles. Peter performed with only two musicians: Hugh Marsh on electric violin and Peter DiStefano on guitar. Sometimes, former Bauhaus bassist David J joined them.

Also in 2000, Peter made a surprise appearance at the Convergence festival in Seattle. He performed an acoustic set for his fans.

Shortly after, Peter worked with Turkish artist Mercan Dede on the album Dust (2002). This album was very different, using traditional Turkish instruments and electronic sounds. It was released on Metropolis Records. While some fans were surprised, the album received good reviews. Peter is most proud of the song "Your Face" from this album.

In 2004, Peter released Unshattered, which returned to a more pop sound. He toured Europe and the US in 2005 to promote it. In 2008, Peter recorded a cover of "Warm Leatherette" with Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails.

In 2009, Peter appeared at shows with Nine Inch Nails. He also released a series of cover songs on iTunes, including "Instant Karma!" by John Lennon and "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. He toured internationally for these releases.

2010s and Recent Work

Murphy performing in Barcelona, 2013

In 2010, Peter Murphy had a small role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse as "The Cold One." He also began his Dirty Dirt Tour to promote his album Ninth.

In August 2010, Peter announced he would work with Mick Karn again on a second Dalis Car album. Sadly, Mick Karn was diagnosed with cancer. They managed to record four songs before Karn passed away on 4 January 2011. The finished five-track EP, InGladAloneness, was released in 2012.

In February 2011, Peter announced a tour for his album Ninth, which came out in June 2011. He released the songs "I Spit Roses" and "Seesaw Sway" as digital singles.

In September 2012, Peter Murphy sang a duet with comic book writer Stan Lee. The song was "That Old Black Magic" for Stan Lee's Comikaze expo.

Starting in April 2013, Peter toured Europe and the US on the Mr Moonlight Tour. This tour celebrated 35 years of Bauhaus. He performed with guitarist Mark Thwaite, drummer Nick Lucero, and bassist Emilio DiZefalo-China. Later, Andee Blacksugar replaced Mark Thwaite for the rest of the tour dates.

In June 2014, Peter released his tenth studio album, Lion. In June 2015, he released Remixes from Lion, which included remixes and four bonus songs. On May 9, 2025, Peter released his newest album, Silver Shade.

Musical Influences

Peter Murphy's first 7-inch single he ever bought was "A Hard Day's Night" by The Beatles.

In a 2018 interview, Peter talked more about his early musical experiences. He grew up in a very musical family. They listened to many different types of music, from old war songs to Doris Day, Simon and Garfunkel, Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. He also loved listening to vocal harmonies from groups like The Beatles and the Everly Brothers.

Peter also found inspiration from the Catholic Mass at school. The hymns were often sung in a choir style, which he found inspiring. He remembered singing "Ave Maria" with a Spanish teacher who encouraged them to sing. All these musical experiences shaped his love for music from a young age.

Personal Life

In 1992, Peter Murphy moved to Istanbul, Turkey, with his Turkish wife, Beyhan. Beyhan is the head choreographer for the Turkish National Modern Dance group. They have two children, a daughter and a son. As an adult, Peter converted from Roman Catholicism to Sufism, which is a spiritual path in Islam.

In August 2019, Peter Murphy was hospitalized in New York City for a heart attack. He had a procedure called an angioplasty and had two stents placed in his heart. Ten days later, he released a statement thanking his medical team for saving his life. He said he had made a "full recovery" and was "up and running again." He was able to perform his rescheduled shows in January 2020.

Discography

Studio albums

• Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (1986) (UK No. 82)
• Love Hysteria (1988) (US No. 135)
• Deep (1989) (US No. 44)
• Holy Smoke (1992) (US No. 108)
• Cascade (1995)
• Dust (2002)
• Unshattered (2004)
• Ninth (2011)
• Lion (2014) (US No. 173)
• Remixes from Lion (2015)
• Silver Shade (2025)

Live albums

• aLive Just for Love (2001)
• Mr. Moonlight Tour – 35 Years of Bauhaus (2014)
• Wild Birds Live Tour (2015)
• Bare-Boned and Sacred (2017)
• Live in London (2019)
• Peter Live - Volume One - Covers (Silver Shade Records/Cadiz Music) CD, Vinyl LP, Music Cassette (2024)
• Peter Live - Volume Two - Blender Theater At Gramercy NYC 2008 (Silver Shade Records/Cadiz Music) CD, Vinyl LP, Music Cassette (2024)

Compilations

• Wild Birds: 1985–1995 (2000)

Singles and EPs

See also

In Spanish: Peter Murphy para niños