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 67) 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 started 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 (1984). Peter Murphy then began a successful solo career. His solo albums include 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 reached No. 44 on the Billboard 200 album chart. In 1992, Murphy released Holy Smoke. This album featured the song "The Sweetest Drop". After Holy Smoke, Peter moved to Turkey with his family. From there, he released Cascade in 1995.

Bauhaus reunited for a tour in 1998. In 2002, Murphy released Dust with Turkish-Canadian artist Mercan Dede. This album used traditional Turkish instruments and sounds. Two years later, he released Unshattered (2004). Bauhaus reunited again from 2005 to 2007 and released their last album, Go Away White, in 2008. Peter then returned to his solo work. He released Ninth in 2011 and Lion in 2014. Lion reached No. 173 on the Billboard 200.

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

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Peter John Joseph Murphy was born on 11 July 1957. He grew up in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. He was the seventh child in a large family. Peter had a strict Catholic upbringing. He said his childhood was happy and his family was close.

His mother, who often hummed songs, first inspired his interest in music. As a teenager, Peter was quiet but liked artistic things. He was school friends with Daniel Ash. They both loved glam artists like David Bowie and T-Rex.

When Daniel Ash got his first electric guitar, he would play it for Peter during lunch breaks. Daniel wanted to be in a band. He told Peter that he could be in a band too because of his looks. Peter was not interested at first. After school, Peter worked at a family printing business for five years. Daniel went to art college.

Later, Daniel Ash's band broke up. He was still determined to form a new band. He remembered Peter and asked him to be the singer. Peter finally agreed. He said Daniel fascinated him. They started practicing in a mobile classroom. 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 stage presence for a band.

Music Career Highlights

Forming Bauhaus

Daniel Ash convinced Peter Murphy to join Bauhaus. This band became one of the most important groups in the goth music movement. They used special recording effects and dramatic stage shows. Their style was similar to glam rock. Bauhaus became 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 for tours in 1998 and again from 2005-2007. They released their last album, "Go Away White," in 2008. The band reunited again in late 2019 for shows that continued until 2022.

Dalis Car and Solo Work

Starting New Projects: 1983–1984

After Bauhaus broke up in 1983, Peter Murphy wanted to try new things. He was offered roles in movies, but he turned them down. He spent time focusing on dance with his future wife, Beyhan Foulkes, who was a choreographer. He even performed a dance routine on a TV show.

After a year, Murphy wanted to make music again. He needed someone to work with. He found Mick Karn, the bass player from the band Japan. Karn was also looking for a singer.

In 1984, Murphy and Karn formed Dalis Car. They also had a drummer, Paul Vincent Lawson. The band's name came from a friend's dream about Salvador Dalí's car. They recorded one album called The Waking Hour. The album's cover featured a painting by American artist Maxfield Parrish. The album was not very successful. Peter Murphy decided not to continue with the group.

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 decided to work with L. Howard Hughes from the Associates. Hughes had never heard Bauhaus before.

They recorded some demo songs and sent them to Beggars Banquet, a record label. The label liked the songs and sent them to a studio. Murphy chose Ivo Watts-Russell to produce his first solo album. Hughes helped Murphy come up with musical ideas. Murphy also invited other musicians to contribute. John McGeoch played guitar on a cover song. Erkan Oğur, a Turkish guitarist, also played. Even Daniel Ash contributed to one song.

Murphy had full control over the album's cover art. His friend, Carlos Sosa, a Venezuelan artist, created it. Murphy's first solo album, Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (1986), was released. It included a cover of "Final Solution" by Pere Ubu.

Murphy was shy about performing the album live at first. But his manager encouraged him to tour. He put together a band with drummer Terle Bryant, bassist Eddie Branch, guitarist Pete Bonas, and keyboardist Paul Statham. They played shows in Italy to practice. When they returned to England, the audiences were smaller than his Bauhaus shows. Howard Hughes left the band before a tour in America. Paul Statham then became Murphy's new songwriting partner. The North American tour began in February 1987.

Love Hysteria: 1987–1988

When Peter Murphy returned to England, he and Paul Statham started writing songs for his second solo album. Murphy also worked on some songs by himself. He chose Simon Rogers to produce the album. Murphy and Rogers shared a love for "world music and ambient stuff." The backing band also helped write some songs.

Murphy wanted the album to show happiness, strength, and hope. The lyrics were subtle, so listeners could find their own meaning. The song "All Night Long" became a single. A music video for it was made by Matt Mahurin. Love Hysteria (1988) was not a big hit in the UK, but it did better in the US.

This album started a long partnership with Paul Statham. The singles "All Night Long" and "Indigo Eyes" helped Peter Murphy gain more fans. The black-and-white video for "All Night Long" was played on MTV. The album was popular on college radio in the United States. It brought in new fans who were not familiar with his Bauhaus work. To promote the album, Murphy toured the United States with the band The Church. His backing band was named The Hundred Men.

Deep and Big Success: 1988–1990

Peter Murphy's biggest solo success in the US came with Deep (1989). For this album, Murphy had platinum blonde hair. He returned to a more energetic rock sound, like early Bauhaus. The song "Cuts You Up" from Deep was number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for seven weeks. "Cuts You Up" is still one of Murphy's most popular songs.

The success of Deep allowed Murphy to play in bigger venues. Sometimes, the crowds were very excited. For example, at a show in Los Angeles, the audience became very wild. "Cuts You Up" was number one on college radio charts for 13 weeks. It also reached number 10 on the AOR chart. The record label, RCA Records, was surprised by its success. They promoted the album heavily. Deep sold 350,000 copies and reached number 41 on the Billboard charts. The next single, "A Strange Kind of Love", was not as successful.

The band, The Hundred Men, wanted to be recognized by their own name. They wanted to be billed alongside Murphy. But promoters wanted to focus on Peter Murphy. RCA Records even thought about signing The Hundred Men as their own band, but it didn't happen. Murphy enjoyed his solo career because he had more control over his music and shows.

Holy Smoke and Changes: 1990–1992

After the success of Deep, Murphy wanted a break. He spent more time with his family in Turkey. Two years later, he decided to record again with producer Mike Thorne. Murphy liked Thorne's work with other bands.

Murphy wanted his new album to capture the live sound of his band. This was different from his earlier albums, which used more samples. The album was called Holy Smoke, released in 1992. In America, it sold about 100,000 copies. Some people think the album did not do as well because grunge music became popular around that time. Also, Murphy's marketing team at RCA Records changed.

For the album cover, Murphy chose photographer Anton Corbijn. Murphy picked a photo that he felt was powerful and radical. He said it was a statement against fake images and forced charisma in the music business. At the end of the tour for Holy Smoke, Murphy decided to split up The Hundred Men band. He felt the band had run its course.

Murphy moved to Turkey permanently with his wife. His later albums started to show a Middle Eastern influence. Holy Smoke included some traditional Turkish sounds.

Cascade and New Sounds: 1992–1995

After Holy Smoke, Murphy lived in Turkey. He continued to write songs with Paul Statham. In 1994, Murphy decided to record a new album with Statham and producer Pascal Gabriel. They recorded parts of the album in England and Spain.

In 1995, Murphy released Cascade. This album had a softer, more electronic sound. It featured guest musician Michael Brook. Cascade was Murphy's last original album for Beggars Banquet Records. To promote the album, Murphy performed his song "The Scarlet Thing in You" on MTV's The Jon Stewart Show. The American singer Jewel opened for Murphy on his North American tour for the album.

Later Years: 1995–2000s

After leaving Beggars Banquet, Murphy released the Recall EP. It had new songs and electronic versions of older ones. He worked with members of the band KMFDM. This led to rumors of a Bauhaus reunion. Bauhaus did reunite in 1998 for the Resurrection tour. A performance from this tour was released on DVD as Gotham. The tour was very successful.

In 2000, Murphy went on his "Just for Love" tour. A live album from this tour, aLive Just for Love, was released. Murphy also worked with film composer Harry Gregson-Williams. In 2000, Murphy made a surprise appearance at the Convergence festival in Seattle. He performed an acoustic solo set.

Murphy performing on the 2002 Dust tour

Later, Murphy worked with Turkish artist Mercan Dede on the album Dust (2002). This album was deeply influenced by traditional Turkish music and electronics. It was a big change from his previous pop and rock style. Some fans were surprised, but critics praised it. Murphy considers "Your Face" from this album one of his proudest works.

In 2004, Murphy released Unshattered. This album saw him return to a more pop sound. Murphy toured a lot in Europe and the US in 2005 to promote Unshattered. His live band included guitarist Mark Thwaite, bassist Jeff Schartoff, and drummer Justin Bennett. In 2008, Murphy recorded a cover of "Warm Leatherette" with Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. He also appeared with Nine Inch Nails at shows in 2009.

Throughout 2009, Murphy released several cover songs online. These included songs by John Lennon, David Bowie, Joy Division, and Nine Inch Nails. He went on "The Secret Covers Tour" to support these releases.

2010s and Recent Work

In 2010, Peter Murphy had a small role in the movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. He also started his "Dirty Dirt Tour" to promote his album Ninth.

In August 2010, Murphy announced he would work with Mick Karn again on a second Dalis Car album. They had not seen each other since 1983. Sadly, Karn was diagnosed with serious cancer. They managed to record four songs in September 2010. Karn passed away in January 2011. The five-track EP, InGladAloneness, was released in 2012.

In February 2011, Murphy announced a tour across North America 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, Murphy sang a duet with comic book writer Stan Lee. The song was "That Old Black Magic" for Lee's Comikaze expo.

From April 2013, Murphy toured Europe and the US on the "Mr Moonlight Tour". This tour celebrated 35 years of Bauhaus. He toured with guitarist Mark Thwaite, drummer Nick Lucero, and bassist Emilio DiZefalo-China. Later, Andee Blacksugar replaced Mark Thwaite for tours in China, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand.

In June 2014, Murphy released his tenth studio album, Lion. In June 2015, he released Remixes from Lion. This album featured remixes and four bonus songs from the Lion recording sessions.

Personal Life

In 1992, Peter Murphy moved to Istanbul, Turkey. He lives there with his Turkish wife, Beyhan. She is the head choreographer for the Turkish National Modern Dance group. They have two children, a daughter and a son. As an adult, Murphy changed his religion from Roman Catholicism to Sufism.

In August 2019, Peter Murphy had a heart attack in New York City. He was hospitalized and had two stents placed in his heart. Ten days later, he said he had made a "full recovery." He was well enough 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)

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)

Compilations

• Wild Birds: 1985–1995 (2000)

Singles and EPs

Images for kids

• 

  Murphy in San Francisco, 1987

See also

In Spanish: Peter Murphy para niños