Tony Hadley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Hadley MBE
Hadley performing in Italy, in 2012
Born	Anthony Patrick Hadley (1960-06-02) 2 June 1960 (age 65) Islington, London, England
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Leonie Lawson ​ ​ (m. 1983; separated 2003)​ Alison Evers ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	5
Musical career
Genres	Blue-eyed soul pop new wave
Instruments	Vocals keyboards percussion
Labels	SlipStream PolyGram EMI CBS Sony BMG Chrysalis Parlophone

Anthony Patrick Hadley MBE (born 2 June 1960) is a famous English pop singer. He became well-known in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet. After the group split in 1990, he started a solo career. Hadley rejoined the band in 2009 but left again in 2017. He is known for his powerful and expressive voice.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Anthony Patrick Hadley was born in Hampstead, North London. He was the first of three children. His father worked as an electrical engineer, and his mother worked for the local health authority. Tony grew up listening to artists like Queen and Elton John. His parents also introduced him to classic singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

Spandau Ballet: The Rise to Fame

Tony Hadley helped start the band Spandau Ballet in 1976. It was first called The Cut. He formed the band with Gary Kemp, Steve Norman, John Keeble, and Michael Ellison. They were all students at Dame Alice Owen's School.

As part of Spandau Ballet, Tony Hadley became famous around the world in the 1980s. They had many hit songs, including "True", "Gold", and "Through the Barricades". The band also performed at the huge Live Aid concert in 1985.

Tony Hadley was known for his smooth style and strong voice. One music writer described his voice as "dramatic." His bandmate Steve Norman said Tony had "a massive vocal range."

Spandau Ballet broke up in 1990. Their last album, Heart Like a Sky, was not as successful as their earlier ones.

In 1999, Tony Hadley and other band members tried to sue Gary Kemp. Gary wrote most of the band's songs and they wanted a share of his song money. They did not win the case.

On 25 March 2009, the band announced they had reunited with Tony. They went on a tour in the UK and Ireland. Tony stayed with the band on and off until 2017, when he left for good. He later said he would rather be happy on his own than be in the band again.

Tony Hadley's Solo Career

Early Solo Work: Albums and Collaborations

After Spandau Ballet split, Tony Hadley started his solo career. He signed with EMI and released his first album, The State of Play, in 1992. This album and its singles did not become big hits.

After leaving EMI, Tony started his own record company, SlipStream Records. His first release was the song "Build Me Up". This song was from the movie When Saturday Comes.

In 1996, Tony Hadley played the main role in a BBC Radio 2 live show of Jesus Christ Superstar.

He also worked with Tin Tin Out on their song "Dance With Me". This song reached number 35 on the UK singles chart. In 1997, Tony released his next solo album, Tony Hadley. It included cover songs and some of his own songs, like "She," which he wrote for his daughter. The album reached number 45 in the UK.

In 1999, Alan Parsons chose Tony Hadley to sing on the song "Out of the Blue" for his album The Time Machine.

Reality TV and New Music

Tony Hadley gained new attention in the 2000s. He started working on a solo euro-house music album. Two songs from this project, Will U Take Me and Sweet Surrender, were released in Europe. However, the full album was never released.

In 2001, Tony released an EP (a short album) of four new songs called Get So Lonely. In 2002, Tony reunited with former band members John Keeble and Steve Norman. They toured together as Hadley, Norman and Keeble.

In late 2002, Tony Hadley joined the ITV reality TV show Reborn in the USA. He won the show, which earned him a recording contract. His winning album was True Ballads. It included new versions of Spandau Ballet hits and two new songs. One new song was "I Can't Make You Love Me", which he sang on the show.

Hadley (right) performing with Martin Fry in 2005

After the show, Tony continued to perform a lot. He toured with Peter Cox from the band Go West. They sang songs from both their bands. They released a live album and DVD in 2004. The next year, Tony toured with Martin Fry from ABC, performing songs from both groups.

Jazz, Tours, and Spandau Ballet Hiatus

In 2006, Tony released Passing Strangers, his first solo album in nine years. This album featured jazz and swing songs. It included both cover songs and new original music. Tony toured to support the album, including a big band tour.

He performed at the Retro Fest in 2007 with other 1980s artists. He even sang "Addicted to Love" with Martin Fry and Peter Cox.

In 2008, Tony Hadley performed at the Sanremo Festival in Italy. He sang with Paolo Meneguzzi. Later that year, rumors started about a Spandau Ballet reunion. The reunion tour with the original band members was announced in 2009.

Later Solo Work and Anniversaries

Tony Hadley in 2014

After two successful years of touring, Spandau Ballet took a break again in 2010. In 2011, Tony said his solo career was more financially rewarding than his time with Spandau Ballet. He said 2008 was his best earning year, with over 220 shows.

In 2013, Tony Hadley and other 1980s stars like Kim Wilde and Bananarama set a world record for Comic Relief. They performed the highest-ever concert on a Boeing 767 airplane at 43,000 feet.

In 2014, Tony was on the Italian TV show La Pista. He sang Spandau Ballet's "Gold" and Duran Duran's "Rio". He released a new solo song, "Take Back Everything," that summer. A tour with Spandau Ballet for their 35th Anniversary was confirmed for 2015. An album of Christmas songs was released in November 2015.

Recent Music and Tours

On 3 July 2017, Tony Hadley announced he was no longer a member of Spandau Ballet. In 2017, he sang with Jane McDonald on her song "I See It in Your Eyes."

Talking to the Moon, Tony's first album of new original solo songs in many years, came out in 2018. It included the song "Tonight Belongs to Us." He toured to support the album. In 2020, he started working on a new album and released the song "Obvious."

Tony also sang on charity songs. In 2020, he was one of many singers on "The Best Christmas (in Lockdown)." In 2021, he appeared on a charity version of the Robbie Williams song "Angels."

On 18 February 2022, Tony released his first solo song in over two years, "Because of You." It had a different, more upbeat sound. From March to May 2022, Tony went on a 40-date tour in the UK. This tour celebrated his 40th Anniversary in music. The tour was planned for 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other Work and Achievements

In 1991, Tony Hadley made a small appearance in the music video for P.M. Dawn's song "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss." This song used a sample from Spandau Ballet's "True."

Tony also worked as a radio presenter for Virgin Radio. He hosted the Friday Night Virgin Party Classics show starting in 2007. He later hosted the Saturday night show too. He left Virgin Radio in 2008. From 2015 to 2019, he presented "Tony Hadley's 80's Party" on Absolute 80s.

He appeared on singing reality shows like Pinoy Dream Academy in the Philippines. He also appeared on the Australian TV show RocKwiz.

Tony Hadley was in a British short movie called Shoot The DJ. He played a character named Eddie Richards. His daughter, Toni, was also in the film.

In 2015, Tony took part in the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He finished in sixth place.

In 2019, Tony started presenting a Sunday morning show on BBC Three Counties Radio. He also performed at the Sanremo Music Festival 2019 in Italy.

Tony Hadley supports several charities. He is a patron for the UK Huntington's Disease Association, Shooting Star Chase, and The Lowe Syndrome Trust. In December 2019, he was awarded an MBE. This award was for his charity work with Shooting Star Chase Children's Hospice Care.

He presented his last regular show for BBC Three Counties Radio in 2022.

On 13 January 2024, Tony Hadley performed on Michael McIntyre's Big Game Show for BBC One.

Personal Life

Tony Hadley has three children with his first wife, Leonie Lawson: Tom, Toni, and Mackenzie. They separated in 2003 after 20 years of marriage. In July 2009, Tony married Alison Evers. They live in Buckinghamshire and have two children: Zara (born 2006) and Genevieve (born 2012).

Tony Hadley is a big fan of Arsenal football club. He has played for the Arsenal ex-Professional and Celebrity team.

Tony is proud of his strong work ethic. He says his parents taught him to work hard from a young age.

In 2006, Tony became a co-owner of the Red Rat Craft Brewery. This company made beers like Hadley's Golden Ale. The business closed in 2013. After that, Tony was involved with The Great Yorkshire Brewery, which made a lager called "Gold."

Political Views

Tony Hadley supports the Conservative Party in the UK. He admires former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He has attended the party's yearly conference. In 2012, a magazine described Tony as one of the few openly right-wing rock stars.

Discography

Studio Albums

• The State of Play (1992)
• Tony Hadley (1997)
• Passing Strangers (2006)
• The Christmas Album (2015)
• Talking to the Moon (2018)
• The Mood I’m In (2024)

Live Albums

• Debut (2000)
• Obsession: Live at Ronnie Scott's (2001)
• Tony Hadley vs. Peter Cox & Go West (2004)
• Tony Hadley vs. Martin Fry & ABC (2005)
• Hadley, Norman & Keeble: An Evening of Gold (2009)
• Live from Metropolis Studios (2013)

EPs

• Get So Lonely (2001)

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Tony Hadley para niños