Biography of roland gift
Gift was born in Sparkhill in Birmingham, England, to a white mother and a black father, and lived in the city until the age of 11. He then moved to Hull, where his mother, Pauline, ran several second-hand clothes shops. He was educated at Kelvin Hall School in Hull.
Gift has two sisters, Helga and Jay, and one brother, Paul.
One of his children, son Louis, performs in the experimental acrobatic circus company Barely Methodical Troupe.
Akrylykz and Fine Young Cannibals
His first recording, on which he played the saxophone, was with Hull ska band Akrylykz; the second release on York’s Red Rhino Records. Although this record was unsuccessful, it did bring him to the attention of Andy Cox and David Steele of the Beat. Akrylykz toured with the Beat, which led to them, in around 1985, asking him to be the lead singer of their new band Fine Young Cannibals after their old band, the Beat, had broken up. He also was a guest artist on the Ska City Rockers’ “Time Is Tight” single.
In 1990, he was named by People magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People” in the world.
Born c. 1962 in Birmingham, England. Played with bands including the Akrylyx and the Bones until c. 1984; member of the Fine Young Cannibals, c. 1984--. Appeared in films, including Tin Men, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, and Scandal.Addresses: Manager-- AGM Management, 1312 N. LaBrea Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028.
Roland Gift, lead singer of the Fine Young Cannibals, one of the most popular new groups of the late 1980s, has been compared by critics to such great vocalists as Sam Cooke, Al Green, Otis Redding, Nat King Cole, and even Frank Sinatra. "Gift draws portraits of heartache and longing," explained John Leland in Vogue, "as he slides from falsetto to a deep mournful moan." Reviewer Nicholas Jennings concurred in Maclean's , declaring that "the highlight of the Cannibals' sound...[is] Gift's plaintive voice." Also serving as the band's lyricist, Gift has contributed in large measure to the success of the Cannibals' first two albums, Fine Young Cannibals and The Raw and the Cooked.
Born in Birmingham, England, to a white mother and a black father, Gift grew up in the English seaside town of Hull. According to Marlaine Glicksman in Film Comment, Gift found the fishing port dull and "backward." He told her, "When I was really little, all I ever wanted was to be a cosmopolitan person." Perhaps accordingly, Gift's youthful ambition was to be an actor, and he constantly performed in school and community plays. He was also attracted to music, however, and recalled for Glicksman that "mostly the singers I used to listen to were soul singers--American black soul singers. When I see somebody has created something, it really excites me, I feel I can go out and do anything." Gift found Otis Redding particularly inspiring, but as he grew older, he became interested in the punk scene, admiring groups such as the Clash. At the age of sixteen he dyed his hair and gave up acting to join a punk band.
Gift's career as a musician before joining the Fine Young Canni
Roland Lee Gift was born in Birmingham, England. He and his two sisters, Helga and Ragna, grew up in Hull where his mother, Pauline, ran several second-hand clothes shops.
He received his education at Kelvin Hall School (Bricknell Avenue), but did not receive favorable yearly reports.
Andy Cox and David Steele chose Gift as the lead singer of their new band in 1985 after their former band, The Beat, broke up.
He worked in various theater, television, and movie roles beginning early in his career after joining Fine Young Cannibals. His first role was in the 1987 film Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. He didn't appear on stage until 1990 when he landed a part as Romeo in 1990 for a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Hull Truck Theatre, which had a brief run in the USA at the Staller Center for the Arts. Later, in 1993, he had a reoccurring role in the popular series Highlander: The Series as the Immortal Xavier St. Cloud.
Gift released his first solo album since the official breakup of the band Fine Young Cannibals in 1992, self-titled, in 2002. It featured the single "It's Only Money". He waited until 2007 to go back to the recording studio for a follow-up album.
He is reported to have several children, but has made his preference to keep certain aspects of his personal life out of the public eye.
BornMay 28, 1961
Roland Gift
British musician
Roland Gift | |
|---|---|
Gift pictured at a Grammy rehearsal in 1990 | |
| Born | Roland Lee Gift (1961-05-28) 28 May 1961 (age 63) Birmingham, England, UK |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1978−present |
| Known for | Member of Fine Young Cannibals and Akrylykz |
| Children | 2 |
Roland Lee Gift (born 28 May 1961) is a British musician and actor. He is the former lead vocalist of the pop rock band Fine Young Cannibals.
Early life
Gift was born on 28 May 1961 in the Sparkhill district of Birmingham, to an English mother and an Afro-Caribbean father. He lived in Sparkhill until the age of 11, receiving his early formal education at Anderton Park School and Arden Primary School. His family then moved to Kingston upon Hull, where his mother, Pauline, ran several second-hand clothes shops, while he was a pupil at Kelvin Hall School.
Music career
Gift's first recording was as a saxophonist with Akrylykz, a ska band from Hull. The album was the second release on York's Red Rhino Records. Although this record was unsuccessful, it did bring him to the attention of Andy Cox and David Steele of the Beat. Akrylykz toured with the Beat, which led to them, in around 1985, asking him to be the lead singer of their new band Fine Young Cannibals after their old band, the Beat, had broken up. He also was a guest artist on the Ska City Rockers' "Time Is Tight" single.
Gift has performed as a solo artist, appearing at the Rewind Festival in Henley. On 13 February 2012, Gift appeared on BBC Radio Solent promoting the gigs and announced a potential new album in 2012.
He also appeared in Jools Holland's 20th annual Hootenanny show, which aired overnight on BBC2 on 31 December 2012 / 1 January 2013, the last to be recorded at BBC Television Centre. Gift s