Tony Hadley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tony Hadley (born Anthony Patrick Hadley, 2 June 1960, Islington, London) is an English pop singer who fronted the 1980s New Romantic band Spandau Ballet.
The group disbanded in 1989, after their final studio album, Heart Like a Sky, failed to live up to the critical and selling success of their earlier albums, such as True and Through the Barricades. In April 1999 Hadley, along with fellow band members Steve Norman and John Keeble failed in their attempt to sue Gary Kemp for a share of his royalties, as the band's principal songwriter.
After Spandau Ballet disbanded, Hadley pursued a solo career with considerably less success, signing to EMI Records and recording his first album The State of Play. After leaving EMI, Hadley formed his own record company SlipStream Records and his first release was to be the single "Build Me up" from the film When Saturday Comes. Shortly after that, in December 1996 Hadley embarked on an orchestral tour of Europe along with Joe Cocker, Paul Michiels, Dani Klein and Guo Yue, playing to 500,000 people in six weeks.
On his return from that tour, Hadley signed a joint deal with PolyGram TV and released his next solo album which included covers and songs that were chosen to match his voice. The album also featured some of his own self penned songs such as "She", the song that Hadley wrote for his daughter, Toni. He is the father of four children: Thomas, Toni and Mackenzie by his wife, Leonie, and Zara (born 21 December 2006) by his girlfriend, Alison Evers. Hadley split from Leonie in 2003 after twenty years of marriage.
To plug the gap between studio albums, Hadley also released a live album recorded in just one night at the club Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham, called Obsession.
He also collaborated in the past and present with various dance acts and DJs such as Tin Tin Out, Eddie Lock, Marc et Claude, Reggie Penxton (Milk Inc.) and the Disco Bros., and played alongside musicians such as Alice Cooper, Paul Young, Jon Anderson, and Brian May. Hadley's permanent band line up features John Keeble (drums), Phil Taylor (keyboards), Phil Williams (bass guitar), Richie Barrett (guitar), and Angie Grant on backing vocals. All these musicians featured on his third studio album Lobsters and Limousines.
Hadley was also the subject of some newfound respect in the 2000s, rooted in an "ironic" appreciation for his old group Spandau Ballet; John Darnielle of the indie folk rock group The Mountain Goats wrote about his admiration for Hadley's vocal strengths.
In 2003, Hadley was the winner of the ITV reality television series, Reborn in the USA appearing alongside Elkie Brooks, Peter Cox and Leee John.
Hadley recently had a busy performing schedule and recently toured with both Peter Cox (Go West) and Martin Fry (ABC). He released a jazz-swing album in 2006, and travelled on a "by request" tour from March to May 2006. This was followed by a big band tour in late the same year.
Since the end of January 2007, Hadley has been performing in the West End musical "Chicago" as crooked lawyer Billy Flynn at the Cambridge Theatre. Hadley took over from ex-Emmerdale actor Ian Kelsey, and will feature from 29 January to 14 April 2007.
Hadley stated on the television show Loose Women (22 February 2007) that he is 6'4" and 17 and a half stone.[1].
