Paul King (musician, MJ)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Paul King


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Paul King
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1961|11|20|df=yes Coventry, England
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Vocals, Piano, Synth
Genre = New Wave, Pop rock, Soul
Occupation = Singer, Musician VJ, Television presenter
Years_active = 1986 (as King's lead singer) 1987-1988 (as soloist) 1988-present (as VJ and TV presenter)
Label = CBS
Associated_acts = King Richard James Burgess Dan Hartman The Reluctant Stereotypes The Raw Screens
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =

Paul King (born 20 November 1961) is an English singer, musician, VJ, and TV presenter.

Biography

After graduating from Coventry Drama School, King considered joining the West Midlands Police, but joined rock-ska band, The Reluctant Stereotypes. The band - which also contained record producer Paul Sampson - released an album and three singles in the early 1980s on the back of Coventry's vibrant 2 Tone ska scene.cite web | last =| first =| title = Paul King| publisher = TrouserPress.com | url = http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=king | accessdate = 2007-01-07]

After the demise of The Reluctant Stereotypes, King formed The Raw Screens who perfected their act and style to what King and his manager Perry Haines called 'multi-tone', and then in 1983 relaunched the group as self-named 1980s band King. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2005/08/05/pop_past_thirteen_king.shtml BBC - Coventry and Warwickshire - Entertainment - Pop into the Past ] ] As lead singer, King was famed for his cockatoo haircut and spray painted Doc Marten's Boots - a look described "like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But, hell, the girls loved him," [ [http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0850cityhistory/coolcov/tm_headline=king-of-the-charts&method=full&objectid=124106&siteid=50003-name_page.html icCoventry - King of the charts ] ] while Richard James Burgess produced and drummed on most of the band's songs.

The band King lasted just a couple of years, though both of their albums, "Steps in Time" and "Bitter Sweet", went Gold, and they had two Top 10 singles with "Love & Pride" and "Alone without You," then Paul King went solo with a 1987 album entitled "Joy", produced by the American Dan Hartman. It produced the UK Singles Chart minor hit single, "I Know."

After an unsuccessful solo career, King became a VJ on MTV in 1989, before moving over to VH1, and then became known for his infomercials on 1980s collection albums. He is mostly remembered for "MTV's Greatest Hits" and "120 Minutes" programmes. In 1998, a joint King & Paul King 18-track collection, entitled "The Best of King - Love & Pride", was eventually released, with hit singles, stand-out tracks, B-Sides and remixes. Paul King still works for MTV Networks Europe where he has produced shows for VH1 UK and MTV One

Discography

ingles

* 1984 - "Love & Pride" (UK #84)
* 1985 - "Love & Pride" (re-release - UK #2, USA #55)
* 1985 - "Won't You Hold My Hand Now" (UK #24)
* 1985 - "Alone without You" (UK #8)
* 1985 - "The Taste of Your Tears" (UK #11)
* 1986 - "Torture" (UK #23)
* 1987 - "I Know" (Paul King solo - UK #59)
* 1987 - "Follow My Heart" (Paul King solo - N.C.)
* 1988 - "Smug and Irritating" (Paul King solo - N.C.)

Albums

* 1984 - "Steps in Time" (King's debut album)
* 1985 - "Bitter Sweet" (King's second album)
* 1987 - "Joy" (Paul King's solo album)
* 1998 - "The Best of King - Love & Pride" (King and Paul King's joint collection)

References

External links

* [http://www.paulking.it/index.html Paul King Italian Fans Club] : Paul King's Italian fansite
* [http://www.paulking.nl/index.html Paul King Fansite] : Paul King's fansite (in English)