Mick Quinn

For other people named Michael Quinn, see Michael Quinn (disambiguation).

Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn performing with the dB Band in Montpellier, 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Michael Quinn
Also known as	Biff Hymenn,[1] Barry McQueen[2]
Born	17 December 1969 (1969-12-17) (age 41) Oxford, England
Genres	Alternative rock, Britpop
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Vocals, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, harmonica
Years active	1993-present
Labels	Parlophone, Capitol, Sub Pop, Island Def Jam, Supergrass, Cooking Vinyl
Associated acts	Supergrass, dB Band
Website	dbband.com
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster Ibanez Roadstar Bass

Mick Quinn (born Michael Milton Quinn, 17 December 1969, Oxford, England) is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011. He also is a member of 60's garage/beat band the "Beat Seeking Missiles".

Career

1993-2010: Supergrass

Main article: Supergrass

Mick Quinn formed Supergrass with Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey in February 1993. Coombes had recently disbanded his first group The Jennifers and become Quinn's co-worker at a local restaurant. The two realised they shared common musical interests and began song writing in Quinn's house in Oxfordshire, joined by former Jennifer's drummer, Danny Goffey.

In 1995 the band released I Should Coco selling over a million copies worldwide.^[3] Singles, Caught by the Fuzz and Alright confirmed the bands popularity and they went on to release five further albums, four reaching the top ten in the UK Albums Chart.

Children of the Monkey Basket, a website created by Quinn in September 1999, earned the band best Rock Website at the UK Online Music Awards in both 2000^[4] and 2002. Other nominations in the category were Coldplay, Idlewild, Radiohead and U2.^[5]

In 2008 the band parted ways with Parlophone records, recently acquired by Guy Hands of Terra Firma, and released single Rebel In You on Supergrass Records, appointing Quinn as managing director.^[6]

The band announced in April 2010 that they were to split, stating that "cliche notwithstanding, musical differences"^[7] had led to their decision.

Quinn has said that in his opinion, one of Supergrass' greatest achievements was: "Not doing Calvin Klein. Not doing Spielberg",^[8] in reference to the band staying focused on their music career.

2010-present

In May 2010 Quinn formed The dB Band with former Shake Appeal bass player Paul Wilson. The band has toured in Holland and France and played 2011's Truck Festival^[9]. The band released the début EP, 'Stranger In The Alps' on 17th September 2011 on BAM Records^[8].

Quinn is also a founding member of garage band The Beat Seeking Missiles with former members of The Wig Outs and Thee Headcoats. Signed to Dirtywater records,the band will release their first single, "Break My Fall/Dr. Strangelove" in October.

Personal life

His parents were born in Australia,^[5] his father is the lipid biochemist Professor Peter Quinn, who is based at King's College London.^[10] Quinn spent his very early childhood living in America before relocated to Oxford, England in the 1970s.

After leaving school he travelled to Australia but returned to England to continue his studies, graduating from Brighton University with a qualification in computing.

On 21 August 2007, Quinn was hospitalized in Toulouse, France for an operation to repair two broken vertebrae and a smashed Calcaneus, sustained after falling out of a first floor window of a rented villa he was staying in with his family.^[11][12] He subsequently made a full recovery, returning to perform with the band in January 2008.^[1]

Quinn lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and daughter.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Stricken 'Grass bassist returns". The Sun. 17 Jan 2008. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/music/article694542.ece. 
2. ^ "dB Band Facebook Page". http://www.facebook.com/pages/dB-Band/112744608767865?v=info. 
3. ^ news "SUPERGRASS Second LP features a more mature sound". Dot Music. April 1997. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mick_Quinn&action=submite news. 
4. ^ "...Supergrass honoured...". BBC News. 24 November 2000. http://cdnedge.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1037061.stm. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "The Strange Ones Supergrass Site". Strangeones.co.uk. http://www.strangeones.co.uk/archive2002.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-20. 
6. ^ "Bassist Mickey Quinn explain why they parted ways with EMI". BBC 6 Music. 12 December 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20081211_supergrass.shtml. 
7. ^ "Supergrass to split after 17 years". The Guardian. 12 April 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/12/supergrass-split-17-years. Retrieved 2011-05-02. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "The Strange Ones Supergrass Site". Strangeones.co.uk. http://www.strangeones.co.uk/press/articles/ms991001.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-20. 
9. ^ "BBC Introducing in Oxford stage at Truck Festival line up". BBC News. 20 June 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-13810599. 
10. ^ Home Page
11. ^ "Quinn breaks back". Daily Mirror. 1 September 2007. http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/2007/09/01/quinn-breaks-back-115875-19718989/. 
12. ^ "Supergrass bass man breaks back while sleepwalking". Reuters. 31 August 2007. http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/09/01/music-supergrass-dc-idUSN3135365820070901. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 

External links

• dB Band - Current band website
• Children of the Monkey Basket - Website created by Mick Quinn
• Mick Quinn at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Quinn, Mick
Alternative names	McQueen, Barry
Short description
Date of birth	17 December 1969
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death