Born on 9 May, Dave Gahan: the voice and soul of Depeche Mode

He was born in Epping in 1962, a few miles from Basildon, the town where Depeche Mode was formed.

After the brief tenure of Vince Clarke (who later founded Yazoo and Erasure), the departure of Alan Wilder in 1995, and the sudden passing of Andrew Fletcher (a crucial link in crafting the Depeche Mode sound), guitarist Martin Gore and singer Dave Gahan remain as the two survivors of the band founded in Basildon, the small town in English Essex, in 1980.

Initially, few people expected the English quartet, named after a French fashion magazine and using exclusively first-generation synths like the Kawai 100FS, the Roland Jupiter 4, as well as the Yamaha CS-5, and the famous ARP 2600, to last long. Yet what freshness from the very first single "New Life" on the Mute label!

Dave Gahan was not yet 20 years old when the band embarked on their first short European tour in September 1981. Four cities: Hamburg, Paradiso in Amsterdam, Les Bains Douches in Paris, and Disco Rojo in Brussels.

The singer celebrates his 63rd birthday today, make him happy by listening to one of his solo records, such as "Imposter", an album of covers (including by P.J. Harvey, Mark Lanegan, and Neil Young) recorded with Soulsavers. And especially this haunting version of "Metal Heart" by Marie Chan Marshall, better known by her stage name Cat Power.

And, as talent seems to run in the blood, his daughter Stella Rose is following admirably in her father's footsteps. Her album "Eyes Of Glass", with an electro-gothic flair, is well worth discovering.

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Dave Gahan with Depeche Mode on stage at the Torhout festival in July 1985