Born on September 26: Bryan Ferry, the gentleman rocker

Bryan Ferry was born on September 26, 1945, in a mining town in England. While his father bred horses for the mines, the young man worked on Saturdays at a local tailor shop.

Passionate about pop and contemporary art, he chose to study art at Newcastle University, where he had the opportunity to join the class of Richard Hamilton, the founder of pop art. "At first, I wanted to become a painter; that was my dream," confides the artist, who now owns a significant collection of his works.

Alongside his studies, the young man pursued another of his passions by playing in an amateur rock band, the Banshees. He then joined a second group, The Gas Board, where he met bassist Graham Simpson, with whom he founded Roxy Music in 1970. They were joined by a saxophonist (Andy Mackay), a synthesizer (Brian Eno), a drummer (Paul Thompson), and finally, a guitarist (Phil Manzanera). Their first album, simply titled "Roxy Music" (which is said to have cost only £5,000 to record at the time), was released in 1972. It was followed a year later by "For Your Pleasure."

The young English band quickly achieved success and became one of the essential bands of the moment. Often considered the precursors of glam rock, alongside David Bowie, they were both distinctive and captivating. "Other bands wanted to destroy hotel rooms, Roxy Music wanted to redecorate them," Bryan Ferry later joked.

The influence of the singer (who composed the majority of the songs) on the group, however, did not please everyone, and Brian Eno left Roxy Music after the release of the second album. The singer then decided to give more space to the other members of the band and embarked on a solo career.

He brought Phil Manzanera and Paul Thompson into this new adventure, and thus, in 1973, "These Foolish Things" was released, the singer's first solo album, which featured hits by Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley.

He then recorded several other albums of covers, such as "Another Time, Another Place," on the cover of which he is photographed in a white tuxedo in front of a swimming pool. This elegance is undoubtedly part of his legend. In 1977, "In Your Mind" was his first album composed entirely of original compositions. A mixed success somewhat dampened the enthusiasm of the dandy, already saddened by his breakup with Jerry Hall (who appears on the cover of Roxy Music's fifth album, "Siren"). She left him for the arms of Mick Jagger.

The ideal son-in-law of the United Kingdom continued to work alongside Roxy Music on the rest of their career. Eight more albums were produced from their collaboration. Many hits remain, such as "Love Is the Drug" and the essential "More Than This." Their final album, "Avalon," was released in 1982 and signaled the end of the band's breakup.

Bryan Ferry returned to the studio alone. "Boys and Girls" (1985) quickly rose to the top of the British charts, notably with "Slave to Love," which became one of the signature tracks of the era. Two years later, "Bête Noire" (1987), which featured entirely original compositions, is often considered one of his most accomplished albums. In 1994, the two former Roxy Music enemies reunited, some twenty years after their split. Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry collaborated on "Mamouna." And they weren't alone, as it also featured MacKay and Manzanera. However, the magic no longer really worked, and the album did not achieve the success it had once had.

In 1999, an album mixing covers of songs from the 1930s with the singer's own compositions was released: "As Time Goes By." The former Roxy Music frontman still maintained contact with his former bandmates, and in 2001, he embarked on a tour with Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera. The singer then turned once again to covers and released "Dylanesque" in 2007, dedicated to the work of Bob Dylan. Three years later, the former members of Roxy Music reunited, alongside other artists such as Jonny Greenwood and Nile Rogers, to record "Olympia."

In 2014, "Avonmore" marked Ferrey's return to a more sophisticated pop rock style. Four years later, he returned to jazz in "Bitter-Sweet." In 2024, Bryan Ferry presents "Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023," a five-disc set of 81 songs spanning fifty years of his career. It features rare tracks alongside acclaimed pieces, as well as, for the first time in a decade, an original and unreleased song, "Star." The title was born from a collaboration with Amélia Barratt, painter and writer. "I'm very excited about this new track. There's still a lot to come," commented the crooner.

 (MH with Céline Massart - Photo : Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Bryan Ferry on stage at Bozar in Brussels, Belgium, on June 15, 2019