Murray Head: A Life Spanning Music, Film, and Theatre
Murray Seafield Saint-George Head, known simply as Murray Head, is a multifaceted British artist, born in London on March 5, 1946. A singer, actor, and musician, Head has traversed over five decades of entertainment history, leaving an indelible mark on the worlds of music, film, and theatre.Raised in an environment steeped in art and performance, the son of documentary filmmaker Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head and actress Helen Shingler, and the older brother of Anthony Head (celebrated for his role as Rupert Giles in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Murray seemed destined for a career in the spotlight.
After attending the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington and Hampton School, he enrolled at Chiswick Polytechnic in the 1960s. His musical talent emerged early on, leading him to sign a recording contract as early as the mid-1960s. However, his real breakthrough came when he was chosen to play Judas Iscariot in the original concept album of "Jesus Christ Superstar", the rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber that defined an era. His vocal performance was a key contribution to the album's success.
Alongside his music, Head pursued a film career. He made his big-screen debut in 1966 with The Family Way, but it was in 1971 that he achieved international acclaim with his starring role in the Oscar-nominated film "Sunday Bloody Sunday", alongside Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson. The film, daring for its time in its depiction of a bisexual relationship, brought him international fame, and his performance was critically acclaimed. Despite this success, he appeared only sporadically on the big screen over the next ten years, focusing primarily on theatre and music.
1984 marked a new peak in Head's career thanks to the musical "Chess" and its concept album. The single "One Night in Bangkok", in which Head raps the verses with the chorus sung by the Swedish singer Anders Glenmark, became a global hit. The song topped the charts in numerous countries, including Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and South Africa, also reaching the top three in France, Austria, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Norway, and Sweden. It was a triumph that propelled him back into the international spotlight.
After the overwhelming success of "One Night in Bangkok", Murray Head continued with a prolific musical career, releasing several albums and singles and exploring different genres, from pop to rock, confirming his artistic versatility.
In addition to music and film, Head also devoted himself successfully to the theatre, participating in numerous productions and demonstrating his acting skills on stage as well. His theatrical career is rich and varied, including roles in both dramatic works and musicals.
Personal Life:
Murray Head was married to Susan Ellis Jones from 1972 to 1992, with whom he had two daughters, Katherine and Sophie. On February 14, 2019, he remarried, to Lindy Ross (née Newton). He has resided in France, in the Pyrenees region, since 2005.
Conclusion:
Murray Head's career is a testament to talent, versatility, and perseverance. From his iconic performances in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to the worldwide success of "One Night in Bangkok", Head has been able to reinvent himself and remain a prominent figure on the international art scene. His story continues to fascinate and inspire, confirming his status as a complete artist and an icon of an era.
After the overwhelming success of "One Night in Bangkok", Murray Head continued with a prolific musical career, releasing several albums and singles and exploring different genres, from pop to rock, confirming his artistic versatility.
In addition to music and film, Head also devoted himself successfully to the theatre, participating in numerous productions and demonstrating his acting skills on stage as well. His theatrical career is rich and varied, including roles in both dramatic works and musicals.
Personal Life:
Murray Head was married to Susan Ellis Jones from 1972 to 1992, with whom he had two daughters, Katherine and Sophie. On February 14, 2019, he remarried, to Lindy Ross (née Newton). He has resided in France, in the Pyrenees region, since 2005.
Conclusion:
Murray Head's career is a testament to talent, versatility, and perseverance. From his iconic performances in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to the worldwide success of "One Night in Bangkok", Head has been able to reinvent himself and remain a prominent figure on the international art scene. His story continues to fascinate and inspire, confirming his status as a complete artist and an icon of an era.
Album
1972 - Nigel Lived
1975 - Say It Ain't So
1979 - Between Us
1980 - Voices
1981 - Find The Crowd
1982 - Shade
1984 - Restless
1984 - Chess (Ft Andersson, Rice & Ulvaeus)
1985 - The Flying Devils (Original Soundtrack)
1986 - Sooner Or Later
1988 - A Gauche En Sortant De L'ascenceur
1992 - Wave
1993 - Innocence
1995 - Pipe Dream
2007 - Tete A Tete
2008 - Rien N'Est Ecrit
2012 - My Back Pages
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