Continuing the theme of early 80s nostalgia that is pervading my consciousness at the moment, let us wish many happy returns to Mr Simon John Charles Le Bon, 53 today!
Often unkindly regarded as the "uncool" end of the New Romantic explosion (in my opinion merely because they hailed from Brum rather than trendy London, Manchester or Liverpool), Duran Duran are nonetheless one of the most successful of the bands who emerged from the dressing-up era of the early 80s, selling more than 100 million records to date.
Furthermore, unlike their contemporaries (rivals?) Spandau Ballet the band has survived (in several incarnations, admittedly) as a unit ever since their foundation, and certainly never crossed over into the Phil Collins/Lionel Ritchie/"adult contemporary" music market like Spandau did with the execrable True...
I have always had a soft spot for the Durannies, all the way from from Planet Earth right through to All You Need is Now. I saw them live at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on the "Careless Memories" tour back in 1981, and had I the money (and had Simon's vocal chords not collapsed after a virus halfway through) I would have loved to see them again on their recent tour.
As a keen gossip fan I have always been entranced by Simon's (25-year!) relationship with the glamorous Yasmin, his society parties, his fascination with yachts, and also by his choices of musical collaborators (including the very impressive would-be porn star Warren Cuccurullo [try Googling his pics and videos!]).
Mr Le Bon is indeed one of the few 80s pop stars to manage the transition to "pillar of musical society" without scandal, backlash or controversy - happy birthday to a truly influential man!
“We want to be the band to dance to when the bomb drops.” - Simon Le Bon
Facts about Simon Le Bon:
- His is not a stage name; Simon's family (like my own) is from French Huguenot stock.
- As a child, he appeared in a non-speaking role in a Persil advert.
- He contributed an essay to the book The Atheist's Guide to Christmas.
- He maintains it’s an ‘urban myth’ that he nearly drowned while making the video for Wild Boys.
- His children are called Saffron Sahara, Amber Rose Tamara and Tallulah Pine.
Duran Duran official website
I adored DD back in they day - they were probably my first true childhood popstars. Since then I have bought every album and DVD they have released, and I still consider myself a pretty big fan. Happy birthday Mr Le Bon!
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