Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry is an English singer and songwriter from Washington, Tyne and Wear, born in 1945. He studies fine art and works as a secondary school teacher before turning to music. His voice is often described as an elegant, seductive croon, and his image and clothing style become part of his public identity as well as his music.

Roxy Music

Ferry begins assembling Roxy Music in London in 1970 with friends and acquaintances, and he serves as the group’s lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieves immediate international success with its self-titled debut album in 1972. Its second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), helps establish the group’s distinctive sound and visual style. Over the next few years, albums including Stranded, Country Life and Siren broaden the band’s international appeal. Ferry later disbands Roxy Music after Avalon in 1982.

Solo work

Ferry begins a solo career in 1973 with These Foolish Things, an album of cover versions that helps popularise the idea of a contemporary artist recording standards. He continues to record cover-heavy albums such as Another Time, Another Place, Let’s Stick Together, Taxi, As Time Goes By and Dylanesque, alongside original solo material. His solo singles include “Slave to Love” and “Don’t Stop the Dance”, and Boys and Girls becomes a UK number one album in 1985.

Style and legacy

Ferry’s work spans art pop, art rock, glam rock, pop, pop rock and rock. He is known for combining music with a strong visual identity, and commentators link his influence on both sound and appearance with figures such as David Bowie. His career includes more than 30 million album sales worldwide, and he is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Roxy Music. He is also associated with The Bryan Ferry Orchestra.