Charlie Simpson is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. He is the vocalist and guitarist in the post-hardcore band Fightstar and the pop-rock band Busted, and is also associated with Band Aid 20 and Once Upon a Dead Man.

Early life and musical background

Charlie Simpson is born in 1985 and grows up in Woodbridge. He attends Uppingham, a public school, and his family background includes a musical connection through one of his mother’s ancestors, the classical composer Sir William Sterndale Bennett. He plays guitar, piano, drums and bass, as well as singing lead vocals.

Busted

He joins Busted in 2001 after answering an advert placed by Matt and James in NME magazine, becoming the group’s third member after being selected over Tom Fletcher. He remains in the band until leaving on 14 January 2005, a decision that leads to the split of the original Busted line-up.

Fightstar

After leaving Busted, Simpson focuses on Fightstar, the band he forms with Dan Haigh and other members he meets through Camilla. The band’s name comes from combining ideas suggested by Haigh and Simpson: “Evenstar” and “A Time To Fight”. Fightstar releases three studio albums before entering an extended hiatus in 2010, which allows him to concentrate on solo work.

Solo work

Simpson’s solo debut full-length album is Young Pilgrim, and its lead single, “Parachutes”, is released in 2011.

Other details

He is noted for his guitar playing style and for his eyebrows, which he describes as “the biggest and best in the business”. He cites Nirvana and Deftones as major influences and names Kurt Cobain as his idol. He also has two brothers who are musicians: Will, who plays in Brigade, and Edd, who plays in Union Sound Set, formerly known as Prego. Both brothers support Fightstar on tour and at gigs.