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Erasure's Andy Bell

Today is the 34th birthday of Andy Bell, the flamboyant lead singer of electronic music act Erasure, who was born in Peterborough, England. After the breakup of synth-pop group Yaz, ex-Depeche Mode synthesizer ace Vince Clarke teamed with Bell, whom he found through a want ad. They formed Erasure in 1985. The new group played music similar to Yaz but with more emphasis on dance tunes and hook-laden songwriting. Bell became Erasure's showstopper with his open homosexuality and gender-bending theatrics (sometimes he aped the late singer/actress Judy Garland and other famous divas). His high-pitched voice also became a signature of Erasure's sound.

Erasure's first album, 1986's Wonderland, was a commercial and critical dud. Bell's voice was compared unfavorably to the husky sensuality of Yaz lead singer Alison Moyet. But 1987's The Circus, featuring the #2 U.K. hit "Sometimes," reached the top 10 in England and established a series of hits in that country that would run well into the next decade. Erasure's third album, 1988's The Innocents, brought the band to the attention of America's youth with the top-20 U.S. hit "Chains of Love." Another single from the album, "A Little Respect" (RealAudio excerpt), also peaked in the top 15. In 1992, the band released Abba-esque, an EP tribute to the '70s Swedish pop sensations, ABBA. That year also saw the release of Erasure's first compilation, Pop! -- The First 20 Hits. Their next album, I Say, I Say, I Say, returned them to the U.S. singles charts in 1994 with "Always." Their self-titled sixth album was issued in 1995 and was followed with last year's Cowboy.

Other birthdays: Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival), 53; Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA), 53; Michael Brown (Left Banke), 49; Steven Ferrone (Average White Band), 48; Cory Daye (Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band), 46; and Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction/Porno For Pyros), 33.

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