| The eldest child of Frank and Eileen, Gary James Kemp was born on 16th October 1959, in Barts Hospital in Islington, London. His brother, Martin was born two years later on 10th October 1961. Growing up in Islington, Gary attended the local Rotherfield Junior School, and from the age of 10 he also attended the Anna Scher Children's Theatre with his brother, conveniently situated just across the road from their home. It was through Anna Scher that the brothers were given work on television. Gary's first project was in 1970 on the childrens programme Jackanory, where he and Martin played Arsenal supporters. He also appeared in several TV programmes, usually playing a Cockney lad. He also had a main part in Hide and Seek, a film by the Children's Film Foundation. He started to learn to play the guitar at the age of 11, and very soon was writing songs. At the school prize-giving, which was attended by the Bishop of Stepney, Gary performed two of his own songs. He must have been very impressed by the boy’s talents, because several days later he turned up at Gary’s house with a cassette recorder as a present. The only condition attached to the gift was that Gary was to record any songs he wrote and send them to the bishop. By the age of 16 Gary had left school and found employment as a clerk with the Financial Times. Around the same time he left Anna Scher, and was starting to look towards music as a possible career. He had seen a Sex Pistols Concert in Islington and intrigued by punk, went on to form his band, The Makers, at school, consisting of himself on guitar, Tony Hadley on vocals, John Keeble on drums, Steve Norman on guitar and Richard Miller on bass guitar. In 1978, Richard Miller was replaced by Martin Kemp, who on the advice of Steve Dagger, their Manager, was recruited to the band and taught to play the bass guitar by Gary. They changed their name to The Gentry, but this was short-lived. By 1979 they had changed their name again – to Spandau Ballet, on the advice of Robert Elms. Throughout the 80s, the band had massive hits, with songs like True, Gold and Through The Barricades, all written by Gary. In 1988 Gary married the British actress, Sadie Frost. They were divorced nine years later. 1990 saw not only the birth of Gary’s son, Finlay, but also the release of the film, The Krays, with Gary and Martin playing the parts of Ronnie and Reggie Kray. The early 1990s saw Gary making several films, including The Bodyguard, Magic Hunter and Paper Marriage. But in 1994 Gary went back into the recording studio to produce his only solo album, Little Bruises, which was released in 1995, with Gary touring Britain, Ireland and Italy to promote it. Throughout the last decade he has continued to remain busy writing and producing for other performers, as well as venturing onto the stage, appearing in London in the play, Art, between January and April 2001. |
