Bernie
says
Bernard Joseph Butler, born in 1970 in Stamford Hill, North London.
He studied violin for six years & piano for six months, abandoned music lessions when they became too restricting.
He picked up a guitar at 13 & learned by playing along to Johnny Marr (guitarst from the Smiths)
He formed his first band at the age of 14 with his brothers while he wrote all the music. 'Animal Lover' was wrote at that period, sure they rearranged it later.
He enrolled at London's Queen Mary College to study History but got thrown out after a year for failing exams.
He worked at Ryman the stationers in Tottenham Court Road for a year, becoming 'an expert on paper clips'.
In 1989, he answered an ad in the NME & join
the band - 'Suave & Elegant', then shortened their name as "Suave"
& eventually "suede".
Bernard smuggled fans in by borrowing backstage
passes from the sound crew at their 100 club gig in 1992.
His relationship with the band went completely
down slope during the US tour & the making of Stay Together through
the late 93' & leads to our greatest lost - his departure from the
band in mid 94'.