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Biography
About|an English people|English singer |an United States|American record producer |Steve HurleyInfobox musical artist|name = Steve Harley|image =|caption =|image_size =|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice|alias =|birth_date = Birth date and age|1951|2|27|df=yes Deptford , London , England|death_date =|instrument = Human voice|Vocals , guitar |genre = Rock music|Rock , Art rock , Progressive rock , Pop music|Pop |occupation = Singer-songwriter , musician |years_active = 1972–present|label = EMI Records|EMI |associated_acts = Cockney Rebel |website = http://www.steveharley.com/ Official website Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice , 27 February 1951,cite book | first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | pages= 424–425 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3 Deptford , London , England ) is an English people|English singer and songwriter , best known for his work with the 1970s rock music|rock musical ensemble|group Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel|Cockney Rebel , with whom he still occasionally concert tour|tours (albeit with many personnel changes through the years).
Biography
As a child, Harley suffered from Poliomyelitis|polio , spending four years in hospital up to the age of 16.cite web |first= |last= |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p84327/biography|pure_url=yes |title=Biography by Jason Ankeny |publisher=Allmusic.com |accessdate=21 August 2009 It was in hospital that he first heard Bob Dylan , inspiring him to a career of words and music. At the age of 10, he received a guitar from his parents, and he played violin with the school orchestra . He left the Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College without completing his advanced level exams and took an A-level in English in his mid-30s. http://www.steveharley.com/biography.html Steve Harley biography. - www.steveharley.com.
In 1968, at the age of 17, Harley began work as an accountant with the Daily Express , from which he progressed to become a journalism|reporter in a number of local Essex newspapers for a duration of three years. Later, he returned to London to work for the East London Advertiser .
Harley started out playing in bar (establishment)|bars and nightclub|clubs in the early 1970s, mainly at folk music|folk venues on open-mike nights. He also busking|busked around London on the London Underground|Underground and in Portobello Road . While auditioning for folk band Odin in 1971, he met violinist John Crocker, with whom he formed Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel|Cockney Rebel in late 1972.
Cockney Rebel went on to release The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo before splitting up in 1974. However, Harley carried on with drummer Stuart Elliot, renaming the band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, with whom he had more success. From the next album, The Best Years of Our Lives (album)|The Best Years of Our Lives , came the chart-topper|number one and million selling single (music)|single , " Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) ".cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | pages= 358–359 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6
Harley had two more hits during the mid 1970s with "Mr Raffles" and " Here Comes the Sun " which were both Top 40|Top 20 hit record|hits , but he did not have any further major successes, and in the 1980s he all but faded from the public eye, relocating to the United States . He was set to star as the Phantom in the London premiere of The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera , and sound recording and reproduction|recorded the promotional single (music)|single of the title song, but was surprised to be replaced close to rehearsals by Michael Crawford .
His songs "Sebastian", "Tumbling Down", and "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" were included in the Todd Haynes 1998 rock musical Velvet Goldmine . The soundtrack album included "Make Me Smile", but omitted "Sebastian", yet included a cover version of "Tumbling Down" with vocals by Jonathan Rhys Myers . "Make Me Smile" was also included in the 1997 film , The Full Monty .
In 1999, Harley began presenting a BBC Radio programme The Sounds of the Seventies , of which the last programme aired on 27 March 2008.
In 2005, The Quality of Mercy was released under the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel name, and Harley began touring more frequently, although mainstream success remained elusive.
In February 2010, Harley, a self-confessed technophobe, attributed poor literacy rates and the moral corrosion of British society to modern technology. The Daily Politics , BBC , 24 February 2010
Harley lives in Suffolk with his wife, Dorothy. They have two children, Kerr and Greta.Citation needed|date=August 2009
See also
Steve Harley discography
Quotations
cquote|Maybe in six months time, some perceptive journalist will say: "Didn't Steve Harley do this a year ago and didn't we say it was rubbish ? " NME - June 1974cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 265 | id= CN 5585 cquote|I set out to be a winner. I don't want to lose. I spent four years in a hospital but I never expected favours from anyone. I don't give sympathy because I don't expect it. Nice guys don't make it. NME - July 1977cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 302 | id= CN 5585
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/sounds70s/biography.shtml BBC Radio 2 Biography
http://www.steveharley.com Official Steve Harley web site
Persondata | NAME = Harley, Steve | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Nice, Stephen Malcolm Ronald | SHORT DESCRIPTION = English people|English singer and songwriter | DATE OF BIRTH = 27 February 1951 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Deptford , London , England | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Harley, Steve Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:People from Deptford Category:English male singers Category:English radio presenters Category:English rock singers Category:English songwriters
