Ian Brown
Ian Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ian George Brown February 20, 1963 Warrington, England |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Lead vocalist of The Stone Roses, solo music career |
Ian George Brown (born 20 February 1963) is a prominent English musician, primarily recognized as the lead vocalist and the only consistent member of the alternative rock group The Stone Roses since their inception in 1983. Following the band's initial dissolution in 1996, Brown embarked on a solo journey, releasing seven studio albums, alongside a greatest hits collection, a remix album, an extensive 11-disc box set entitled Collection, and 19 singles. He reunited with The Stone Roses for live shows spanning from 2011 to 2017.
Early life and education
Brown was born in Warrington and spent his early years in Orford before relocating to Sylvan Avenue in Timperley, Altrincham. His father worked as a joiner while his mother was employed as a receptionist at a paper factory. He attended Park Road County Primary School and subsequently Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, leaving school at 16. In both 2015 and 2017, Brown gave testimony against a former teacher at Altrincham Grammar who was convicted of historic abuse.
His musical tastes were heavily influenced by the punk scene, particularly bands such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Manchester’s Slaughter & the Dogs. Additionally, he was an early enthusiast of psychobilly music and took part in scooter rallies across northern England. Along with original Stone Roses bassist Pete Garner, Brown witnessed the recording of The Clash’s single "Bankrobber" in Manchester.
The Stone Roses
Brown's entry into music began in 1980 when he played bass guitar alongside John Squire and Simon Wolstencroft. Together, they formed the Patrol, which soon disbanded. In 1983, Brown joined the Waterfront, which eventually transformed into The Stone Roses with him as co-vocalist.
The Stone Roses rose to fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s; their debut album was later acclaimed as the greatest British album ever in 2004. Their follow-up record, Second Coming, received mixed critiques, and after several lineup changes, the band officially split in October 1996.
On 17 October 2011, Brown hinted at a reunion of The Stone Roses, which was confirmed the following day with scheduled concerts for June 2012 in Manchester. During this announcement, plans for a new album were also revealed.
On 2 December 2011, Brown and Squire performed live together for the first time since 1995 at a benefit event supporting the Justice for Hillsborough campaign. They were joined by Mick Jones from The Clash, along with members of The Farm and Pete Wylie.
The Stone Roses reformed in 2011 and toured extensively from 2012 until their second disbandment in 2017.
Solo career
Following a hiatus spent in Morocco, Brown initiated his solo career with the release of his debut single "My Star" on 12 January 1998, followed shortly by his first solo album Unfinished Monkey Business on 2 February 1998. This self-produced and self-funded album featured contributions from former Stone Roses members Mani, Nigel Ipinson, Aziz Ibrahim, and Robbie Maddix, achieving sales exceeding 300,000 copies.
During summer 1998, Brown embarked on a tour with a band including Aziz Ibrahim, Inder "Goldfinger" Matharu, Simon Moore, and Sylvan Richardson. They performed at major festivals such as Glastonbury Festival and V Festival. However, his touring was interrupted when he was arrested for threatening behavior on a flight from Paris, resulting in a four-month prison sentence of which he served two months on parole. While incarcerated at Strangeways Prison, he composed lyrics for several songs.
Brown’s sophomore solo album Golden Greats, released by Polydor Records in 1999, incorporated stronger electronic influences and garnered critical praise. For his third studio effort Music of the Spheres, he collaborated with producer Dave McCracken and undertook his first solo tour across the United States.
His fourth album Solarized (2004) marked his first release under Polydor’s revived Fiction Records label. Fiction A&R Jim Chancellor highlighted Brown's significant artistic autonomy over his projects.
Since The Stone Roses' breakup in 1996, Brown has produced six solo albums along with fourteen UK Top 40 singles. He has successfully sold out seven UK tours and made multiple appearances at prominent festivals like Glastonbury Festival, V Festival, as well as international tours including Australian dates in 2006 and 2008.
Acknowledging his impact on music, Brown was honored with the NME "Godlike Genius" award in 2006 and received the Q "Legend" Award in 2007.
His fifth studio release The World Is Yours (2007) featured more politically charged content with anti-war messages exemplified by tracks such as "Illegal Attacks", which included vocals from Sinéad O'Connor. Collaborators on this album comprised former The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, Paul Ryder of Happy Mondays, as well as Steve Jones and Paul Cook from The Sex Pistols.
Brown’s sixth album My Way (2009), again produced by McCracken at London’s Battery Studios, yielded the single "Stellify". By 2010 he had toured internationally across approximately 45 countries.
He has also worked with electronic collective UNKLE, featuring on songs like "Be There" (1999) and "Reign" from their 2003 release Never, Never, Land.
After nearly a decade without new solo material, Brown returned with the single "First World Problems" in October 2018 followed by his seventh studio album Ripples released in February 2019.
In September 2020, he released "Little Seed, Big Tree," a track expressing opposition to lockdown measures and vaccinations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This song was subsequently removed from Spotify due to violations of policies against misleading COVID-19 content.
In September 2022, Brown commenced a UK tour featuring sold-out performances including one in Leeds; however, some attendees expressed dissatisfaction regarding his use of backing tracks instead of performing with a live band.
Film and television
Brown appeared briefly in the 2004 movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, portraying a wizard who stirs his drink at the Leaky Cauldron. Additionally, in 2010, he took on the role of a police officer in Shane Meadows' television series This is England '86, which serves as a follow-up to This is England.
Awards and achievements
Ian Brown has earned numerous accolades throughout his solo career as well as with The Stone Roses:
- With The Stone Roses
- 1997: Their self-titled album The Stone Roses was placed fifth in The Guardian's 100 Best Albums Ever list
- 1998: Ranked fourth in Q magazine's 100 Best Albums Ever
- 2004: Voted number one in The Observer's 100 Best British Albums Ever
- 2006: Topped the NME writers' poll for 100 Best British Albums Ever and secured seventh place in the fans' poll
- Solo career
- 2002: Muso Awards Best Single for "Whispers"
- 2002: Awarded Best Solo Artist at the NME Awards
- 2006: Received the NME Awards Godlike Genius Award
- 2007: Honored with the Q Awards Legend Award
- Multiple nominations for Best British Solo Artist at the Brit Awards in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2009
Discography
Ian Brown's solo albums have collectively sold over half a million copies within the UK.
Studio
| Year | Title | UK | IRL | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Unfinished Monkey Business | 4 | UK: Gold | |
| 1999 | Golden Greats | 14 | UK: Gold | |
| 2001 | Music of the Spheres | 3 | 6 | UK: Gold |
| 2004 | Solarized | 7 | 14 | UK: Gold |
| 2007 | The World Is Yours | 4 | 7 | UK: Silver |
| 2009 | My Way | 8 | 13 | UK: Silver |
| 2019 | Ripples | 4 | 14 |
Remixes
| Year | Title | UK |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Remixes of the Spheres | 87 |
Compilations
| Year | Title | UK | IRL | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Greatest | 5 | 13 | UK: Platinum |
| 2005 | The Greatest Promos | – | – |
Singles
| Year | Title | UK | IRL | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "My Star" | 5 | 9 | Unfinished Monkey Business |
| "Corpses in Their Mouths" | 14 | 26 | ||
| "Can't See Me" | 21 | – | ||
| 1999 | "Be There" (UNKLE featuring Ian Brown) | 8 | 22 | Psyence Fiction |
| "Love Like a Fountain" | 23 | – | Golden Greats | |
| 2000 | "Dolphins Were Monkeys" | 5 | 28 | |
| "Golden Gaze" | 29 | 50 | ||
| "Thriller" | – | – | "Golden Gaze" | |
| 2001 | "F.E.A.R." (Certified Silver in UK) | 13 | 19 | Music of the Spheres |
| 2002 | "Whispers" | 33 | – | |
| 2004 | "Keep What Ya Got" | 18 | 29 | Solarized |
| "Reign" (UNKLE featuring Ian Brown) | 40 | – | Never, Never, Land | |
| 2005 | "Time Is My Everything" | 15 | 29 | Solarized |
| "All Ablaze" | 20 | 32 | The Greatest | |
| 2007 | "Illegal Attacks" (featuring Sinéad O'Connor) | 16 | 32 | The World Is Yours |
| "Sister Rose" | 87 | – | ||
| 2009 | "Stellify" | 31 | 42 | My Way |
| "Just Like You" | – | – | ||
| 2018 | "First World Problems" | – | – | Ripples |
| 2020 | "Little Seed, Big Tree" | – | – |
- "Rules", released as a standalone single in 2023, reached number 62 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.
Personal life
Since 1999, Brown has maintained a lifestyle free from alcohol. He was previously married to Mexican model Fabiola Quiroz until their separation in 2011 and is a father to three children. A devoted fan of Manchester United throughout his life, he holds an active season ticket. During the 2005–06 football season, he sponsored the London Commercial Division team Chiswick Homefields, featuring the slogan "IB – The Greatest" on their jerseys.
In 2011, Brown faced a driving suspension and was fined more than £1,900 due to several speeding offenses.
Views
Brown expresses belief in God but does not adhere to any formal religious institution. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, he voiced support for conspiracy theories concerning vaccines and lockdown measures, opposed mask mandates and vaccine requirements, and chose to boycott events that enforced vaccine passports. His anti-lockdown track "Little Seed, Big Tree," which contained lyrics referencing vaccine conspiracies, was briefly removed from Spotify before being restored. In July 2021, his Twitter account was suspended for two weeks after posting content that questioned vaccine effectiveness.