Colin Vearncombe English singer and songwriter Date of Birth: 26.05.1962 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Colin Vearncombe
2. Early Career
3. Mainstream Success
4. International Success
5. Later Career and Personal Life

Biography of Colin Vearncombe

Colin Vearncombe, known by his stage name Black, was an English singer and songwriter who achieved mainstream success in the late 1980s. He was born on May 26, 1962, in Liverpool, England.

Early Career

Vearncombe's first release was the single "Human Features," which was released by Rox Records in 1981. During this period, he played in a band called Black alongside bassist Dane Goulding, a former member of Blazetroopers, and a drummer who was one of Vearncombe's school friends. Another indie release, "More than the Sun," followed in 1982. It was during this time that Vearncombe befriended Dave "Dix" Dickie from The Last Chant, and they began working on music together, eventually signing a contract with WEA Records.

Mainstream Success

In 1984, Vearncombe signed with WEA and released the single "Hey Presto," which expanded his popularity beyond the UK. The song's music video was broadcast on the satellite channel "Music Box" and the single was also released in Australia. The next result of Vearncombe's collaboration with WEA was a re-recording of the single "More than the Sun." After parting ways with Dickie, Vearncombe recorded the song "Wonderful Life" in a minor key in 1985. The song was first released by Ugly Man Records but later attracted the attention of A&M Records, who signed Vearncombe.

International Success

Vearncombe's international career took off after the failure of his single "Everything's Coming Up Roses." The song "Sweetest Smile" came to the rescue and reached the top ten in the UK charts. The third release on A&M Records, a re-release of "Wonderful Life," became an even bigger event. The song became loved worldwide, and copies of the 1987 album with the same name quickly sold out. Music critics were also satisfied with Vearncombe's work. He sold over two million copies of his albums "Comedy" (1988) and "Black" (1991).

Later Career and Personal Life

Vearncombe, now a successful performer, married Swedish singer Camilla Griehsel, a former member of One 2 Many. However, disappointed with the difficulties of working with major record companies, Vearncombe founded his independent label, Nero Schwarz, and released the album "Are We Having Fun Yet?" in 1993. After a long period of silence, he made a comeback in 1999. He released albums under his stage name Black until 2005 when he started using his real name.

On January 10, 2016, Vearncombe was involved in a serious car accident near Cork Airport in Ireland. He suffered a severe head injury and was put into an artificial coma. Unfortunately, Vearncombe passed away from his injuries on January 26, 2016, surrounded by his family. He left behind his wife, three children, and a rich musical legacy.

Vearncombe's unique vocal style and sophisticated jazz-pop compositions placed him somewhere between Bryan Ferry and Morrissey, according to music critic William Ruhlmann. Michael Hann from The Guardian described Vearncombe's singing style as a "slightly worn baritone."