Graham Coxon English musician, known as the guitarist and backing vocalist of the popular band "Blur" Date of Birth: 12.03.1969 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Graham Coxon
2. Early Life and Education
3. Career with Blur
4. Solo Career
5. Continued Solo Success
6. Recent Years

Biography of Graham Coxon

Graham Leslie Coxon, known as a musician, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and a guitarist and backing vocalist of the popular band Blur, was born on March 12, 1969, in Germany.

Early Life and Education

Coxon studied painting at Goldsmiths College in London, where he met bassist Alex James. However, after two years, Coxon had to leave his studies due to the growing popularity of the band he played in – Seymour, later renamed Blur, as the name was considered "unprofessional" by the record company Food Recording.

Career with Blur

Under Coxon's influence, in the late 90s, Blur changed their sound to a less "commercial" and intentionally lo-fi and more alternative style. In 1997, Blur achieved American success with the song "Song 2" from their self-titled album. The influence of American indie rock bands like Pavement, Pixies, and Sonic Youth began to show in Blur's music.

Solo Career

Soon after, Coxon founded his own label, Transcopic, and released his debut solo album, "The Sky Is Too Hi" in 1998. The album was well-received by the youth and entered numerous student charts, but did not resonate with old Blur fans. During the recording of Blur's sixth album, "13," Coxon clashed with the band over his own song, and he eventually left to release another solo album, "The Golden D" in 2000.

In 2002, Coxon announced his departure from Blur as the band was in the early stages of recording their new album, "Think Tank," in Morocco. The reason behind his departure was accusations from other band members of excessive alcohol consumption. Coxon's last contribution to the band's work was the song "Battery in Your Leg," which concluded the album, with Coxon taking on the role of the lead vocalist.

Continued Solo Success

In the same year, Coxon released his fourth solo album, "The Kiss of Morning" (2002), following his previous ballad-focused album "Crow Sit on Blood Tree" (2001). The album was more accessible to mainstream listeners than his earlier works. In 2004, Coxon released his fifth solo album, "Happiness in Magazines," which brought him his biggest success at the time and earned him an NME award for "Best Solo Artist."

The song "Hurry Up Harry" from Coxon's sixth album, "Love Travels at Illegal Speeds" (2006), became a hit and reached the top ten in the UK charts. In the same year, Coxon performed a sold-out concert at the London venue "Astoria." The live recording of the concert, titled "Burnt to Bitz: At the Astoria," was immediately released as a double album, featuring 27 songs, at least one from each of Coxon's solo albums.

Recent Years

Coxon released his seventh solo album, "The Spinning Top," on May 11, 2009. He also reconciled with the other members of Blur and agreed to perform a series of concerts with the band, with the first one planned for July 3, 2009.