One of the founding fathers of synth pop, Gary Numan’s influence extends far beyond his lone American hit, “Cars” which still stands as one of the defining new wave singles.
That seminal track helped usher in the synth pop era on both sides of the Atlantic, especially his native U.K., where he was a genuine pop star and consistent hit maker during the early ’80s.

Even after new wave had petered out, Numan’s impact continued to make itself felt; his dark, paranoid vision, theatrically icy alien persona, and clinical, robotic sound were echoed strongly in the work of many Goth rock and (especially) industrial artists to come.

Numan was born Gary Anthony James Webb on March 8, 1958, in the west London section of Hammersmith. A shy child, music brought him out of his shell; he began playing guitar in his early teens and played in several short-lived bands. Inspired by the amateurism of the punk movement, he joined a punk group called the Lasers in 1976.

The following year, he and bassist Paul Gardiner split off to form a new group, dubbed Tubeway Army, with drummer Bob Simmonds; they recorded a couple of singles under futuristic pseudonyms (Valerium [or Valerian], Scarlett, and Rael, respectively) that attempted to match their new interest in synthesizers.

Scrapping that idea, Webb rechristened himself Gary Numan and replaced Simmonds with his uncle Jess Lidyard. Thus constituted, Tubeway Army cut a set of punk-meets-Kraftwerk demos for Beggars Banquet in early 1978, which were released several years later as “The Plan.”

That summer, Numan sang a TV commercial jingle for jeans, and toward the end of the year the group’s debut album, “Tubeway Army”, appeared. Chiefly influenced by Kraftwerk and David Bowie’s Berlin-era collaborations with Brian Eno, the album also displayed Numan’s fascination with the electronic, experimental side of glam, as well as science fiction writer Philip K. Dick.

The group’s second album, “Replicas”, credited to Gary Numan & Tubeway Army, was released in early 1979. Its accompanying single, Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” was a left-field smash, topping the U.K. charts and sending Replicas to number one on the album listings as well. The record also included “Down in the Park,” an oft-covered song that stands as one of Numan’s most gothic outings.

“The Pleasure Principle” was released in the fall of 1979 and spawned Numan’s international hit “Cars,” which reached the American Top Ten and hit number one in the U.K.; the album also became Numan’s second straight British number one. He put together a hugely elaborate, futuristic stage show and went on a money-losing tour, and also began to indulge his hobby as an amateur pilot with his newfound wealth.

Gary Numan is back. 2009
http://www.myspace.com/garynuman