About Richard Ashcroft
Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He formed the alternative rock band the Verve in 1989 and served as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime. Ashcroft was the sole songwriter of the group. In 1997, The Verve released the UK number one album Urban Hymns, that in present day is the 18th most sold album in the UK. In 1998, Ashcroft was awarded the Ivor Novello award for Songwriter of the Year. Following The Verve's disbandment in 1999, Ashcroft embarked on a successful solo career, releasing six UK top-three solo albums, including Alone With Everybody, Keys to the World and These People.
The Verve reformed in 2007 and released another UK number one album Forth and disbanded once again in summer 2009. Ashcroft then released a new album in 2010 under the pseudonym band RPA & The United Nations of Sound. His fourth solo album, These People, was released in 2016. Followed by the album Natural Rebel in 2018.
In May 2019, Ashcroft received a second Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. He released the compilation of acoustic versions of his best hits, Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1, in 2021.
Venerated by his peers, Noel Gallagher of Oasis has described Ashcroft as a "genius", and Chris Martin of Coldplay has described Ashcroft as "the best singer in the world".
Ashcroft is the eldest child of office worker Frank and hairdresser Louise Ashcroft ; he has two younger sisters. In his childhood, Ashcroft was known to be very shy, getting to the point that he had to be replaced in a school nativity play because of on-stage fright; however, he was also known for wanting to make his classmates laugh.
He was adamant about recording songs from the radio, an alternative to the five album music collection his mother could afford. The first record Ashcroft bought was "Just Like Starting Over", and following the event of John Lennon's death in 1980, he played the song "Imagine" on a loop.
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