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Billy Bragg
How best can you describe Billy Bragg? Perhaps with his full name of Stephen William Bragg, or maybe it could be as an inspirational and experimental rock musician or perhaps you could point to his work as a left wing activist but in reality he’s all of the above and more a true original working class hero.
From humble beginnings in Essex he found a love for music and was part of a punk rock band titled Riff Raff. The tongue in cheek name was carried across the London Pub Scene for a while until Billy became disenchanted with the world of music.
A surprising career change came when he decided to join the armed forces. His attendance at the British Army was short lived and perhaps born out frustration and after initial training before he was posted he paid for his early release from the force.
A return to music was in the offing and a series of gigs and busking on the streets schooled Bragg in his connecting with the working man and everyday person that where to be so pivotal in his career. His roadie at the time was Andy Kershaw who was later to become a DJ on the BBC and was to carry some influence in the media.
It could have been his musical talent that caused him to breakthrough but in fact it was his sharp mind. Impersonating a television repair man he managed to get into the office of Peter Jenner who was high up the chain at Charisma Records.
Whilst Jenner loved the demo the business was close to folding and decided to release Life’s a Riot Spy v Spy under his new label Utility. Upon hearing iconic presenter John Peel was hungry Bragg ran down with a Mushroom Biryani. His record was played and the rest is history.
Albums started to follow and releases came in the many with Brewing with Billy Bragg and Talking With the Taxman About Poetry both being well received he became notable for his social commentary on political events, something that was to make him an icon to many thereafter.
To list all his musical and political thoughts and achievement would take a while because Billy was always working now new ideas and music. It’s his personality that’s most memorable and in a world of capitalism and bravado he stood alone almost in his ideals and character. It’s rare in the entertainment industry to have somebody more focused on the message than fame but that’s what we had with this brilliant human being.