Derek William Dick
| Fish | |
|---|---|
Fish at a meet and greet in Bonn, Germany, in November 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Derek William Dick |
| Also known as | Fish |
| Born |
25 April 1958 Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, percussion |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Chocolate Frog, EMI, Polydor, Roadrunner, Voiceprint, Dick Bros., Snapper, Lightyear |
| Associated acts | Marillion, Tony Banks, Ayreon |
| Website |
fishheads |
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish (born 25 April 1958), is a Scottish singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He achieved prominence as the lead singer and lyricist of the neo-progressive rock band Marillion from 1981 until 1988. In his solo career he has explored contemporary pop and traditional folk.
Music critics have acknowledged Fish for his voice, which has been described as both "distinct" and a "conflation of Roger Daltrey and Peter Gabriel", while his lyrics have been praised as "poetic prose". Fish was voted number 37 in the greatest voices in rock by Planet Rock listeners in 2009.
Derek William Dick was born in 1958 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and grew up in Dalkeith. The son of Robert and Isabella, Fish was educated at King's Park primary school and then Dalkeith High School. He was inspired by the music of many of the rock artists of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, T. Rex, David Bowie, Argent and The Alex Harvey Band (Fish would later pay tribute to these early influences on his covers album Songs from the Mirror). Fish has also cited Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell as "one of the biggest influences on me because of her approach to lyrics". The first band he saw live was Yes at Usher Hall, Edinburgh, in 1974. As well as his love for music, he was also a voracious reader, and his literary inspirations included Jack Kerouac, Truman Capote, Robert Burns and Dylan Thomas (all of whom would later be depicted on the sleeve of Marillion's Clutching at Straws).
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