Jimmy Pursey
| Jimmy Pursey | |
|---|---|
Jimmy Pursey performing in London on 14 July 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Timothy Pursey |
| Born |
9 February 1955 Hersham, Surrey |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Associated acts |
Sham 69 Sham Pistols Day 21 |
| Website | www |
James Timothy Pursey (born 9 February 1955) is an English singer and record producer. He was the founder and frontman of the English punk rock band, Sham 69, and has played with them from 1976 to 1980; from 1986 to 2006; and from 2011 to the present day.
Pursey was born in Hersham, Surrey in 1955. His father was in the army and later worked as a plumber and his mother worked as a cinema usherette. He was educated at Hersham House & Burhill Infants, Hersham Juniors and Rydens School, leaving aged 15 to work in a curtain shop.
He was a regular attender at the local disco, the 'Walton Hop' at the Playhouse theatre, where he met Jonathan King. Pursey claimed that he began performing after taking the stage as a drunk fourteen-year-old at the disco and miming to Bay City Rollers and The Rolling Stones songs (miming contests were a regular event at the Hop). He formed Sham 69 in 1976, inspired by The Ramones and initially called Jimmy and the Ferrets, along with Albie Slider, Billy Bostik and Neil Harris, while employed at Wimbledon Stadium, and they rehearsed at Slider's parents' pig farm, where King sometimes came to watch them. Before getting a record deal the lineup had changed with Neil Harris and Billy Bostock being replaced by Dave Parsons and Mark Cain. Albie Slider was replaced shortly after by Dave Tregunna on bass. The band released four albums and had six UK top 50 hits before splitting up in 1980 (after several splits in 1979 that proved to be temporary) with the violence that regularly marred their gigs taking its toll. Pursey briefly worked with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols as Sham Pistols before the final Sham 69 split, and embarked on a solo career. Pursey also worked as a record producer, on early releases by Cockney Rejects and Angelic Upstarts.
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