Philip Adrian Wright
Philip Adrian Wright (born 30 June 1956) is an English musician, also known as Adrian Wright.
Philip Adrian Wright | |
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Adrian Wright. | |
Background information | |
Born | Wakefield, Yorkshire, England | 30 June 1956
Genres | Synthpop |
Occupation(s) | Composer, keyboard player |
Instruments | Synthesizer |
Years active | 1978–1986 |
Labels | Virgin, EMI |
Associated acts | The Human League |
Wright had studied film making at Sheffield Art College and was a friend of Philip Oakey. In 1978, he was invited to join the new avant-garde electronic band The Human League which composed of Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh. Then a non-musician, Wright was appointed as 'Director of Visuals' whose job was to provide lighting and slideshows to accompany the Human League's live concerts.
When the Human League split in October 1980, Wright sided with Oakey, while Ware and Marsh left to form Heaven 17. Necessity forced him to become a musician and he quickly learned keyboards. He and Oakey co-wrote some of the new Human League's songs including the number one hit "Don't You Want Me", plus tracks such as "Darkness", "I Am the Law" and "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of" for the album Dare. Wright is also credited with the iconic album sleeve design for Dare.
He remained a key member of the Human League during the early 1980s both as a composer and keyboard player. He left the band in 1986 after becoming disillusioned with the musical direction Oakey was taking and feeling marginalized by their new producers during the recording of the album Crash in Minneapolis.[1]
After The Human League, he worked in film before moving into design.
In 1999, he participated in the BBC documentary on The Human League, part of the Young Guns Go For It series.[2]
Present day
Wright has worked with his wife, fashion-turned-furniture designer Tracey Boyd. The couple live in Chelsea, London.[3]
Awards
- 1982 BRIT Awards (as member of The Human League) - 'Best British Breakthrough Act'
References
- HUMAN LEAGUE BIOG 1977 - 1979 Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- "BBC Four - Young Guns Go for It, Series 1, The Human League". BBC.
- "Interior Style: Designer Tracey Boyd's Chelsea Home". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2017.