Fritz McIntyre

Fritz Gerald McIntyre (2 September 1958 – 23 August 2021)[2] was a British musician, most famous for his tenure as keyboard player in the original line-up of Simply Red.

Fritz McIntyre
Birth nameFritz Gerald McIntyre
Born(1958-09-02)2 September 1958[1]
Birmingham, England
Died23 August 2021(2021-08-23) (aged 62)
GenresPop, soul, post-punk, CCM
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboards
Years active1985–2021
WebsiteSimply Red Official Site

Early life

McIntyre was born in Birmingham in 1958. His father was not only a church pastor, but also a choirmaster and gifted musician. As a boy he learnt a lot about music through him, and also learned trumpet and double bass at school, to accompany his self-taught skills in piano and guitar. The family moved to Canada, although McIntyre returned to Manchester in his twenties, hoping for a career in music. [3]

Career

McIntyre successfully auditioned for Simply Red in 1984. [3] He co-wrote several of Simply Red's songs with frontman Mick Hucknall and sang background vocals; he also sang lead vocals on the song "Wonderland" from the Stars album. He was a founder member of the band, and played from their debut album Picture Book in 1985 until their 1995 album Life.[4] He was the last of the founder members to quit the band, though with their growing success, he saw decisions being made on the "big bucks" rather than "artistic progress and merit". The former camaraderie had gone, and so he decided he'd had enough. [3]

After leaving Simply Red, McIntyre subsequently released an eponymous debut solo album. He then moved to Ontario, Canada where he released a Christian worship album First Fruits. He resided in the United States where he was the music director of a large Florida church.

McIntyre died on 23 August 2021, at the age of 62.[2][5][6]

References
  1. Collins complete UK hit singles 1952–2004, pg. 704
  2. "Fritz Gerald McIntyre September 2, 1958 - August 23, 2021". northviewfuneralchapel.com. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  3. "Fritz McIntyre obituary". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  4. "Fritz McIntyre | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  5. Damiata, Roberta (24 August 2021). "Morto Fritz McIntyre, tastierista dei Simply Red". Ilgiornale.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  6. Fritz McIntyre Times obituary
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