Paul Gray (English musician)

Paul Gray was born in Leigh-on-Sea.[1] Inspired by a Hawkwind gig he attended,[1] Gray started learning bass guitar at the age of 13, his playing influenced by bassists such as Steve Currie, Lemmy, John Entwistle, Felix Pappalardi and Roger Glover.[2][3] He joined Eddie and the Hot Rods as bassist after answering an advert in the Southend Evening Echo.[2] The band had several hit singles and albums in the late 1970s, including "Do Anything You Wanna Do". While working with Eddie and the Hot Rods, he also recorded bass for Larry Wallis,[4] Rob Tyner[5] and Johnny Thunders,[6] as well as filling in as temporary bassist for The Members.[7] In early 1980, following the departure of Graeme Douglas, Gray left Eddie and the Hot Rods and, on the insistence of Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies,[7] joined the punk rock band The Damned, replacing former bassist Algy Ward.[8] Gray contributed to two studio albums, The Black Album and Strawberries, as well as numerous singles and the Friday 13th EP. Frictions in the band led to Gray's departure in February 1983.[9] Shortly afterwards, he joined UFO and remained until their split in 1987.[10]

In 1989, after brief stints with Heavy Load, Fastway[11] and Andrew Ridgeley, Gray rejoined The Damned, ostensibly for a one-off reunion tour of the UK, US, and Japan.[12] This tour reunited Gray with Captain Sensible, and the two worked together on Sensible's solo material, as well as touring together. This Sensible-led group briefly evolved into another reunion of The Damned, with Gray concurrently reforming Eddie & the Hot Rods for one album, Gasoline Days, for which he contributed the song writing, and supported the album with several tours in the UK and Germany.[13] In between these high-profile projects, he also played bass with Canvey Island Allstars, and René Berg, and began producing local bands.[14]

With the onset of severe tinnitus and hyperacusis interrupting his live music activities,[15] Gray became Lead Tutor for Community Music Wales – a charity aimed at helping young bands based in Cardiff – on a variety of national and international projects between 1995 and 2004.[16] In 1997, Gray formed Mischief with Alan Lee Shaw, a studio-based project allowing him to write and record without damaging his hearing further by playing live.[14] In 1998, he appeared alongside Barry Masters of Eddie & the Hot Rods on the Identity Parade round of British comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In 2005, he took up the post of Regional Officer, Wales & Southwest England for the British Musicians' Union.[17]

Gray reunited with Captain Sensible in 2013 to form psychedelic rock band The Sensible Gray Cells with drummer Ant Thickett. After the release of debut album A Postcard from Britain, Gray was diagnosed with throat cancer[18] and had to cancel tentative plans to return to playing live music. He has since recovered. On 27 February 2014, Gray joined fellow original Hot Rods Barrie Masters, Steve Nicol, and Graeme Douglas on stage at The Oysterfleet, Canvey Island to play in tribute to the late Dave Higgs, founder member of the band.[19] Gray joined Professor and the Madman in 2017, alongside former Damned drummer Rat Scabies, and featured on their albums Disintegrate Me and Live at the Hundred Club.[20] In September 2017, Gray rejoined The Damned following the departure of Stu West,[21] recording the album Evil Spirits and returning to full-time touring for the first time in nearly 15 years. Gray appeared on stage for the final Eddie and the Hot Rods show in April 2019, alongside founding members Barry Masters, Graeme Douglas and Steve Nicol.[22] In 2020, both The Damned and The Sensible Gray Cells released new material, the latter including Gray's first lead vocal performance on "What's the Point of Andrew?". The Damned's 2020 EP The Rockfield Files included two tracks written by Gray, entitled 'Manipulator' and 'The Spider & the Fly'.[23] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gray opened up Paul Gray Bass Online, a website offering services as a session bassist to recording artists.

In 2020, Gray formed the side-project Wingmen with guitarists Baz Warne (the Stranglers) and Leigh Heggarty (Ruts DC), and drummer Marty Love (Johnny Moped). The band released their self-titled debut album in 2023.[24][25]