Paul Humphrey (Canadian musician)

Paul Humphrey (22 September 1959 – 4 April 2021) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician who played keyboards and guitar and was best known as the lead singer for the 1980s Canadian new wave band Blue Peter. Humphrey had also been the leader of The Paul Humphrey Band, The Monkey Tree, and Broken Arrow.[1]

Paul Humphrey
Paul Humphrey fronting Blue Peter at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, 2015
Paul Humphrey fronting Blue Peter at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, 2015
Background information
Born(1959-09-22)September 22, 1959
Vancouver, British Columbia
DiedApril 4, 2021(2021-04-04) (aged 61)
GenresNew wave, pop, rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboards, piano, guitar
Years active1978–2021
LabelsReady Records
WebsitePaulHumphrey.org

Blue Peter

Blue Peter was founded by Humphrey and Chris Wardman in the late 1970s when they were high school students. After attending York University, Humphrey dropped out of the theatre program to pursue music full time.[2]

Humphrey sang lead, and was known for his low-timbred singing, compared at times to that of David Bowie[3] and Bryan Ferry,[4] as well as his "suave" looks[5] and dancing style. His band mate Geoff McOuat credited the singer as being influenced by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and elements of film noir.[2]

While a member of Blue Peter, he earned the Male Vocalist of the Year award at 1984's CASBY Awards (then known as The U-Knows), held by CFNY radio in Toronto.[6] Humphrey and Blue Peter performed shows occasionally, often as part of "retro" events, such as the Juno Awards 40th Anniversary Concert Series held at the Horseshoe Tavern[7] in January 2011.

Solo career

After stints with The Paul Humphrey Band and Monkey Tree, Humphrey formed Broken Arrow with Blue Peter bass player Ric Joudrey in 1997.[8] Broken Arrow recorded and released two CDs, Bend (1997),[9] and Four Ways to Centre (2000).[10]

In 2007 Humphrey released a solo album, A Rumour of Angels, which he recorded with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.[5] John Sakamoto selected People Let You Down from this album for mention in his Anti-Hit List in 2007,[11] noting that the album's style was a significant departure from Humphrey's musical past.[11] In 2008, Humphrey contributed vocals to Your Flight Tonight on ProCon's album Kingmaker.[12]

Personal life

Humphrey was born in Vancouver.[13] He came from a musical family, and had three brothers who are also professional musicians; actor Mark Humphrey is a drummer, John Humphrey plays bass, and Andy Humphrey is a singer-songwriter/guitarist. His sister Lesley has modeled extensively. Early in his career Humphrey also made acting appearances in a few television series, including Friday the 13th: The Series and Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. Humphrey died at the age of 61 on April 4, 2021, after a long battle with multiple system atrophy, a rare degenerative disorder.[14][15]

References
  1. "Bio". PaulHumphrey.org. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  2. Friend, David (7 April 2021). "Paul Humphrey, suave frontman of '80s Toronto new wave band Blue Peter, dies at 61". Toronto Star. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  3. "Blue Peter". Bands. Pop Goes The City Festival. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  4. Carruthers, Sean. "Four Ways to Centre". All-Music Guide Review. Aol.com. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  5. Barclay, Michael (2 June 2008). "Blue Peter @ Lee's Palace, May 29". eye weekly. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  6. "history". Casby Awards. 102.1 The Edge. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  7. Kaplan, Ben (5 January 2011). "The Junos: '80s icons look back at the scene". National Post. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  8. "Broken Arrow". Billboard. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  9. Carruthers, Sean. "Bend". All-Music Guide Review. Artist Direct. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  10. "Albums". Broken Arrow. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  11. Sakamoto, John (15 September 2007). "The Anti-Hit List". Toronto Star. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  12. Benson, Denise (29 October 2008). "Both sides now – The ups and downs of being ProCon". eye weekly. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  13. Wheeler, Brad (16 April 2021). "Singer Paul Humphrey made Blue Peter seem 'too cool to be Canadian'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  14. "Remembering Paul Humphrey | Blue Peter Band". bluepeterband.com. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  15. Friend, David (7 April 2021). "Paul Humphrey, suave frontman of '80s Toronto new wave band Blue Peter, dies at 61". Times-Colonist. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
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