Born 20 December 1957, Stephen William Bragg is a British singer-songwriter and a left wing activist. His songs are a mix of folk music and rock, peppered with politically opinionated lyrics.
Bragg became interested in music in his 20’s as a member of the punk rock band Riff Raff. He took a break from music to join the army in 1981, which only lasted the three months of basic training. He gave music another shot and began composing music under the musical alias Spy V. Spy. Bragg assertively sought the attention of DJ John Peel and convinced him to play his demo song “Life’s A Riot with Spy V. Spy” on the radio.
Bragg’s smart move garnered the attention of Virgin Records and he soon became managed by Peter Jenner. “Life’s a Riot” was re-releaesd in 1983 and the album “Brewing Up With Billy Bragg” debuted in 1984. The album was chalk-ful of political songs and was inspired by the Clash’s Rock Against Racism concert Bragg attended in 1978. His sophomore album “Talking With the Taxman About Poetry” charted in the Top 10 in the UK and featured additional instruments like the horn and piano. The title refers to a poem by Russian Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Throughout the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s Bragg has stayed true to his original style of mixing politics and music. His album “Mermaid Avenue” released in 1998 was a commercial success both in the UK and the U.S. and even earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Album. Bragg declares “You can’t change the world through music, but you can give people a different perspective on the world.”
Peter Himmelman
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