Murray Head

• Name — Murray Head • Landscape — yes • Birth Name — Murray Seafield St George Head • Born — 5 March 1946 • Birthplace — London, England • Instrument — * Vocals • guitar • Genre — * Rock • new wave • pop • Occupation — * Actor • singer • Works — Discography • Years Active — 1966–present • Label — * Island • A&M • Virgin • Mercury • Voiceprint • Website — murrayhead.fr

Head was born in London to Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head and Helen Shingler. Head's father was a documentary filmmaker for Verity Films. Head's mother played Mme Maigret alongside Rupert Davies in the BBC 1960s television adaptation of the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon. Head's younger brother Anthony Head was also an actor, who played the role of Rupert Giles in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Head was educated at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, London and Hampton School in Hampton, Middlesex. He attended Chiswick Polytechnic (A level college) in the early 1960s.

Head began writing songs as a child, and by the mid-1960s he had a London-based recording contract. He briefly appeared as one of the hosts of the Bristol-based television pop show Now! alongside Michael Palin. He had limited success, until asked by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to play Judas Iscariot on the original concept album version of Jesus Christ Superstar; at the time, he had been appearing in the West End production of the musical Hair. With the Trinidad Singers, the song "Superstar" peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1971. He made his film debut in The Family Way (1966), which featured Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett and John Mills in the leading roles. Head won a leading role in the Oscar-nominated film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), alongside Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson. Despite these successes, he received little public attention in the next ten years (except for his single release, "Say It Ain't So, Joe" in 1975, which has been covered by the Who's lead vocalist, Roger Daltrey, among others, including Gary Brooker of Procol Harum, and the Hollies, who also covered his song "When I'm Yours" in 1979. "Never Even Thought" has been covered by both Colin Blunstone and Cliff Richard. • Illustration — Head in 1972 In 1973, he appeared in a radio drama, The Fourth Tower of Inverness. In 1979, Head appeared in the miniseries Prince Regent and the final episode of the ITV program Return of the Saint. Head reappeared in the spotlight in 1984 as the American on the concept album for the musical Chess. The song "One Night in Bangkok" featured Head on lead vocals, affecting a New York accent. It became the last significant Broadway/West End number to be a hit single on American and German radio until "No Matter What" by Boyzone in 1996. "One Night in Bangkok" was a success in both Europe and North America. Head performed the role of world chess champion Frederick "Freddie" Trumper in the London West End stage production of Chess that premiered on 14 May 1986. The show ran in London until 8 April 1989; during its run, Head departed with vocal strain. After that, Head had little recording success in the UK or the United States. This fact would later be underscored in a radio segment featured on The Kevin and Bean Show on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, in which the hosts would phone Head in the morning to find out "What's Up with Murray Head?" Fluent in French, he has released a number of albums in that language. A duet with Marie Carmen, "Une femme un homme", was released in 1993 and was a hit in French-speaking Canada. In 1999, Head co-wrote the screenplay to Les Enfants du Siècle. He has appeared on television in the UK on The Bill, Casualty, North Square and Judge John Deed. He also played artist Jack Hollins, the new love interest of Gina Ward (since after told Phil Bellamy that she and him are over), on ITV's Heartbeat from 2005 to 2006. On 15 March 2010 he appeared in the BBC drama Doctors playing a pop singer, Pete Perry, trying to make a comeback, in which Head sang Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain". He appeared in Doctors again on 18 April 2019 as a different character, a drummer named Brian 'Sticky' Burns. In Canada, he was part of the cast of the 2002 television mini-series Music-Hall, which played on the Radio-Canada network. In 2011 he appeared in the first episode of the series Vera (episode "Hidden Depths") as Peter Calvert. Head's picture, from a still of The Family Way, appeared on the 1987 cover of the British band the Smiths single "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" and the album cover of the band's 1988 compilation album Stop Me.

Head married Susan Ellis Jones in 1972; they divorced in 1992. He has two daughters. Head married Lindy Ross (née Newton) in 2019.

• Film Film Credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1966 — The Family Way — Geoffrey Fitton — Sings "Someday Soon" • 1967 — Two Weeks in September — Dickinson's assistant • 1971 — Aphrousa — Nicholas • Sunday Bloody Sunday — Bob Elkin • Sweet Deception — Tony the Englishman • 1973 — Gawain and the Green Knight — Gawain • 1975 — El poder del deseo — Javier • 1977 — The Frenchwoman — David Evans • 1987 — White Mischief — Lizzie • 1989 — Un été d'orages — Jack — Also wrote the music • La Barbare — Michael • 1996 — Beaumarchais — William, Lord Rochford • 1999 — Le Grand Serpent du Monde — Tom • 2002 — The Lovers of the Nile — The Colonel • 2003 — I, Cesar — Charley Fitzpatrick • 1989 — No pasaran — Peter Konchelski • Cinématon — Self • 2015 — Fever — Jim • Television Television Credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1967 — St Ives — Saladin — Two episodes • 1971 — Shirley's World — Ray King • 1974 — The Fortunes of Nigel — Lord Dalgarno • Seven Faces of a Woman — Tom • Intent for Murder — Larry • Play for Today — Singer — Episode "Taking Leave" • 1979 — Return of the Saint — Pierre de la Garde — Episode 24 "The Diplomat's Daughter" • Prince Regent — George Canning — Three episodes • 1989 — Boon — Rupert Cole — Series 4 Episode 3 "The Relief of Matty King" • 1998 — The New Adventures of Robin Hood — Ripley • 1999 — The Knock — Mike Hewson — Two episodes • 2000 — Casualty — Billy Cooper — Series 15 Episode 6 "Choked: Part Two" • North Square — Judge Martin Bould — Eight episodes • The Vice — Tommy Roker — Two episodes • 2002 — Asbestos — Peter Bedford • Music-Hall — Clife Maisie • 2003 — Rosemary & Thyme — Nev Connolly • 2004 — The Bill — Charles Mawdsley • 2005-2007 — Heartbeat — Jack Rollins — Three episodes • 2007 — Judge John Deed — Judge Prévin • Holby City — Doug Finn — Three episodes • 2009 — Relive — Steven Winterley • 2010 — Doctors — Pete Perry — Episode "Birth of the Blues" • 2011 — Vera's Mysteries — Peter Calvert • 2012 — Holby City — Steve Rurner • 2013 — Doctors — Leo Treadwell — Episode "Difficulty" • 2014 — Holby City — Billy Tressler — Three episodes • Horsehead — Jim • 2017 — Doctors — Ralphy Aspden — Two episodes • 2019 — War of the Worlds — Mikel