Claire Patricia Grogan (born 17 March 1962), known professionally as Clare Grogan or sometimes as C. P. Grogan, is a Scottish actress and singer. She is best known as the lead singer of the 1980s
new wave music
New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. Late ...
group
Altered Images
Altered Images are a Scottish new wave/post-punk band who found success in the early 1980s. Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the group branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK top-40 hit singles and three top-30 albums from 1981 to 19 ...
, as well as for supporting roles in the 1981 film ''
Gregory's Girl
''Gregory's Girl'' is a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan. The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhil ...
'' and the science fiction sitcom ''
Red Dwarf
''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave (TV channel), Dave since 2009, gaining a ...
'', as the first incarnation of
Kristine Kochanski
Kristine Z. Kochanski is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy ''Red Dwarf''. Kochanski was the first console officer in the navigation chamber on board the spaceship ''Red Dwarf''. As well as appearing in the te ...
.
Early life
Born in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...
, Grogan and her two sisters all attended the
Notre Dame Convent School.
[
Aged 17, while dancing at the Glasgow College of Technology, a fight broke out nearby between several patrons. Grogan attempted to head away from the violence but was injured by thrown broken glass, causing a deep facial wound and prominent scar on the left side of her face. Grogan states that her parents still find it hard to read about the incident. She began filming ''Gregory's Girl'' just three months after the incident.] In 1998, while she was working in theatre at Watford
Watford () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal en ...
, it was discovered part of the glass was still in the facial tissue and had to be surgically removed.
Acting career
Theatre
As a member of Scottish Youth Theatre, she was originally obliged to appear as "C. P. Grogan" because there was already a member of Equity
Equity may refer to:
Finance, accounting and ownership
* Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them
** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business
** Home equity, the diff ...
named Claire Grogan (the other Claire Grogan went on to become a photographer). She would later drop the ''i'' from her first name.[
Grogan played the part of Rita in '']Educating Rita
''Educating Rita'' is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University tutor.
Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ''Educating Rita'' premièred at The ...
'' at Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1987.[
In 1996 she played a fitness instructor on the ]Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
in the play ''Lady Macbeth Firmed My Buttocks''.
Film and television
While working as a waitress
Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attendin ...
at the Spaghetti Factory restaurant in Glasgow, she was spotted by film director Bill Forsyth
William David Forsyth (born 29 July 1946). known as Bill Forsyth, is a Scottish film director and writer known for his films '' Gregory's Girl'' (1981), '' Local Hero'' (1983) and '' Comfort and Joy'' (1984) as well as his adaptation of the Ma ...
.[ This led to her breakthrough acting role in 1981's '']Gregory's Girl
''Gregory's Girl'' is a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan. The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhil ...
'' as Susan. Because of her facial wound there were objections from the producers, but Forsyth refused to recast the role and Grogan was filmed mostly in profile. When filmed in close up, makeup artists covered Grogan's scar with Derma wax.[
In 1984, she played Charlotte in Forsyth's '' Comfort and Joy''. In 1985, she was the receptionist in the ]BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced t ...
version of ''Blott on the Landscape
''Blott on the Landscape'' is a novel by Tom Sharpe which was first published in 1975. The book was adapted into a 6-part television series of the same name for BBC television in 1985.
Plot
The story revolves around the proposed construction o ...
''. Grogan appeared in the second episode of the acclaimed ''The Monocled Mutineer
''The Monocled Mutineer'' is a 1986 BBC television drama series starring Paul McGann about the Étaples mutiny in 1917 during the First World War. The four-part serial, which was the first historical screenplay written by Alan Bleasdale, dramati ...
'' in 1986. She had a recurring role playing Dave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy ''Red Dwarf'', portrayed by Craig Charles.
Lister is characterised as a third-class technician (the lowest r ...
's would-be love-interest, Kristine Kochanski
Kristine Z. Kochanski is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy ''Red Dwarf''. Kochanski was the first console officer in the navigation chamber on board the spaceship ''Red Dwarf''. As well as appearing in the te ...
, in series 1, 2 and 6 of the TV show ''Red Dwarf
''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave (TV channel), Dave since 2009, gaining a ...
''. However she was deemed too old for the role by Series 7 – despite being younger than most of her male counterparts – and replaced by Chloë Annett
Chloë Victoria Annett (born 25 July 1971) is an English actress. She played Holly Turner in ''Crime Traveller'' and Kristine Kochanski in series 7 and 8 of the sitcom ''Red Dwarf''.
Biography
Early life and family
Annett was born and brought ...
. Grogan has also appeared in ''Father Ted
''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May 1998, including ...
'' (episode " Rock-a-Hula Ted") in a thinly veiled parody of Sinéad O'Connor
Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, '' The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want Wha ...
and in '' EastEnders'' as Ian Beale
Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...
's love interest, Ros Thorne (1997–1998).
In 1992, Grogan appeared as Mary Catto in series 8 episode 21 of ''Taggart
''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries "Killer" from 6 until 20 September ...
'' (again credited as C.P. Grogan).
She had the role of Maggie in a 1998 comedy ''Jilting Joe'', played an Eye-Surgeon in a 2002 short film ''Bury It'', appeared in '' Doctors'' in 2003, and performed another Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
play ''Forbidden'' in 2004, as Lily, married to a WW2 Nazi officer but falling in love with a young Jewish woman.
In 2006 Grogan portrayed Sandra Reeves, a control-freak office manager, in the film ''The Penalty King'' played Cathy in an episode of ''Sea of Souls
''Sea of Souls'' is a BBC paranormal drama series, recounting the fictional activities of a group of investigators into psychic and other paranormal events. Produced in-house by BBC Scotland and for the final season by Carnival Films, initially ...
'', and May, Danny's mother, in the Scottish sit-com ''Legit
''Legit'' is a slang abbreviation of '' legitimate''. It may also refer to:
* Legit (professional wrestling)
* ''Legit'' (2006 TV series), Scottish sitcom
* ''Legit'' (2013 TV series), created by comedian Jim Jefferies
* Legit Ballin', a recor ...
''. She appeared in the video for Peter Kay
Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English actor, comedy writer and stand-up comedian. He has written, produced and acted in several television and film projects, and has written three books.
Born and brought up in Bolton, Kay studied ...
and Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...
' charity single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is a song written and performed by Scottish duo the Proclaimers, and first released as the lead single from their 1988 album '' Sunshine on Leith''. The song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart on its initial re ...
", recorded for Comic Relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
's Red Nose Day 2007, along with two TV films ''Wedding Belles'' and ''Forgiven''.
Grogan had a role in the 2011 TV series '' Skins'' as Shelley, mother of Mini McGuinness
Minerva "Mini" McGuinness is a fictional character from the third generation of the British teen drama '' Skins'', played by Freya Mavor. She appears in the fifth and sixth series of the show.
Characterisation
Mini is Scottish and is consid ...
and played Jenny Ferris in the Scottish gangster film ''The Wee Man
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
'' in 2013.
She starred as Myriam in the 2017 film ''Delirium'', filmed entirely at Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, ...
.
Music career
Grogan developed her singing career as the lead singer of Altered Images
Altered Images are a Scottish new wave/post-punk band who found success in the early 1980s. Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the group branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK top-40 hit singles and three top-30 albums from 1981 to 19 ...
, originally a five-piece band that included Johnny McElhone
John Francis McElhone (born 21 April 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish guitarist and songwriter.
He has played with three bands who have enjoyed a top-20 presence in the UK Singles Chart; the new wave bands Altered Images and Hipsway, ...
(later of the Scottish rock band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two gui ...
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
), whom she met while studying for her Highers
In the Scottish secondary education system, the Higher () is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) offered by the Scottish Qualifications ...
exams. It became a four-person band with the departure of two members and the addition of Stephen Lironi, who played both guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
and drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
. The band had several hits in the early 1980s, including "Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday may refer to:
* "Happy Birthday", an expression of good will offered on a person's birthday
Film, theatre and television
* ''Happy Birthday'' (1998 film), a Russian drama by Larisa Sadilova
* ''Happy Birthday'', a 2001 film featu ...
", "Don't Talk to Me About Love
"Don't Talk to Me About Love" is a song by Scottish new wave band Altered Images, released as the first single from their third album, ''Bite''. The single reached the top 10 in three countries; number 7 in the UK, and number 6 in both Ireland a ...
", " I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes". The group split up after the release of their third album, ''Bite
Biting is a common zoological behavior involving the active, rapid closing of the jaw around an object. This behavior is found in toothed animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, but can also exist in arthropods. Myocytic c ...
'' (1983).
In 1984, Grogan made a cameo appearance in the music video to " Young at Heart" by The Bluebells
The Bluebells are a Scottish indie new wave band, active between 1981 and 1986 (later briefly reforming in 1993, 2008–2009, 2011 and 2018).
Career
The Bluebells performed jangly guitar-based pop not dissimilar to their Scottish contempora ...
.
Grogan later attempted a solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...
career, but after her single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
"Love Bomb" failed to gain chart success in 1987, her album ''Trash Mad'' was never released. Grogan formed Universal Love School in 1989 with Lironi, performing a series of gigs around the UK. However, it was short-lived and produced no hit singles. In 2000, she contributed vocals to the song "Night Falls Like a Grand Piano" on The 6ths
The 6ths is a band created by Stephin Merritt, also the primary songwriter and instrumentalist behind The Magnetic Fields, The Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes. One story has it that the band was conceived when Merritt, observing that there ...
' album ''Hyacinths and Thistles
''Hyacinths and Thistles'' is the second studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribut ...
''. She recorded a version of "Angels with Dirty Faces" for the Frankie Miller
Francis John Miller (born 2 November 1949) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and actor.
Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his 1977 album ''Full House'', the singles "Be Good To Yourself", " D ...
tribute album. The track "Her Hooped Dream" appears on ''The Ultimate Celtic Album''.
In 2002, Grogan performed as 'Altered Images' on the Here and Now Tour
The Here and Now Tour is a series of concert tours, which began in 2001, featuring groups and singers famous in the 1980s. The Tour takes in arenas and theatres around the UK and still runs today. The tours are organised by Tony Denton Promotions. ...
which featured other well known artists from the 1980s. She performed on similar tours in 2005, 2008 and 2009. She appeared with Chesney Hawkes
Chesney Lee Hawkes (born 22 September 1971) is an English pop singer and occasional actor. He started his career at the age of 19 when he appeared in the film '' Buddy's Song'', which featured his best-known single " The One and Only", which to ...
, Toyah Willcox
Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...
and Limahl
Christopher Hamill (born 19 December 1958), known professionally as Limahl (an anagram of Hamill), is an English pop singer. He was the lead singer of the pop group Kajagoogoo beginning in 1981, before embarking on a brief solo career, garnerin ...
as 'The 80s Supergroup' in the 2011 series of ''Let's Dance for Comic Relief
''Let's Sing and Dance'', formerly known as ''Let's Dance'', is a British television programme shown on BBC One, featuring celebrities performing famous dance routines to raise money for the charities Comic Relief and Sport Relief. The programm ...
''.
Grogan sometimes covers for radio presenters on BBC 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available on ...
.
Grogan appeared in Series 2, Episode 2 of John Shuttleworth's Lounge Music on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...
on 27 November 2016.
Clare Grogan is the inspiration for the song "True
True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality.
True may also refer to:
Places
* True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States
* True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States
* ...
" by Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...
.
Grogan began presenting shows on Absolute Radio 80s
Absolute Radio 80s is a national digital radio station, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network.
History
Absolute Radio 80s launched at 7.00pm on 4 December 2009, replacing Absolute Xtreme.
The marketing plan for Abs ...
from 11 September 2017, presenting Monday to Thursday 8-9pm and Sundays 7-9pm.
In 2021, Grogan duetted with Sharleen Spiteri on the track "Look What You’ve Done", from ''Hi'', the tenth album released by Johnny McElhone's band Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
Writing
Grogan's first book was published in October 2008, a children's novel (aimed at age 7 and up) titled ''Tallulah and the Teenstars'', about a girl, Tallulah Gosh, who forms a pop band.[
In 2015, it was followed by ''Tallulah On Tour''.
Tallulah Gosh was an alias Grogan thought of using at the start of her career because Equity had already registered a Claire Grogan and a more showbiz name might help her career, but Bill Forsyth persuaded her that she would come to regret it.]
The band Tallulah Gosh took their name from the headline of an interview with Grogan in NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
.
Personal life
Grogan married bandmate Stephen Lironi in Glasgow in 1994. The couple live in Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of t ...
in north London, and in 2005 they adopted
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
a daughter, Ellie.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
Two interviews re early career
BAAF patrons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grogan, Clare
1962 births
Living people
Scottish people of Irish descent
Women new wave singers
Actresses from Glasgow
Scottish film actresses
Scottish television actresses
Scottish new wave musicians
Scottish songwriters
People educated at Notre Dame High School, Glasgow
Musicians from Glasgow
20th-century Scottish women singers