John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band

the Jam The Jam were an English rock band formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey, consisting of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. They released 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in ...

, alongside

Bruce Foxton Bruce Douglas Foxton (born 1 September 1955) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Foxton's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as bassist and backing vocalist of mod revival band the Jam. ...

and

Rick Buckler Paul Richard Buckler (6 December 1955 – 17 February 2025) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band the Jam. Although the Jam's creative output came to be attributed primarily to Paul Weller, its rhythm section of Buckle ...

. The band gained significant critical and commercial success in the United Kingdom, and were the most influential band of the mod revival of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Following the dissolution of the Jam at the end of 1982, Weller formed the Style Council with Mick Talbot, where he explored a wide variety of other musical styles, including pop, jazz, soul, hip hop, folk and classical. Although initially successful, the band's popularity declined in the late 1980s, leading them to break up in 1989. Weller began a solo career in the early 1990s, slowly re-establishing his commercial standing across his first four solo albums, ''

Paul Weller John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band the Jam, alongside ...

'' (1992), '' Wild Wood'' (1993), '' Stanley Road'' (1995) and '' Heavy Soul'' (1997). Musically, Weller's solo career combines the guitar-based rock of the Jam with the experimental ambition of the Style Council. Although Weller has received international critical recognition as a singer, lyricist and guitarist, he is most famous in his native country, as his songwriting is rooted in English society. Many of his songs with the Jam had lyrics about

working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...

life. He was the principal figure of the 1970s and 1980s mod revival, often referred to as the Modfather, and an influence on many subsequent British

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

and

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...

artists, such as

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentBrit Awards, including Best British Male three times, and the 2006 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

Early life (1958–1975)

Weller was born on 25 May 1958 in

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, England, to John and Ann Weller (née Craddock). Although born John William Weller, he became known as Paul by his parents. Weller's father worked as a taxi driver and a builder and his mother was a part-time cleaner. He started his education at Maybury County First School. His love of music began with

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, then

the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

and the

Small Faces Small Faces were an English Rock music, rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966 ...

. When Weller was eleven he moved up to Sheerwater County Secondary school and had started playing the guitar. Weller's musical vocation was confirmed after seeing

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

in concert in 1972. He formed the first incarnation of the Jam, playing bass guitar with his school friends Steve Brookes (lead guitar), Dave Waller (rhythm guitar) and Neil Harris (drums), playing sets at school and their local

youth club A youth center or youth centre, often called youth club, is a place where young people can meet and participate in a variety of activities, for example table football, association football (US soccer, UK football), basketball, table tennis, v ...

. When Harris and then Waller left the band, two more school friends replaced them:

on drums and

on rhythm guitar. Weller's father, acting as their manager, began booking the four-piece into local working men's clubs, and the band began to forge a local reputation, playing a mixture of covers and songs written by Weller and Brookes. After Brookes left the band in 1976, Weller and Foxton decided to swap guitar roles, with Weller now the guitarist. Weller became interested in 1960s mod subculture in late 1974, particularly after hearing " My Generation" by the Who. As a result, he began riding a

Lambretta Lambretta () was a brand of motor scooters, manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Innocenti. The name is derived from the word Lambrate, the suburb of Milan named after the river Lambro which flows through the area, and where the factory was locat ...

scooter, styling his hair like

Steve Marriott Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English actor, musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and appeared in the West End, before taking a r ...

and immersing himself in 1960s

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and R&B music. At his instigation,

began wearing mohair suits onstage and he and Foxton began playing Rickenbacker guitars (as favoured by the Who and the Beatles in the mid-1960s). He has been a committed mod ever since, declaring in a 1991 interview that, "I'll always be a mod. You can bury me a mod".

The Jam (1976–1982)

The Jam emerged at the same time as

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

bands such as

the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

, the Damned, and the Sex Pistols. The Clash were early advocates of the band, and added them as the support on their White Riot tour in May 1977. Thejam

The Jam's first single, " In the City", took them into the UK Top 40 in May 1977. In 1979, the group released " The Eton Rifles" and first broke into the Top 10, hitting the No. 3 spot in November. The increasing popularity of their blend of Weller's barbed lyrics with pop melodies eventually led to their first number one single, "

Going Underground "Going Underground" is a single by English rock band the Jam, written by lead guitarist Paul Weller and released in March 1980. It debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top. "Going Underground" was the fir ...

", in March 1980. The Jam became the first band since the Beatles to perform both sides of the same single (" Town Called Malice" and " Precious") on one edition of ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

''. They also had two singles, " That's Entertainment" (1981) and " Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" (1982), reach No. 21 and No. 8 respectively in the UK singles chart despite not being released as singles in the UK—on the strength of import sales of the German single releases. At that time, "That's Entertainment" was the best-selling import-only single to date in the UK charts. Having already told Buckler and Foxton that he was leaving the band, in October 1982 Weller announced that the Jam would disband at the end of that year. Although Weller was determined to end the band and move on, the action came as a surprise to Foxton and Buckler who both felt that the band had scope to develop further professionally. Their final single, " Beat Surrender", became their fourth UK chart topper, going to No. 1 in its first week. Their farewell concerts at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...

were multiple sell-outs; their final concert took place at the Brighton Centre on 11 December 1982.

The Style Council (1983–1989)

In 1983, Weller teamed up with keyboardist Mick Talbot to form a new group called the Style Council. Initially a core duo, augmented by various guest musicians and singers, over time the core grew to also include drummer Steve White and singer Dee C. Lee. Previously a backing vocalist with

Wham! Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to ...

, Lee eventually became Weller's girlfriend and then wife. Free of the limited musical styles he felt imposed by the Jam, under the collective of the Style Council, Weller was able to experiment with a wide range of music, including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, blue-eyed soul, and

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

; he also brought in musicians and vocalists to produce a different sound on each track. The Style Council also used synthesizers and drum machines to create their musical style, which would later be labelled as sophisti-pop. Many of the Style Council's early singles performed well in the UK charts, and Weller would also experience his first success in North America, when " My Ever Changing Moods" and " You're the Best Thing" entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Weller appeared on 1984's Band Aid record " Do They Know It's Christmas?", and the Style Council appeared in the British half of Live Aid at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

in 1985. In December 1984, Weller put together his own charity ensemble called the Council Collective to make a record, "Soul Deep", to raise money for striking miners, and the family of David Wilkie, a Welsh taxi driver who was killed during said strike. The record featured the Style Council plus a number of other performers, notably

Jimmy Ruffin Jimmy Lee RuffinRibowsky, Mark (2010), ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations'', Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, p. 89. . (May 7, 1936 – November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and ...

and Junior Giscombe, and peaked at No. 24 on the UK singles chart. As the 1980s wore on, the Style Council's popularity in the UK began to slide, with the band achieving only one top ten single after 1985. The Style Council's death knell was sounded in 1989 when its record company refused to release its fifth and final studio album, the house-influenced '' Modernism: A New Decade''. With the rejection of this effort, Weller announced that the Style Council had split. It was not until the 1998 retrospective CD box set '' The Complete Adventures of the Style Council'' that the album would be widely available.

Solo career (1990–present)

Early solo career (1990–1995)

By the end of 1989, Weller found himself without a band and without a recording contract for the first time since he was 17. After taking time off for most of 1990, he returned to the road late in the year, touring as "The Paul Weller Movement" with long-term drummer and friend Steve White and Paul Francis (session bassist from the James Taylor Quartet). After a slow start playing small clubs with a mixture of Jam and Style Council classics, as well as showcasing new material, he released his debut solo single, "Into Tomorrow", which peaked at No. 36 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1991. His next single, "Uh Huh Oh Yeh", reached No. 18 in the UK Chart in August 1992, followed by his debut solo studio album, ''

'', peaking at No. 8 on the UK Chart in September that year. Buoyed by the positive commercial and critical success of his debut solo studio album, Weller returned to the studio in 1993 with a renewed confidence, recording most of the tracks on his next album in one take. Accompanied by Steve White, guitarist Steve Cradock and bassist Marco Nelson, the result of these sessions was the

Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

-nominated '' Wild Wood'', which included the singles "

Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

" and " Wild Wood". Weller's first solo live album, '' Live Wood'', was released in 1994, peaking at No. 13 in the UK Albums Chart. Weller's third solo studio album '' Stanley Road'' (1995) took him back to the top of the British charts for the first time in a decade, and went on to become the best-selling album of his career. The album, named after the street in Woking where he had grown up, marked a return to the more guitar-based style of his earlier days. The album's major single, " The Changingman", was also a big hit, taking Weller to No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. Another single, the ballad "You Do Something to Me", was his second consecutive Top 10 single and reached No. 9 in the UK. Weller found himself heavily associated with the emerging

movement. Noel Gallagher of

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentI Walk on Gilded Splinters". Weller also returned the favour, appearing as a guest guitarist on Oasis' hit song " Champagne Supernova" from their second studio album '' (What's the Story) Morning Glory?''.

The Modfather (1996–2007)

'' Heavy Soul'', the follow-up to the million-selling ''Stanley Road'', was a ' rootsy', 'stripped-down' change in Weller's musical style, compared to its predecessor. The first single " Peacock Suit" reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart, in 1996 and the album reached No. 2 in 1997. Success in the UK charts also came from compilations: "Best Of" albums by the Jam and the Style Council charted, and in 1998 his own solo collection, '' Modern Classics,'' peaked at No. 7. In 2000 he released his fifth solo studio album, '' Heliocentric'', which debuted and peaked at No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart. On his worldwide '' Days of Speed'' acoustic tour, Weller performed songs from the back catalogue of his solo career and from his Jam and Style Council days, giving rise to a second successful live album of the same name; containing live solo acoustic recordings from the European leg of the tour, the album reached No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart in October 2001. Weller released the No. 1 hit album '' Illumination'' in September 2002. Co-produced by Noonday Underground's Simon Dine, it was preceded by top 10 hit single "It's Written in the Stars". Weller also appears on Noonday Underground's second studio album called ''Surface Noise'' (2002), singing on the track "I'll Walk Right On". In 2002, Weller collaborated with Terry Callier on the single "Brother to Brother", which featured on Callier's ninth studio album ''Speak Your Peace''. That same year, he teamed up with electronic rock duo Death in Vegas on a cover of Gene Clark's "So You Say You Lost Your Baby", which featured on their third studio album '' Scorpio Rising''. Weller's album of covers entitled '' Studio 150'', debuted at No. 2 in the UK charts in 2004, and included

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

's " All Along the Watchtower" as well as covers of songs by

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American Jazz poetry, jazz poet, singer, musician, and author known for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackso ...

and

Rose Royce Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B group. They are best known for several hit singles during the 1970s including " Car Wash", " I Wanna Get Next to You", " I'm Going Down", " Wishing on a Star", and " Love Don't Live Here Anymore". Career ...

, amongst others. Weller's eighth solo studio album '' As Is Now'' (2005) featured the singles "From the Floorboards Up", "Come On/Let's Go" and "Here's the Good News". The album was well-received, reaching No. 4 in the UK charts, though critics noted that he was not moving his music forward stylistically. At the Brit Awards on 14 February 2006 at Earl's Court in London, he was the latest recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award. Despite a tendency to shun such occasions, Weller accepted the award in person, and performed four songs at the ceremony, including the Jam's classic "Town Called Malice". Double live album '' Catch-Flame!'' was released in June that year, featuring songs from his solo work and his career with the Jam and the Style Council. Compilation album '' Hit Parade'', released in late 2006, collected singles from the Jam, the Style Council and Weller's solo career. Weller was offered appointment as a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the 2006 birthday honours, but rejected the offer. In 2007, Weller was a guest vocalist on the song " John Barleycorn" by the folk music project the Imagined Village, with

Martin Carthy Martin Dominic Forbes Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in English folk music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, as well as later ar ...

and Eliza Carthy also being credited as main artists. It was released on the band's eponymous debut studio album.

Critical success (2008–present)

The double studio album '' 22 Dreams'' was released on 2 June 2008, with "Echoes Round the Sun" as the lead single. Weller had parted company with his existing band before the recording this album, replacing everyone except guitarist Steve Cradock with Andy Lewis on bass, Andy Crofts of the Moons on keyboards and Steve Pilgrim of the Stands on drums. This album saw Weller move in a more experimental direction, taking in a wide variety of influences including jazz, folk and tango as well as the pop-soul more associated with his Style Council days. Weller also featured on two songs from the Moons' debut studio album ''Life on Earth'' (2010), playing piano on "Wondering" and lead guitar on "Last Night on Earth". Weller was the surprise recipient of the 2009 Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist, which resulted in controversy when it was discovered that a suspiciously high number of bets had been placed for Weller to win the award, for which James Morrison was T4's favourite. It was reported that the bookmakers had lost £100,000 in the event, and that as a result would not be taking bets for the awards in the future. In 2009, Weller guested on Dot Allison's fourth studio album, ''Room 7½'' (2009), co-writing "Love's Got Me Crazy". November and December also saw him on tour, playing shows across the country. On 24 February 2010, Weller received the Godlike Genius Award at the ''NME'' Awards. His tenth studio album, '' Wake Up the Nation'', was released in April to critical acclaim, and was subsequently nominated for the

. The album also marked his first collaboration with Jam bassist

in 28 years. In May 2010, Weller was presented with the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award, saying "I've enjoyed the last 33 years I've been writing songs and hopefully, with God's good grace, I'll do some more." On 19 March 2012 Weller released his eleventh studio album '' Sonik Kicks''. The album entered the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

at number 1. On 17 December 2012 Weller released the ''Dragonfly'' EP, a limited edition vinyl run of 3000 copies. Weller provided vocals on the Moons' 2012 single "Something Soon". In December 2012, Weller headlined the

Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...

charity gig at the Hammersmith Apollo, where he performed with Emeli Sandé, Miles Kane and

Bradley Wiggins Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional Road bicycle racing, road and track cycling, track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but ...

. On 23 March 2013, Weller played drums on stage with

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...

, Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon, playing the Blur track "Tender". This was played as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts curated by Noel Gallagher. In 2014, Weller wrote "Let Me In" with Olly Murs for Murs's fourth studio album '' Never Been Better''. In 2015, Weller made a West Coast tour of the US to promote his '' Saturns Pattern'' studio album. The tour ran from 9 June to 9 October. In January 2017 he made a

cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...

in " The Final Problem", the final episode of series four of the BBC TV series '' Sherlock''. On 8 March 2019, audio and video versions of ''Other Aspects, Live at the Royal Festival Hall'' was released. It is the second of two shows and was recorded in October 2018 at London's

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

with an orchestra. Weller's fifteenth solo studio album, '' On Sunset'', was released 3 July 2020 and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart, giving Weller UK number-one albums spanning five consecutive decades. He joins the Beatles'

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

in having the distinction. His number-one albums: '' The Gift'', as part of the Jam (1982). '' Our Favourite Shop'', as part of the Style Council (1985), and solo studio albums ''Stanley Road'' (1995), ''Illumination'' (2002), ''22 Dreams'' (2008), ''Sonik Kicks'' (2012), and ''On Sunset'' (2020). Weller's sixteenth solo studio album, ''

Fat Pop (Volume 1) ''Fat Pop (Volume 1)'' is the sixteenth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Paul Weller. It was released on 14 May 2021 through Polydor Records and Solid Bond, in both a standard and deluxe edition. It was supported by the single "Shade ...

'', was released to critical acclaim on 14 May 2021, and entered the charts at number 1. On 15 May 2021, Weller recorded live symphonic renditions of songs from his catalogue at the Barbican Centre in London with Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. A live album of the recording session, ''An Orchestrated Songbook'', was released in December 2021. On 28 October 2022, Weller released a B-sides and rarities album ''Will of the People''. He collaborated on the songs with Richard Fearless, Young Fathers, Straightface and Stone Foundation. In early 2024, Weller announced that his next studio album, '' 66'', would be released in May, the day before his 66th birthday. Recording took three years in Weller's Surrey studio, Black Barn. The album includes collaborations with Dr. Robert of the Blow Monkeys, Richard Hawley, Erland Cooper, Max Beesley, Suggs of Madness, Noel Gallagher and Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, with string arrangements by Hannah Peel. The album's first single, "Soul Wandering", was released on 23 February 2024. He made his feature film debut in Steve McQueen's historical war drama '' Blitz'', released in 2024. On 25 July 2025, he will release ''Find El Dorado'', a covers album featuring contributions from Noel Gallagher,

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

, Hannah Peel, Declan O'Rourke, Seckou Keita, and Amelia Coburn.

Influences

Weller's formative influences that have remained relatively constant include

, the

and

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

, as well as the mid-late 1960s soul and R&B records released by Tamla Motown and Stax. During the Jam years, Weller was influenced by early punk bands, including the Sex Pistols and

, and later post-punk acts such as Gang of Four and Joy Division. During the final part of the Jam's career, he introduced more contemporary soul and funk into the band's music, with

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 (New Romantics), ...

's " Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" and Pigbag's "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" inspiring Jam tracks, including " Absolute Beginners" and " Precious". Weller's inspiration also came from 1970s soul and funk artists—most notably Curtis Mayfield. Weller has worked various literary influences into his work, such as

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's work together with a short story written by Weller's friend Dave Waller, providing inspiration for the Jam's fourth studio album '' Setting Sons'' (1979). Weller has also cited Geoffrey Ashe's ''Camelot and the Vision of Albion'' (1971), Orwell and Percy Bysshe Shelley as sources of inspiration for the Jam's fifth studio album '' Sound Affects'' (1980). Jazz influenced Weller's work during the early Style Council years, and he has cited

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

as one of his favourites, saying "I love all of his stuff from '' A Love Supreme'' onwards." His tastes became increasingly eclectic during his Style Council period, with releases influenced by music as diverse as

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

, Philadelphia soul and Erik Satie, culminating in the band's American

house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...

-inspired album '' Modernism: A New Decade''. During the 1990s, Weller's work began being influenced by late 1960s and early 1970s artists such as

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

, Nick Drake, and

Traffic Traffic is the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along land routes. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic laws and informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly an ...

. He has also embraced the influence of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

, despite having once said that all but three of his records were "pish". Despite telling '' Mojo'' magazine in 2000 that he did not "make music with fuzzy radios or electric spoons", since then, he has incorporated experimental influences into his music, citing Pierre Schaeffer and Karlheinz Stockhausen as major influences for '' On Sunset''s experimental tracks. Additionally, ''Mojo'' has noted Neu!'s influence on '' Sonik Kicks "Green" and "Around the Lake". Among the many albums that Weller has cited as all-time favourites are '' Odessey and Oracle'' (1968), '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (1967), '' What's Going On'' (1971) , '' Innervisions'' (1973), '' Low'' (1977), '' Journey in Satchidananda'' (1971), ''

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society ''The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society'' is the sixth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Kinks. Released on 22November 1968, ''Village Green'' was a modest seller, but it was lauded by contemporary critics f ...

'' (1968), the

eponymous 1967 album,

's eponymous 1968 album, '' McCartney'' (1970), '' Down by the Jetty'' (1975), and '' My Generation'' (1965). Other songs he has nominated as favourites include the Beatles' " Tomorrow Never Knows" and " Strawberry Fields Forever", the Small Faces' "

Tin Soldier Tin soldiers are miniature toy soldiers that are very popular in the world of collecting. They can be bought finished or in a raw state to be hand-painted. They are generally made of pewter, tin, lead, other metals or plastic. Often very e ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

's " Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine", Declan O'Rourke's " Galileo (Someone Like You)", the Kinks' " Waterloo Sunset" and "

Days A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, and night. This daily cyc ...

", and

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

' " Happy". In 2012, Weller invaded a live radio interview with singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan to praise his songs " Alone Again (Naturally)" and " Nothing Rhymed" as "two of my favourite songs, great lyrics, great tunes". Weller's favourite film is

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

's '' A Clockwork Orange'' (1971).

Personal life

Between the summer of 1977 and around August 1985, Weller was in a relationship with Gill Price, a fashion designer from

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

. She and their relationship inspired several Jam songs, including "I Need You (For Someone)", "Aunties & Uncles", "English Rose", "Fly", and "Happy Together". She worked in the Jam's offices, contributed to Weller's fanzines, and frequently toured with them—she can be seen in various behind-the-scenes photos. She appeared on the sleeve of the final Jam single, " Beat Surrender", and along with Weller's sister Nicky, she also had a cameo in the music video for the Style Council's " My Ever Changing Moods". At the height of the Style Council's success, Weller and Dee C. Lee, the Style Council's backing vocalist, began a romantic relationship. The couple married in 1987 and divorced in 1998. They have a son and a daughter. Weller has another daughter with make-up artist Lucy Halperin. Weller became involved with Samantha Stock whilst he was recording at the Manor studio; they had two children together. In October 2008, Stock and Weller broke up and Weller moved in with Hannah Andrews, a backing vocalist on his ''22 Dreams'' studio album, who has also toured with his band. They first met in New York in 2005 and married in September 2010 on the Italian island of

Capri Capri ( , ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. A popular resort destination since the time of the Roman Republic, its natural beauty ...

. The couple have twin boys who were born in 2012, and a daughter, born in 2017. In April 2014, Weller won £10,000 in damages from Associated Newspapers after "plainly voyeuristic" photographs of his family out shopping were published on MailOnline. On 24 April 2009, John Weller, his father and long-time manager since the days of the Jam, died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

at the age of 77. Weller has been sober since 2010.

Political views and activism

Weller has a long association with British politics. In the Jam's first ''NME'' interview in May 1977, he famously announced that the band would vote for the Conservative Party at the next election, something he has long since stated was a joke. From late 1980, he became increasingly interested in Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), often being pictured wearing a CND badge (as in the music video for " Town Called Malice") and playing rallies with both the Jam and the Style Council. In tandem, he became more vocally

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

in interviews, and between around 1982 and 1987, his songwriting also became increasingly politicised, most notably on "Trans-Global Express", "Money-Go-Round", "The Big Boss Groove", "Soul Deep" and the majority of '' Our Favourite Shop''. In late 1984, Weller took part in Band Aid and then put together his own benefit record for the UK miners' strike, which was called "Soul Deep" and credited to the Council Collective. The 12" of the single featured interviews with striking miners, although half of the money raised went to the widow of David Wilkie, a taxi driver who was killed whilst driving strike-breaking miners to their shift. During the 1980s, Weller was also

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

and concerned with

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...

. As a result, he wrote the song "Bloodsports", which was included on the B-side of the Style Council's 1985 single, " Walls Come Tumbling Down!". Royalties from the track were donated to a defence fund for two hunt saboteurs then on remand in HM Prison Bristol. From the latter half of 1985, Weller was highly involved in the formation of Red Wedge, a

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

collective of musicians and actors etc. who aimed to "bring left-wing ideas to other people". From around 1988 onwards, he became less politically vocal, ultimately stating during the 1990s that he no longer particularly believed in any politics. In 2008, after then-Conservative leader and former Eton pupil

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...

chose the Jam's " The Eton Rifles" as one of his '' Desert Island Discs'', Weller expressed disgust, saying, "It wasn't intended as a fucking jolly drinking song for the cadet corps." When asked about it again in 2015, he told ''Mojo'' magazine: "The whole thing with Cameron saying it was one of his favourite songs ... I just think, 'Which bit didn't you get?" Weller also began playing the song live again for the first time since 1982. In a 2008 interview, Weller said he had declined a CBE because of his dislike of the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

the Establishment In sociology and in political science, the term the establishment describes the dominant social group, the elite who control a polity, an organization, or an institution. In the Praxis (process), praxis of wealth and Power (social and politica ...

and the

Civil Service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

. During the mid-2010s, Weller made a brief return to the political arena, being vocally supportive of then-Labour Party leader

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...

and playing a 'Concert for Corbyn' in December 2016. In a '' Guardian'' interview in the run-up to the 2024 general election, Weller commented on the British political landscape: "You can either vote for Rishi Sunak's Tory party, or you can vote for Keir Starmer's Tory party." Weller also labelled Sunak, Starmer and

Nigel Farage Nigel Paul Farage ( ; born 3 April 1964) is a British politician and broadcaster who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton (UK Parliament constituency), Clacton and Leader of Reform UK since 20 ...

" gs" and criticised the actions of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in the same interview, stating: "Am I against genocides and ethnic cleansing? Yes, I am, funnily enough, I can't understand why more people aren't up in arms about what's going on. We should be ashamed of ourselves, I think. One minute you're supplying bullets and bombs and guns, and then you're sending over food. How does that work?" Weller would perform at a concert for raising funds for Gaza later in the year. In 2025, Weller signed an open letter in support of the hip-hop trio

Kneecap The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...

which opposed a "clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform" the group.

Recognition and influence

In 2007, the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

described Weller as "one of the most revered music writers and performers of the past 30 years". In 2015, Pete Naughton of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' wrote, "Apart from

, it's hard to think of any British solo artist who's had as varied, long-lasting and determinedly forward-looking a career." In 2012, he was among the British notables selected by the artist Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork—the Beatles' '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' album cover—to celebrate the British social figures of his life.

Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (1992) * '' Wild Wood'' (1993) * '' Stanley Road'' (1995) * '' Heavy Soul'' (1997) * '' Heliocentric'' (2000) * '' Illumination'' (2002) * '' Studio 150'' (2004) * '' As Is Now'' (2005) * '' 22 Dreams'' (2008) * '' Wake Up the Nation'' (2010) * '' Sonik Kicks'' (2012) * '' Saturns Pattern'' (2015) * '' A Kind Revolution'' (2017) * '' True Meanings'' (2018) * '' On Sunset'' (2020) * ''

'' (2021) * '' 66'' (2024) * ''Find El Dorado'' (2025)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Weller, Paul 1958 births Living people 20th-century English male singers 21st-century English male singers 20th-century English singer-songwriters 21st-century English singer-songwriters 20th-century English guitarists 21st-century English guitarists BT Digital Music Awards winners Brit Award winners British political music artists English lead guitarists English male new wave singers English new wave singers English male guitarists English male singer-songwriters English punk rock musicians English record producers English rock guitarists English male rock singers English socialists English soul singers Go! Discs Records artists Incognito (band) members Independiente Records artists Island Records artists Ivor Novello Award winners Mod revival musicians NME Awards winners Parlophone artists People from Woking Sophisti-pop musicians The Jam members The Style Council members V2 Records artists