Kevin Coyne (27 January 1944 – 2 December 2004) was an English musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. He was critically acclaimed for his unorthodox style of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

-influenced guitar composition, the intense quality of his vocal delivery, and his lyrics describing injustice to the

mentally ill A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

. Musicians who have described themselves as Coyne fans include

Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

and

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

. In the mid-1970s, prior to the formation of

the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...

, Coyne's band included guitarist

Andy Summers Andrew James Summers (born 31 December 1942) is an English guitarist best known as a member of the rock band the Police. Prior to joining the Police, Summers had been a member of several bands during the 1960s, including Zoot Money's Big Roll ...

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 ...

disc jockey

Andy Kershaw Andrew J. G. Kershaw (born 9 November 1959) is an English broadcaster and disc jockey, predominantly on radio, and known for his interest in world music. Kershaw's shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, African music, spoken ...

described Coyne as "a national treasure who keeps getting better" and as one of the great

British blues British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s, and reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s. In Britain, blues developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric g ...

voices. Over many years Coyne produced the art work for many of his own album covers. His move to Germany, in the 1980s, saw his work on full-size paintings blossom in its own right.

Early days

Coyne was born in

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

, England. As a teenager and young adult Coyne studied at the Joseph Wright School of Art from 1957 to 1961 and then studied

graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...

and

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

at Derby School of

Art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

from 1961 to 1965. There he met Nick Cudworth (piano, acoustic guitar). His love of American

men developed, as did his song-craft and his guitar and vocal talents. At the conclusion of his arts training, Coyne began the work that would change him forever – he spent 1965 to 1968 working as a social

therapist A therapist is a person who offers any kinds of therapy. Therapists are trained professionals in the field of any types of services like psychologists, social workers, counselors, etc. They are helpful in counseling individuals for various mental ...

and

psychiatric nurse Psychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the appointed position of a nurse that specialises in mental health, and cares for people of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. These include: neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophr ...

Whittingham Hospital Whittingham Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in the parish of Whittingham, Lancashire, Whittingham, near Preston, Lancashire, England. The hospital opened in 1873 as the Fourth Lancashire County Asylum and grew to be the largest mental hospita ...

near Preston in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and then for "The

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

Project" in London as a drugs counsellor. During this period of working with the

he performed regularly. Subsequently, his musical aspirations took precedence and he signed a record deal in 1969. Joined by Dave Clague (bass, acoustic guitar, ex-

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as the Bonzo Dog Band or the Bonzos) was created by a group of British Art school, art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelic music, psychedelia with sur ...

), Coyne's band got an early break as a result of a demo heard by

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

, who in 1969 signed them to his

Dandelion Records Dandelion Records was a British record label started on 18 July 1969 by the British DJ John Peel. History The label was started as a way to get the music Peel liked onto record. Peel was responsible for "artistic direction" and the commercial ...

label. At first billed as Coyne-Clague (an early Dandelion release erroneously named them just "Clague"), the band soon altered its name to Siren. Reviewing the band's 1971 LP ''Strange Locomotion'',

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

wrote in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981): "Like

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

, this is

that neither chokes on false roots nor enmires itself in

boogie Boogie is a repetition (music), repetitive, swung note, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . groove (music), "groove" or pattern used in blues which was origina ...

reductionism. Kevin Coyne's humorously belligerent drawl embodies the band's wit and its

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

chauvinism Chauvinism ( ) is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. The ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' describes it ...

. Mistake: 'Fetch Me My Woman,' which (second mistake) goes on for 7:40."

An established artist

In 1973 he appeared on the BBC's ''

The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...

'', performing "I Want My Crown" and "House on the Hill" with guitarist Gordon Smith and percussionist Chilli Charles. In 1975 Coyne and his band performed at the alternative festival held to protest against the

Eurovision Song Contest 1975 The Eurovision Song Contest 1975 was the 20th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 22 March 1975 in the in Stockholm, Sweden and presented by Karin Falck. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (SR ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

; footage from the concert was later released as the 1976 film ''Musikfilmen''. In late 1975 and 1976 Coyne completed the musical ''England, England'', written with playwright

Snoo Wilson Andrew James Wilson (2 August 1948 – 3 July 2013), better known as Snoo Wilson, was an English playwright, screenwriter and director. His early plays such as ''Blow-Job'' (1971) were overtly political, often combining harsh social comment wi ...

, and described as "an evocation of the

Kray twins Ronald Kray (24 October 193320 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were English gangsters or organised crime figures and identical twin brothers from Haggerston who were prominent from the late 1950s until their arres ...

". The musical, directed by Dusty Hughes, was performed in August 1977 at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, in

Holborn Holborn ( or ), an area in central London, covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part (St Andrew Holborn (parish), St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Wards of the City of London, Ward of Farringdon Without i ...

, London. It drew attention to the associations between

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

and the type of

British nationalism British nationalism asserts that the British people, British are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Britons,Guntram H. Herb, David H. Kaplan. Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview: A Global Historical Overview. Santa Ba ...

that later saw the rise of the National Front and the election of

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

. From 18 August to 24 September 1977 it played at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. Artistic Directors * Brian McDermott ...

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its ...

. In 1978 Coyne collaborated with fellow Derby Art School graduate

Ian Breakwell Ian Breakwell (26 May 1943 – 14 October 2005) was a British artist, active as a diarist, a draughtsman, a film-maker, a painter, a photographer and a print-maker. Life Breakwell was born on 26 May 1943 in Long Eaton, in Derbyshire. From ...

to produce the film ''The

Institution An institution is a humanly devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain social behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions and ...

'' based on Breakwell's

Artist Placement Group The Artist Placement Group (APG) was conceived by Barbara Steveni in London in 1965, and established in 1966 as an artist-run organisation seeking to refocus art outside the gallery, predominantly through attaching an artist in a business or govern ...

work at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire. Early in his career, Coyne turned down a meeting with founder of

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

Jac Holzman Jac Holzman (born September 15, 1931) is an American record executive. He is the founder of the record labels Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records. Holzman helped commercially launch the CD and home video formats, as well as the pilot program wh ...

(Coyne's band Siren were on Elektra in America) to discuss replacing

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

. "I didn't like the leather trousers!" was Coynes' alleged reason. Coyne's first solo album, mainly with only his voice and guitar, was ''Case History'' (1972), released on Peel's

Dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus has a near-cosmopolitan distribu ...

label. It was not a success, but it was noticed by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

, which signed Coyne and released his 1973 album ''

Marjory Razorblade ''Marjory Razorblade'' is a double- LP by English rock singer Kevin Coyne and was one of the earliest releases on Virgin Records, which had launched four months earlier in June 1973. The double album includes the song "Marlene", which was issued ...

''. The single "Marlene" (b/w "Everybody Says"), taken from the album and released in August 1973, was the first Virgin single. Coyne was the second artist signed to

, after

Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...

. Coyne got on well with label-mates such as

, who played "Eastbourne Ladies" on a

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

–type show, and

the Mekons The Mekons are a British Post-punk band formed in 1976 as an art collective. They are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. The band's style has evolved over time to incorporate aspects of co ...

, who recorded his "Having a Party", an attack on

Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and controlled 5 companies remaining of once more than 400. Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneu ...

. Described as being musically "... a mixture of blues and

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

comedy, with a punk edge", the 1973 album contained many notable songs, such as "

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

Ladies" and "House on the Hill" about life in a

psychiatric institution A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe mental disorders. These institutions cater to patients with c ...

. It was the record that established Coyne's reputation. In 1976 Coyne released the

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...

''In Living Black and White'' that included

Zoot Money George Bruno "Zoot" Money (17 July 1942 – 8 September 2024) was an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He was best known for playing the Hammond organ and for his leadership of the Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ra ...

, Steve Thompson and Peter Woolf. Culled from three shows, it featured a cover of

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 " Knocking on Heaven's Door". Released in 1979, the album ''Babble'', by Coyne and singer

Dagmar Krause Dagmar Krause (born 4 June 1950) is a German singer, best known for her work with avant-rock groups including Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, and Art Bears. She is also noted for her coverage of songs by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler. Her ...

, was subtitled "Songs for Lonely Lovers", with '' Q'' magazine noting that Coyne's and Krause's voices "complement each other so well (...) the song functions as a kind of exchange." The subsequent tour courted controversy when Coyne suggested, in the theatre presentation of the piece, that the destructive relationship between the two lovers could have been based on the Moors murderers. Two performances at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, London were cancelled at short notice by

Newham Council Newham London Borough Council also known as Newham Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority co ...

following negative press reports in ''

The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...

'' and the ''

Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...

''. The show was eventually staged, for four nights, at the Oval House in

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between th ...

. Reviewing the show for the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'',

Paul Du Noyer Paul Du Noyer (born Paul Anthony Du Noyer; 21 May 1954) is an English rock journalist and author. He has written and edited for the music magazines ''NME'', '' Q'' and '' Mojo''. Du Noyer is the author of several books on the music industry, ro ...

wrote:

"Babble" is a particularly thorough, painstaking exploration of the reality of one relationship, stripped of romance and artifice. The format employed is correspondingly stark. Against a stage-set of light-bulb, table and chairs Coyne and his partner
Dagmar Krause Dagmar Krause (born 4 June 1950) is a German singer, best known for her work with avant-rock groups including Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, and Art Bears. She is also noted for her coverage of songs by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler. Her ...
stand at either side; the only accompaniment comes from Bob Ward and Brian Godding, playing electric and acoustic guitar in the gloom behind.

American singer/songwriter

Will Oldham Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Son ...

claimed that the ''Babble'' album had "changed my life" and he recorded two of the songs himself.

Oldham Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...

also went on to form a side project called The Babblers – who strictly played covers of songs from ''Babble''. Extracts from a performance of ''Babble'', in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, were included in the short German film ''Herz Aus Feuer'' (1979) by Claudia Strauven and Wolfgang Kraesze. The album '' Politicz'', featuring Peter Kirtley on guitar and Steve Bull on keyboards, was released in 1982.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's reviewer Dean McFarlane described the album as "One of the British singer/songwriter's more outwardly experimental records, this album contains some of his most intimate work, deeply personal songs and techniques which were taking him further and further away from tradition... strictly a post-punk album with a humorous political agenda". The same year, Coyne appeared in concert with his band (Peter Kirtley (guitar), Steve Lamb (bass), Steve Bull (keyboards) and Dave Wilson(drums)) live in front of the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

at the Tempodrom. The concert was later issued on the 2008 DVD ''At the Last Wall'' (Dockland Productions, Meyer Records).

Nuremberg

Following a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

and increasing difficulties with drink, Coyne left the UK in 1985. He settled in

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

and having given up alcohol, never stopped recording and touring, as well as writing books and exhibiting his paintings. Coyne's move to Germany saw his writing and painting career blossom. He published four books, two of which, ''Showbusiness'' and ''Party Dress'', were published by

Serpent's Tail Serpent's Tail is London-based independent publishing firm founded in 1986 by Pete Ayrton. It specialises in publishing work in translation, particularly European crime fiction. In January 2007, it was bought by a British publisher Profile Book ...

in London. There were numerous exhibitions of his visual work throughout Europe. Those in Berlin,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

and

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

were well reviewed and attended. In the late 1980s Coyne acted on stage, playing the small part of a rock star in '' Linie Eins'' (''Line One''), a German musical, at the Nuremberg Opera House. At the start of the 1990s Virgin began reissuing the albums on CD. This included a collection of Peel sessions from the period 1973–1990. ''Q'' magazine noted that "the artistic focus of his albums is lost (...) the Peel Session is more fun". His 1995 album, ''The Adventures of Crazy Frank'', was based on a stage musical about English comedian

Frank Randle Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an English comedian. A contemporary of fellow Lancashire, Lancastrians George Formby, Jr., George Formby and Gracie Field ...

, with Coyne in the title role. It also starred the singer Julia Kempken, who was erroneously listed in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' obituary as Coyne's wife. Kempken later wrote fondly of this mistake, suggesting that her performance on stage as Randle's wife had been so strong as to transform her, in the eyes of the press, into Coyne's actual wife. In Germany his sons from his first marriage, Eugene and

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

, appeared on recordings such as ''Tough And Sweet'' (1993) and ''Sugar Candy Taxi'' (1999), with guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Robert joining his band. His later German recordings, including ''Knocking on Your Brain'' (1997), often featured the "Paradise Band". In later years he also collaborated with

Brendan Croker Brendan Christopher Croker (15 August 1953 – 10 September 2023) was an English musician, who recorded albums under his own name and with an occasional backing band, The Five O'Clock Shadows. Early life Croker was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, ...

on ''Life Is Almost Wonderful'', with

Jon Langford Jonathan Denis Langford (born 11 October 1957) is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Langford is a founder member of the punk band The Mekons, the post-punk group The Three Johns, and the alternative count ...

(on ''One Day in Chicago'') and with

Gary Lucas Gary Lucas (born June 20, 1952) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and composer who was a member of Captain Beefheart's band. He formed the band Gods and Monsters in 1989. Lucas has released more than 50 albums to date as a solo artist or ...

once of Captain Beefheart's

Magic Band The 6-meter band is the lowest portion of the very high frequency (VHF) radio spectrum (50.000-54.000 MHz) internationally allocated to amateur radio use. The term refers to the average signal wavelength of 6 meters. Although located in ...

(on ''Knocking on Your Brain''). A reunion with original Siren members Dave Clague and Nick Cudworth happened for a John Peel's Dandelion Records DVD, alongside solo performances by Coyne. In a 2004 interview with Frank Bangay, Coyne named his favourite blues musicians as

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his r ...

Leroy Carr Leroy Carr (March 27, 1904 or 1905 – April 29, 1935) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist who developed a laid-back, crooning technique and whose popularity and style influenced such artists as Nat King Cole and Ray Charles. Mu ...

Peetie Wheatstraw William Bunch (December 21, 1902 – December 21, 1941), known as Peetie Wheatstraw, was an American musician, an influential figure among 1930s blues singers. Early life and career William Bunch was born in Ripley, Tennessee, in 1902, the s ...

and

Tommy McClennan Tommy McClennan (January 4, 1905 – May 9, 1961) was an American Delta blues singer and guitarist. Life and career McClennan was born in Durant, Mississippi, and grew up in the town. He played and sang blues in a rough, energetic style. ...

.Bangay, Fran
Interview 2004

Death

Diagnosed with

lung fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory fail ...

in 2002, Coyne died in his adopted home of

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, Germany in 2004. He was survived by his wife Helmi and his sons Eugene, Robert and Nico. Writing in his obituary in ''

'',

Alan Clayson Alan Clayson (born 3 May 1951, Dover, Kent) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. He gained popularity in the late 1970s as leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts. In addition to contributing to publications such as ...

said, "... Virgin's press office referred to him as an 'anti-star' ... If he meant nothing in the

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

, Coyne was appreciated as a songwriter's songwriter, and collaborated with musicians such as

Carla Bley Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she gained acclaim for her jazz opera ''Escalator ...

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is an English retired musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

... He earned, too, the admiration of

Johnny Rotten John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

and

. Coyne was infinitely less precious and artistically self-centred than other artists of that era, such as

Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician. An accomplished acoustic guitarist, Drake signed to Island Records at the age of twenty while still a student at the University of Cambridg ...

Melanie Safka Melanie Anne Safka Schekeryk (February 3, 1947 – January 23, 2024), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, was an American singer-songwriter. Melanie is widely known for the 1971–72 global hit " Brand New Key", her 1970 version o ...

and

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

, whose primarily acoustic albums appealed more to self-doubting adolescent diarists than fans of heavy metal,

jazz-rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...

and similar genres that dominated early 1970s rock."

2007 tributes

In 2007,

the Nightingales Nightingales (a.k.a. The Nightingales) are a British post-punk/alternative rock band, formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England, by four members of Birmingham's punk group The Prefects. They had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour', recorde ...

recorded a version of "Good Boy" for their album '' Out of True'',

Jackie Leven Jackie Leven (18 June 1950 – 14 November 2011) was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll. He later recorded as a solo ...

recorded a song about Coyne on his album ''Oh What A Blow The Phantom Dealt Me!'', and "Here Come The Urban Ravens" featured on the album ''Whispers From The Offing – A Tribute to Kevin Coyne'', put together by Coyne's friend Frank Bangay. The full track listing for the CD version of the album was: # "Black Cloud" –

Nigel Burch Nigel Burch (born 25 January 1954) is an East London-based songwriter, musician, poet, and graphic artist now based in the London Borough of Hackney. Musically covering the genres of punk, rock, folk, and anti-folk, Burch has collaborated wit ...

# "Talking To No One" – Big Mehr and friend # "Born Crazy" – Razz # "Sand All Yellow" –

Goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the w ...

# "Cycling" – Dog Latin # "Marlene" –

Nikki Sudden Adrian Nicholas Godfrey (19 July 195626 March 2006), known professionally as Nikki Sudden, was a prolific English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He co-founded the post-punk band Swell Maps with his brother, Epic Soundtracks, while attending ...

# "Raindrops on the Window" –

Kevin Hewick Kevin Hewick (born 4 February 1957) is an English singer-songwriter who was an early member of the Factory Records roster. Today he is known for his recordings on Sorted, Pink Box and his own Botheration label, and his work with Venetian collec ...

# "Hello Judas" –

Alternative TV Alternative TV (sometimes known as ATV) are an English band formed in London in 1977. Author Steve Taylor writes: "Alternative TV pioneered reggae rhythms in punk and then moved on to redefine the musical rules". History Alternative TV were fo ...

# "I Only Want To See You Smile" – Veronique Acoustique # "Blame It on the Night" – Grae J Wall # "My Evil Island Home" –

Jowe Head Jowe Head (born Stephen Bird) is a British guitarist, singer, and visual artist, who was a member of Swell Maps before joining the Television Personalities. He has also released a large amount of material as a solo artist and as leader of group ...

# "Case History No 2" – Pascal Regis # "House on the Hill" –

Leo O'Kelly Leo O'Kelly (born 27 November 1949, Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland) is an Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He is the co-founder of the Irish folk duo Tír na nÓg. After the band decided to split in 1974, he produced ...

# "Mad Boy No2" – Frank Bangay and almost real # "Looking for the River" – Chris Connelly # "Victoria Smiles" –

Heinz Rudolf Kunze Heinz Rudolf Erich Arthur Kunze (born 30 November 1956, in Espelkamp-Mittwald, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German writer and rock singer. His greatest hit was ''Dein ist mein ganzes Herz'' (not to be confused with the homonymous song from the o ...

# "Are We Dreaming?" – The Otters (Ft. Mark Astronaut) # "Strange Pictures" – Dave Russell # "Weirdo" – Joey Stack # "A Loving Hand" – Clive Product # "Lonesome Valley" – Stumble on the Valves # "Here Come The Urban Ravens" –

*The downloaded version also includes two bonus tracks – Sally Timm's "I'm Just A Man" and

's "Having a Party" in Coyne's own voice. In 2008

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

performance artist

Pipilotti Rist Pipilotti Elisabeth Rist, birth name ''Elisabeth Charlotte Rist'' (born 21 June 1962 in Grabs) is a Swiss visual artist best known for creating experimental video art and installation art. Her work is often described as surreal, intimate, abst ...

produced a video in which she mimes "Jackie and Edna" against the background of various images, including film taken from a moving train. This video was exhibited in

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

's Kiasma Gallery in January 2012 as part of the "Thank you for the Music" exhibition.

Critical appraisal

Although Coyne has been neglected by popular music historians and academics, George McKay's 2013 book ''Shakin' All Over: Popular Music and Disability'' features a critical discussion of Coyne's work. The book opens with an epigraph from Coyne: 'anything that rhymes with "me (from the song "Fat Girl" as performed on the 1977 album ''In Living Black and White''). Describing him as 'the great lost English singer-songwriter' with his 'social-work approach to pop', McKay discusses the 1978 song "Having a Party" in the context of songs about the destructive economy of the pop industry. He also notes Coyne's 'anti-star' status and his innovative 'anti'-guitar playing: "Not being able, or electing not, to play the instrument 'properly', and hearing other voices while singing: there is something culturally disabling about each of these artistic choices, quite apart from the lyrical terrain". On 15 June 2017 Coyne was commemorated with the unveiling of a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

at the University of Derby Art School. In January 2018, an exhibition of Coyne's work was staged at the city gallery Alte Feuerwache in

Amberg Amberg () is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate about halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. History The town was first mentioned in 1034 with the name Ammenberg. It became an important trading c ...

An exhibition, accompanied by a 70-page catalogue, compiled by Stefan Voit, was held from 9 June to 5 August 2018, at the Städtische Galerie Cordonhaus in

Cham Cham or CHAM may refer to: Ethnicities and languages *Chams, people in Vietnam and Cambodia **Cham language, the language of the Cham people ***Cham script *** Cham (Unicode block), a block of Unicode characters of the Cham script * Cham Albani ...

. In 2024 Coyne was featured in ''Underground: The Illustrated Bible of Cursed Rockers and High Priestesses of Sound'' by Arnaud Le Gouefflec and Nicolas Moog.

disc jockey

described Coyne as "a national treasure who keeps getting better" and as one of the great

voices.

Discography

Albums

Solo and with his band

* (2019) ''Live At

Rockpalast ''Rockpalast'' (''Rock Palace'') is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). ''Rockpalast'' started on 4 October 1974. Hundreds of rock, heavy metal and jazz bands have perf ...

1979''. (2CDs + DVD) (Mig Music/

Indigo InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an India, Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest List of airlines of India, airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.1% domestic market ...

; also previous editions without video, by other publishers.) * (2013) ''Voice Of The Outsider: The Best of Kevin Coyne'' (Spectrum Audio) * (2012) ''Nobody Dies In Dreamland: Home Recordings From 1972'' (Turpentine, under license to

Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything but the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as w ...

) * (2010) ''I Want My Crown: The Anthology 1973-1980'' (CD boxed-set) * (2008) ''On Air'' (Live at

Radio Bremen Radio Bremen (), shortened to RB () is Germany's smallest Public broadcasting, public radio and television broadcaster and the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (which includes Bremerha ...

, 18 August 1975) * (2006) ''Underground'' * (2005) ''One Day in Chicago'' (with

& the

Pine Valley Cosmonauts Pine Valley Cosmonauts (PVC) are a musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois. History The group was initiated by Jon Langford (also of the Waco Brothers and The Mekons) as a covers group, with both repertory and cast of backing members constantly ...

) (Buried Treasure Records) * (2004) ''Donut City'' (Turpentine Records) * (2002) ''Carnival'' (

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in L ...

) * (2002) ''Life is Almost Wonderful'' (with

) * (2000) ''Room Full of Fools'' (Ruf Records) * (2000) ''Sugar Candy Taxi'' (Ruf Records) * (2000) ''Bittersweet Lovesongs'' * (1997) ''Live Rough and More'' (Golden Hind) * (1997) ''Knocking on Your Brain'' * (1995) ''The Adventures of Crazy Frank'' * (1995) ''The Club Rondo'' (with Siren, material recorded in 1969/1971) (DJC Records) * (1994) ''Let's do it'' (with Siren, with material recorded in 1969/1970) (DJC Records) * (1994) ''Rabbits'' (with Siren, material recorded in 1969/70) (DJC Records) * (1994) ''Elvira: Songs from the Archives 1979–83'' * (1994) ''Sign of the Times'' * (1993) ''Tough and Sweet'' * (1992) ''Burning Head'' * (1991) ''Wild Tiger Love'' * (1991) ''Peel Sessions'' * (1990) ''Romance – Romance'' * (1988) ''Everybody's Naked'' * (1987) ''Stumbling on to Paradise'' * (1985) ''Rough'' * (1984) ''Legless In Manila'' * (1983) ''Beautiful Extremes et cetera'' * (1982) '' Politicz'' * (1981) ''Live in Berlin'' * (1981) '' Pointing the Finger'' * (1981) ''The Dandelion Years'' * (1980) ''

Sanity Stomp ''Sanity Stomp'' is a double studio album by British rock artist Kevin Coyne which was released in 1980 by Virgin Records. The first disc was recorded with The Ruts, the second with his usual musicians. Background Of this album, Coyne himsel ...

'' (with

) * (1980) ''

Bursting Bubbles ''Bursting Bubbles'' is a studio album by the British rock musician Kevin Coyne, which was released on the Virgin label in 1980. Colin Larkin in the 2011 edition of his ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music,'' gives the album three stars. This album ...

'' (

) * (1979) ''

Millionaires and Teddy Bears '' Millionaires and Teddy Bears'' is a studio LP by the rock artist Kevin Coyne, released in 1979 by Virgin Records. The poster to promote the album's release was designed by Cooke Key Associates. Track listing All tracks composed by Kevin Co ...

'' (Virgin Records) * (1978) ''

Dynamite Daze ''Dynamite Daze'' is a studio album by the rock artist Kevin Coyne. It was released in 1978 by Virgin Records. Critical reception The ''Bristol Evening Post'' called Coyne "a writer and performer of great passion and originality." The ''Notting ...

'' (Virgin Records) * (1977) ''Beautiful Extremes'' (Virgin Records) * (1977) ''In Living Black and White'' (Virgin Records) * (1976) ''

Heartburn Heartburn is a burning sensation felt behind the breastbone. It is a symptom that is commonly linked to acid reflux and is often triggered by food, particularly fatty, sugary, spicy, chocolate, citrus, onion-based and tomato-based products. Ly ...

'' (Virgin Records) * (1976) ''Let's Have A Party'' (compilation) (Virgin Records) * (1975) '' Matching Head and Feet'' (Virgin Records) * (1974) ''Blame It on the Night'' (Virgin Records) * (1973) ''

'' (Virgin Records) * (1972) '' Case History'' (

)

With Siren

* ''Strange Locomotion'' – 1971 * ''Siren'' – 1969

With
Dagmar Krause Dagmar Krause (born 4 June 1950) is a German singer, best known for her work with avant-rock groups including Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, and Art Bears. She is also noted for her coverage of songs by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler. Her ...

* ''Babble – Songs for Lonely Lovers'' – 1979

Singles

* "Mandy Lee / Bottle Up and Go" – 1969 * "The Stride / I Wonder Where" – 1969 * "Ze-Ze-Ze-Ze / And I Wonder" – 1970 * "Strange Locomotion / I'm All Aching" – 1971 * "Cheat Me / Flowering Cherry" – 1972 * "Marlene / Everybody Says" – 1973 * "Lovesick Fool / Sea of Love" – 1973 * "Marlene / Sea of Love" – 1973 * "Marlene / Jackie and Edna" – 1973 * "I Believe in Love / Queenie Queenie Caroline" – 1974 * "Rock 'n' Roll Hymn / It's Not Me" – 1975 * "Saviour / Rock 'n' Roll Hymn" – 1975 * "Lorna / Let's Have A Party" – 1975 * "Let's Have A Party / Lorna" – 1975 * "Saviour / Lonely Lovers" – 1975 * "Don't Make Waves / Mona Where's My Trousers" – 1976:

Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

: VS 136 * "Walk on By / Shangri-la" – 1976 * "Fever / Daddy" – 1976 * "Marlene / England Is Dying" – 1977 * "Amsterdam / I Really Love You" – 1978 * "I'll Go Too / Having A Party" – 1979 * "So Strange / Father, Dear Father" – 1982, Cherry Red: CHERRY 49 * "Happy Holiday (Open and Close) / Pretty Park" – 1985

Books

* ''The Party Dress'' - (1990), London:

* ''Paradise'' (in German) - (1992), Cadolzburg: Ars-Vivendi-Verl * ''Show Business'' - (1993), London: Serpent's Tail * ''Tagebuch eines Teddybären'' (in German) - (1993) * ''Ich, Elvis und Die Anderen'' (in German) - (2000) * ''That Old Suburban Angst'' – (2004), Tony Donaghy Publishing,

DVDs

* ''At the Last Wall: Live At The Tempodrom 1982'' / ''The Unknown Famous'' - July 2008 (Dockland Productions, Meyer Records) Directed by Diethard Küster. * ''John Peel's Dandelion Records'' - 2008 ( Ozit/Morpheus Records) * ''Live At

1979'' (2CDs + DVD) - 2019 ( Mig Music/

; also previous editions without video, by other publishers.)

Film

* ''The Institution'' (with

) – 1978

References

External links

Official Kevin Coyne Site
* * from ''

TopPop ''TopPop'' was a Dutch television programme. It was the first regular dedicated pop music television series in the Dutch language area. The Netherlands broadcaster AVRO aired the programme weekly from 22 September 1970 to 27 June 1988. Presenter ...

'' (recorded 1-2-1978 but never broadcast) {{DEFAULTSORT:Coyne, Kevin 1944 births 2004 deaths Deaths from lung disease English male singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters 20th-century English painters English male painters 21st-century English painters English male poets English short story writers Musicians from Nuremberg Musicians from Derby Virgin Records artists Elektra Records artists Blast First artists Cherry Red Records artists Writers who illustrated their own writing British album-cover and concert-poster artists Dandelion Records artists English male short story writers 20th-century English singers 20th-century British male singers Ruf Records artists 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English male artists 21st-century English male artists