Bernard Sumner

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Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner of New Order, 1987
Background information
Birth name	Bernard Sumner
Born	4 January 1956 (1956-01-04) (age 53) Broughton, Salford, England
Instruments	vocals, guitars, keyboards, Melodica, percussion
Associated acts	New Order Joy Division Electronic Bad Lieutenant

Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956) is a British singer, guitarist and keyboardist. He is best known as a founding member of two highly influential bands, Joy Division and New Order. He is currently the lead vocalist of the band Bad Lieutenant, which formed in 2007.

Joy Division

Sumner was a founding member of Joy Division, a post-punk band formed in 1976. The band enjoyed moderate commercial success, but is widely considered one of the most influential bands of the era. Primarily known as the band's lead guitarist (his main guitars were a Gibson SG and a Shergold Custom Masquerader) Sumner also played keyboards for synth parts and made his first vocal appearance on record singing the chorus of "They Walked In Line" on the Warsaw album. In May 1980 the band's vocalist, Ian Curtis, committed suicide and Joy Division broke up.

New Order

Sumner and remaining bandmates Peter Hook and Stephen Morris started a new band named New Order, taking in Gillian Gilbert. Though Hook, Morris and Gilbert also contributed vocals on some early tracks, Sumner emerged as the band's permanent lead vocalist and lyricist.

Bad Lieutenant

In 2009, reported to be forming a band provisionally called - according to Sumner on a recent Sky Arts TV programme - Bad Lieutenant. The group includes fellow New Order member Phil Cunningham and Jake Evans of Rambo & Leroy. Stephen Morris of New Order and Blur bassist Alex James also perform on the band's debut album but are not members of the band. Their debut LP was released in October 2009 called Never Cry Another Tear.

Other music

In 1981, Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls released their last single Searching For Heaven, whose main song featured Sumner on guitar, although he wasn't credited in the sleeves of its 7" and 10" edition at the time.^[1]

In 1983 Sumner co-produced, with Donald Johnson, the band Foreign Press and 'The Great Divide'/'Love in a Strange Place'. EMI 5430 (12" 12EMI5430) Foreign Press (aka Emergency) had had a long history with Sumner through both Joy Division and New Order.

In 1989, Sumner joined up with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant to form Electronic. In 1990 he worked with former Factory Records labelmates A Certain Ratio remixing their song "Won't Stop Loving You". He has also recorded tracks with fellow Mancunians 808 State and Sub Sub. Sumner appeared as a guest vocalist (alongside Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie) on The Chemical Brothers' 1999 album Surrender, on the track "Out of Control", and in the 2005 Chemical Brothers show at the Brixton Academy, Sumner appeared live on stage as a special guest on this track. He recently lent vocals to a track ("Miracle Cure") on German trance outfit Blank & Jones 2008 release, "The Logic of Pleasure."

He has also done several remixes, such as Technotronic's "Rockin' Over the Beat" (which was featured in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III soundtrack) and served as a record producer for other Factory Records acts such as the Happy Mondays (whose second single Freaky Dancin' he produced in 1986) and Section 25.

Personal life

Sumner has used the surnames Dicken and Albrecht in the past and had always refused to explain why he has used different names. He's also been reluctant to discuss his family background. In 2007 it was revealed his mother had cerebral palsy and that he had been adopted by his stepfather John Dickin. Sumner was his mother's maiden name and is the name that appears on his birth certificate. The revelations about his past were made in a book about his life - Bernard Sumner: Confusion - Joy Division, Electronic and New Order Versus the World by David Nolan, published in 2007 - that Sumner co-operated with.

He is commonly known by the nickname "Barney," but he has said he is not fond of being called that. An early New Order bootleg credited him as "Barney Rubble."

Sumner lives in Alderley Edge, Cheshire with his second wife, Sarah.

He has three sons:

• James, 27, with his first wife Sue Barlow
• Tess, with his second wife Sarah
• Dylan,17, also with Sarah

Sumner is a fan of Manchester United football club.

Film

Sumner has been portrayed on film twice. John Simm played him in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, which focused on Factory Records. In the Ian Curtis biopic, Control, he is played by James Anthony Pearson.

Discography

(Singles featuring Bernard Sumner on guest vocals and/or guitar)

• 808 State - "Spanish Heart" (vocals, 1991)
• Sub Sub feat: Bernard Sumner - "This Time I'm Not Wrong" (vocals/guitar, 1997)
• Chemical Brothers - "Out Of Control" (vocals/guitar, 1999)
• Primal Scream - "Shoot Speed Kill Light" (guitar, 2000)
• Blank & Jones feat. Bernard Sumner - "Miracle Cure" (vocals, 2008)

Bibliography

• Bernard Sumner: Confusion - Joy Division, Electronic and New Order Versus the World, David Nolan, 30 August 2007

References

External links

• New Order & Joy Division site
• Short bio at JoyDiv.org
• Joy Division detailed discography
• Full list of recordings featuring or remixed by Bernard Sumner.