| Gillian Gilbert | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gillian Lesley Gilbert |
| Born | 27 January 1961 Whalley Range, Manchester, England |
| Instruments | Guitar, Keyboards |
| Associated acts | New Order The Other Two |
Gillian Gilbert (born Gillian Lesley Gilbert, 27 January 1961 in Whalley Range, Manchester, England) is a British keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, best known as a member of New Order and a founding member of The Other Two.
Biography
Gilbert's family moved from her birthplace Manchester to the nearby market town of Macclesfield when she was young. She has two sisters: Kim and Julie. In a 1987 New Order interview, Gilbert says that she disliked living in Cheshire as a teenager and wanted to live in Manchester when she grew up.
At the time Joy Division was active, Gilbert began dating the band's drummer, Stephen Morris. The rest of Joy Division included singer Ian Curtis, guitarist Bernard Sumner and bassist Peter Hook. Ian Curtis's death in May 1980 left a three-member band that named itself New Order. Wanting to complete their line-up with someone they knew well and whose musical skill and style was compatible with their own, New Order invited Gilbert to join the band during the early part of October 1980, as keyboardist and guitarist. She had already played with Joy Division a number of times, filling in for both Curtis and Sumner playing guitar. Gilbert's membership was suggested by band manager Rob Gretton. Gilbert's first live performance with New Order occurred at The Squat in Manchester on October 25, 1980.[1][2]
Gilbert's voice can be heard on several New Order tracks: the 1981 single "Procession"; the 1983 single "Confusion"; "Avalanche" from the album Republic on which she sang a single word, "faith"; "Doubts Even Here" from their first album, Movement, on which she provided a spoken-word background vocal; and "Someone Like You" from 2001's comeback album Get Ready[citation needed] (this last one disputed - backing vocal may be provided by Dawn Zee).
As New Order members Sumner and Hook had already produced music outside New Order, Gilbert and Morris formed their own band, The Other Two. The Other Two released its first single in 1991 and released two albums, in 1993 and 1999.
Gilbert and Morris were engaged in 1993 and married shortly afterward. Gilbert and Morris live in Rainow, outside Macclesfield. The couple has two daughters: Tilly and Grace. Their daughter Grace has Transverse Myelitis. Consequentially Gilbert has not toured with New Order since 2001 so that she care for her daughter.[3] She reasoned that it would be easier for the band to replace her instead of her husband.[4] In 2001 she was replaced by Phil Cunningham in New Order's line-up.
In 2007, Gilbert and Morris remixed two tracks for the Nine Inch Nails remixes album Year Zero Remixed.
References
- ^ Flowers, Claude. New Order + Joy Division: Dreams Never End. London: Omnibus Press, 1995. Pg. 46.
- ^ Johnson, Mark. An Ideal For Living: An History Of Joy Division. London: Bobcat Books, 1984. Pg. 74.
- ^ BBC - Radio 4 - Today at 50:50th Birthday - Stephen Morris
- ^ Gillian Gilbert - New Order Online - A New Order and Joy Division Web Site
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