Paul Heaton is one of the most successful and acclaimed British pop
songwriters to have emerged from the 1980s. His ability to write catchy
tunes with lyrics that are both humorous and melancholic has earned him
comparisons with Morrissey.
He came to prominence in The Housemartins, who scored a number three
hit in 1986 with "Happy Hour" and achieved a number one single with
"Caravan of Love". He then went on to even greater success in The
Beautiful South, who achieved a number two single with their 1989
debut, "Song For Whoever", followed by "You Keep It All In", which went
to number eight. They went on to become one of the most consistent
chart bands of the 1990s. They had a number one single with "A Little
Time", and their other top ten singles were "Rotterdam", "Don't Marry
Her" and "Perfect 10". Their albums Blue Is The Colour and Quench
topped the album chart, as did the compilation Carry On Up The Charts.
The band split in 2007 and had sold an estimated 15 million albums
during their career.
In 2014, Heaton reunited with his former Beautiful South bandmate
Jacqui Abbott to release a new album, What
Have We Become?.
As well as his songwriting, Heaton is known for his avowed left-wing
political views. He was interviewed on Sky News following the death of
Margaret Thatcher in 2013. He
is also not afraid to criticise other musicians; What Have We Become?
includes a song, "When I Get Back to Blighty", with the lyric
"Phil Collins must die".
