Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter Name Paul Humphrey Years active 1978–present Role Singer-songwriter | Labels Ready Records Record label Ready Records Website PaulHumphrey.org Nephews Luke Humphrey | |
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Instruments Vocals, keyboards, piano, guitar Associated acts Blue Peter, Broken Arrow Parents Jack Humphrey, Sidney Humphrey Siblings Mark Humphrey, Andy Humphrey Genres New Wave, Pop music, Rock music Albums All Our Saturdays (1981–1986), To the Goddess Electricity, Cold War Night Life, Rational Youth, Early Singles | ||
Paul Humphrey is a Canadian singer/songwriter and musician who plays keyboards and guitar and is best known as the lead singer for the 1980s Canadian new wave band Blue Peter. Humphrey has also been the leader of The Paul Humphrey Band, The Monkey Tree, and Broken Arrow.
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Blue Peter
Blue Peter was founded by Humphrey and Chris Wardman in the late 1970s. Humphrey sang lead, and was known for his low-timbred singing, compared at times to that of David Bowie and Bryan Ferry, as well as his "suave" looks and dancing style. While a member of Blue Peter, he earned the Male Vocalist of the Year award at 1984's CASBY Awards (then known as The U-Knows), held by CFNY radio in Toronto. Humphrey and Blue Peter perform shows occasionally, often as part of "retro" events, such as the Juno Awards 40th Anniversary Concert Series held at the Horseshoe Tavern in January 2011.
Solo career
After stints with The Paul Humphrey Band and Monkey Tree, Humphrey formed Broken Arrow with Blue Peter bass player Ric Joudrey in 1997. Broken Arrow recorded and released two CDs, Bend (1997), and Four Ways to Centre (2000).
In 2007 Humphrey released a solo album, A Rumour of Angels, which he recorded with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. John Sakamoto selected People Let You Down from this album for mention in his Anti-Hit List in 2007, noting that the album's style was a significant departure from Humphrey's musical past. In 2008, Humphrey contributed vocals to Your Flight Tonight on ProCon's album Kingmaker.
Personal life
Humphrey comes from a musical family, and has three brothers who are also professional musicians; actor Mark Humphrey is a drummer, John Humphrey plays bass, and Andy Humphrey is a singer/songwriter/guitarist. His sister Lesley has modeled extensively. Early in his career Humphrey also made acting appearances in a few television series including Friday the 13th: The Series and Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.