Marillion

Frontrunners in the short-lived UK progressive rock revival of the early '80s, Marillion survived unfavourable comparisons with Genesis to become a popular melodic rock group, notching up several successful singles which were often plucked from their grandiose concept albums. The group formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, originally as Silmarillion, a name taken from the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The group featured Doug Irvine (bass), Mick Pointer (b. 22 July 1956; drums), Steve Rothery (b. 25 November 1959, Brampton, South Yorkshire, England; guitar) and Brian Jelliman (keyboards). After recording the instrumental demo, The Web, the band recruited Fish (b. Derek William Dick, 25 April 1958, Dalkeith, Edinburgh, Scotland; vocals) and Diz Minnett (bass) and began building a strong following by almost continuous gigging. Before recording their debut, Market Square Heroes, Jelliman and Minnitt were replaced by Mark Kelly (b. 9 April 1961; keyboards) and Pete Trewavas (b. 15 January 1959, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, England; bass). Fish wrote all the lyrics for SCRIPT FOR A JESTER'S TEAR and became the focal point of the group, often appearing on stage in garish make-up, echoing the style, both visually and vocally, of Genesis' singer Peter Gabriel. In 1983, Pointer was sacked and replaced for brief stints by Andy Ward of Camel, then, John Marter and Jonathan Mover before the arrival of Ian Mosley (b. 16 June 1953, London, England), a veteran of many progressive rock bands, including Curved Air and the Gordon Giltrap Band.
Marillion's second album had a more straightforward hard- rock sound and yielded two hits, Assassin and Punch And Judy. 1985's MISPLACED CHILDHOOD was Marillion's biggest-selling album—surprisingly so, as it featured an elaborate concept, being virtually one continuous piece of music based largely on Fish's childhood experiences. Kayleigh, a romantic ballad extracted from this mammoth work, reached number 2 in the UK charts. By 1988, Fish was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the group's musical development, and he left to pursue a solo career. The live double album THIEVING MAGPIE was his last recorded output, and provided a fitting overview of the group's past successes. Marillion acquired Steve Hogarth (b. Doncaster, England), formerly of the Europeans, who made his debut on SEASONS END, proving himself equal to the daunting task of fronting a well-established band. 1991's follow-up HOLIDAYS IN EDEN found Marillion as popular as ever, with the ghost of Fish receding into the distance.