MJ Hibbett

Last updated

MJ Hibbett, November 2004. Mj-Hibbett-2004.jpeg
MJ Hibbett, November 2004.

Mark John ("MJ") Hibbett (born 19 June 1970) is an English guitarist singer-songwriter, often compared to Billy Bragg [1] [2] and Richard Digance.

With his band The Validators, Hibbett came to widespread online notice in 2000 with "Hey Hey 16K", an ode to the ZX Spectrum and other home microcomputers of the 1980s. The song gained larger acclaim when an animated music video for the track, created by Rob Manuel, was released in 2004. [3] Hibbett later collaborated with Manuel, who directed the music video for his song "The Gay Train". [4]

In 2004, Hibbett gained national exposure in the United Kingdom, on the Steve Lamacq show on BBC 6 Music, by regularly performing "The Fair Play Trophy (Again)", a song whose lyrics were updated for each rendition to reflect the then-ongoing events of the UEFA European Football Championship.

Hibbett's songs have mostly been released on his own record label, Artists Against Success. He is an advocate of the ukulele, which he has used for solo performances. [5]

Hibbett lives and works in London, where he is employed as a database administrator. He holds master's degrees from City University and De Montfort University and attended Deacon's School. He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy at the University of the Arts London [6] in comics studies, focusing on Doctor Doom. This was later published by SpringerLink in 2024 as Data and Doctor Doom: An Empirical Approach To Transmedia Characters (ISBN 978-3-031-45175-1).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukulele</span> Musical instrument of the guitar family

The ukulele, also called a uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beenie Man</span> Jamaican dancehall deejay

Moses Anthony Davis OD, professionally known as Beenie Man, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Johnson</span> British artist, musician, and writer (born 1960)

William "Holly" Johnson is an English artist, musician, and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he was a bassist for the band Big in Japan. In 1989, Johnson's debut solo album, Blast, reached number one in the UK albums chart. Two singles from the album – "Love Train" and "Americanos" – reached the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart. In the 1990s, he also embarked on writing, painting, and printmaking careers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jools Holland</span> English musician and television personality (born 1958)

Julian Miles Holland is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Joss Stone, Jayne County, Tom Jones, José Feliciano, Sting, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Ringo Starr, Bono, Rod Stewart and Ruby Turner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Libertines</span> English rock band

The Libertines are an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, has also included John Hassall (bass), and Gary Powell (drums) for most of its recording career. The band was part of the garage rock revival and spearheaded the movement in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Crumit</span> American singer

Frank Crumit was an American singer, composer, radio entertainer and vaudeville star. He shared his radio programs with his wife, Julia Sanderson, and the two were sometimes called "the ideal couple of the air."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keane (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Keane are an English alternative rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. The band comprises Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley, Richard Hughes and Jesse Quin. Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MF Doom</span> British-American rapper (1971–2020)

Daniel Dumile, also known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom, was a British-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and "supervillain" stage persona, he became a major figure of underground hip hop and alternative hip hop in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Shimabukuro</span> American musician (born 1976)

Jake Shimabukuro is a ukulele virtuoso and composer from Hawaii known for his fast and complex finger work. His music combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, classical, folk, and flamenco. Shimabukuro has written numerous original compositions, including the entire soundtracks to two Japanese films, Hula Girls (2007) and Sideways (2009), the Japanese remake of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Wolf</span> English singer-songwriter

Patrick Wolf is an English singer-songwriter from South London. Wolf uses a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano, and viola. He is known for combining electronic sampling with classical instruments. Wolf's styles range from electronic pop to Baroque chamber music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain</span> English musical ensemble exclusively featuring musicians with a range of ukuleles

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) is a British musical ensemble founded in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux. The orchestra features ukuleles of various sizes and registers from soprano to bass. The UOGB is best known for performing musically faithful but often tongue-in-cheek covers of popular songs and musical pieces from a wide variety of music genres taken "from the rich pageant of western music". The songs are often performed with a reinterpretation, sometimes with a complete genre twist, or well known songs from multiple genres are seamlessly woven together. Songs are introduced with light hearted deadpan humour, and juxtaposition is a feature of their act, the members of the orchestra wear semi-formal evening dress and sit behind music stands, in a parody of a classical ensemble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowboy Style</span> 1998 single by Kylie Minogue

"Cowboy Style" is a song recorded by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, for her sixth studio album Impossible Princess (1997). The song was released as the fourth and final single in Australia only on 5 October 1998 through Mushroom Records. Minogue wrote the track with Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman while Brothers in Rhythm produced it. Backed by guitars, synthesisers and drum instruments, "Cowboy Style" is a Celtic pop track in which Minogue sings about her relationship with her then-boyfriend, French director Stephane Sednaoui. Critical response to "Cowboy Style" was positive, with praise driven to Minogue's songwriting and the song's composition; some critics highlighted it as a career stand-out track. Released in Australia and New Zealand, the song charted at number 39 on the Australian Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitin Sawhney</span> British musician (born 1964)

Nitin Sawhney is a British musician, producer and composer. A recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, among multiple international awards throughout his career. Sawhney's work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics, and spirituality. Sawhney is also active in the promotion of arts and cultural matters, is chair of the PRS Foundation, sits on the board of trustees of theatre company Complicité, and is a patron of numerous film festivals, venues, and educational institutions. In 2021, he was an ambassador for the Royal Albert Hall.

<i>Venus Doom</i> 2007 studio album by HIM

Venus Doom is the sixth studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. The album was recorded at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki with producers Hiili Hiilesmaa and Tim Palmer, both whom had collaborated with the band on various occasions, and released on 14 September 2007. During the making of Venus Doom, HIM was struggling with the personal problems of their vocalist Ville Valo. Among other things, his alcohol abuse had worsened to the point that he suffered a nervous breakdown during the recording process, after which he was admitted to the Promises Rehabilitation Clinic in Malibu by HIM's manager Seppo Vesterinen. Musically the album has been described as HIM's heaviest and darkest album to date, with influences from bands such as My Dying Bride, Anathema and Paradise Lost. Much of the album's lyrical themes and heaviness were inspired by Valo's personal difficulties, including his break-up with fiancé Jonna Nygrén.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay Bar (song)</span> 2003 single by Electric Six

"Gay Bar" is a song by American rock band Electric Six. Written by band member Tyler Spencer, under the pseudonym Dick Valentine, it was released on June 2, 2003, as the second single from their debut studio album, Fire (2003). While both the song and music video received significant airplay, lyrics mentioning war were edited due to their possibly offensive nature, since the song made its air debut at the start of the Iraq War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey, Soul Sister</span> 2009 single by Train

"Hey, Soul Sister" is a song by American rock band Train. It was written by lead singer Pat Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Krule</span> English singer-songwriter, musician, and producer

Archy Ivan Marshall, also known by his stage name King Krule, among other names, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, rapper and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chameleon Circuit (band)</span> English rock band

Chameleon Circuit were an English rock band known for creating music inspired by the British television series Doctor Who. Composed of popular UK YouTube vloggers and Doctor Who fans, the band released their self-titled debut album on 1 June 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Smith (singer)</span> English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Daniel Campbell Smith is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as the founder, lead singer and primary songwriter of the English pop rock band Bastille. The band formed in 2010 and gained mass popularity in 2013 when the song "Pompeii" was released with their album Bad Blood. The band then released their second album, Wild World in September 2016. In June 2019, the band released their third album Doom Days. In February 2022, they released their fourth album Give Me the Future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidan Laprete</span> American singer and musician (born 2001)

Aidan James Laprete Powell is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. As an actor, he is known for his recurring role as Henry Tanaka in The Wilds.

References

  1. Web Watch, Dave Green, The Guardian, 21 August 2003.
  2. The Fuzztival: Oh, what a night!, Alex Hodgson, BBC South Yorkshire, 15 November 2003.
  3. Hey Hey 16K song, video and history.
  4. The Gay Train video at YouTube.
  5. MJ Hibbett YouTube channel, with ukulele performances of songs including "A Million Ukeleles".
  6. @MJHibbett (23 March 2022). "It's official - I am now a Doctor of Doctor Doom!" (Tweet) via Twitter.