Biography
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Born
21 February 1969 (age 55)
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Born In
Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales, United Kingdom
James Dean Bradfield (Pontypool, Wales, 21 February 1969) is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the celebrated Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, which he co-formed in 1986. Regarded by many fans as one of the most talented and overlooked guitarists of his generation, he was due to be named "Clint Eastwood Bradfield" after his father's favourite actor, but due to a compromise with James' mother, was named for another famous actor.
On 27 April 2006, a track from Bradfield's debut solo album entitled "That's No Way To Tell a Lie" premiered on Janice Long's show on Radio 2.
Bradfield played three dates in late May 2006 (Manchester Roadhouse, King Tut's Glasgow and London Barfly) to offer fans a chance to preview his new solo material. He also played a couple of Manic Street Preachers songs such as "Ocean Spray" (to which he contributed the lyrics, a first for him), as well as "This Is Yesterday".
Released as a single on the 10th July 2006, "That's No Way To Tell a Lie" charted at number 18.
His solo album "The Great Western" was released on Columbia Records on 24th July 2006 and reached number 22 in the Album Chart. He also has enlisted the help of Super Furry Animals drummer Daf Ieuen to provide drums for the track "Run Romeo Run". Manic Street Preachers bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire provides lyrics for the track "Bad Boys and Painkillers". The album also includes a cover of Jacques Brel's "To See a Friend In Tears".
He also wrote the score for the August 2016 horror film The Chamber, which was released as a soundtrack album in March 2017. It is his first (and so far only) foray into movie soundtracks.
After well over a decade, Bradfield announced his second solo album entitled "Even In Exile", based on the life of Chilean artist Víctor Jara, to be released in August of 2020.
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