Biography

Reading, England-based indie pop outfit Blueboy were led by singer Keith Girdler and guitarist Paul Stewart, who previously teamed in the little-known Feverfew. Upon recording the first Blueboy demo in a friend's shed, the duo sent a copy of the song "Clearer" to the famed Sarah Records label, which agreed to release the track as a single in the fall of 1991; with the subsequent additions of second guitarist Harvey Williams (of Field Mice/Another Sunny Day fame), singer/cellist Gemma Townlet, bassist Mark, and drummer Lloyd, the group returned in mid-1992 with "Popkiss," soon followed by the full-length If Wishes Were Horses. Resurfacing the following year with the singles "Meet Johnny Rave" and "Some Gorgeous Accident," Blueboy issued their second LP, Unisex, in the spring of 1994; soon after Mark and Lloyd left the band, with Townlet assuming bass duties and Martin Rose signing on to play drums for the 1995 single "Dirty Mags." When Sarah folded later that year, label co-owner Matt Haynes formed the new Shinkansen imprint, bringing Blueboy with him to release 1996's "Love Yourself"; by this time the lineup was again reduced to the original duo of Girdler and Stewart, with vocalist Cath Close, bassist James Neville, and drummer Ian Gardner completing the lineup for 1998's The Bank of England, the band's final release. Girdler and Stewart also recorded as Arabesque and later Beaumont. Diagnosed with cancer in 2004, Keith Girdler died of the disease on May 15, 2007. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi