Feargal Sharkey
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Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Seán Feargal Sharkey Template:Post-nominals (born 13 August 1958) is a singer, and environmentalist from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was the lead vocalist of the punk band the Undertones in the 1970s and 1980s, and became a solo artist in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1985 solo single "A Good Heart" was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands. After becoming less musically active in the early 1990s, he has performed various roles supporting the UK's commercial music industry, winning several awards and honours for his work in that area.
Sharkey is also a lifelong fly fisherman, and has campaigned against the pollution of British rivers (particularly chalk streams). He is also the Chairman of the Amwell Magna Fishery. He has become a figurehead for the campaign to prevent water companies dumping sewage into UK waterways and coasts.
Biography
The Undertones (1975–1983)
Sharkey, who was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, joined the Undertones shortly after their formation in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> They had several UK hits, with songs such as "Teenage Kicks", "Here Comes The Summer", "My Perfect Cousin", "Wednesday Week" and "It's Going to Happen!". The band split in 1983 citing musical differences, with Sharkey pursuing a solo career and other members of the band forming That Petrol Emotion the following year.<ref>Teenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone Template:ISBN p. 214</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Assembly (1983)
Before his solo career took off, Sharkey was also the singer of the one-shot group The Assembly with ex-Yazoo and Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke (pre-Erasure). In 1983, their single "Never Never" was a No. 4 hit in the UK Singles Chart.
Solo career (1984–1991)
Sharkey's debut single was a collaboration with Madness member Cathal Smyth titled "Listen to Your Father". The single was released on Madness's label Zarjazz Records in 1984, reaching No. 23 in the UK chart.<ref name=uk/> The track was performed on Top of the Pops with members of Madness.
Sharkey's solo work was significantly different to the post-punk offerings of The Undertones. His best-known solo material is the 1985 UK chart-topping single penned by Lone Justice frontwoman Maria McKee, "A Good Heart", which went to No. 1 in several countries including the UK in late 1985. He also had a UK Top 5 hit in 1986 with "You Little Thief". His eponymous debut album reached No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart.<ref name=uk/>
Following on from his second album Wish in 1988, he achieved further success in 1991 with his UK Top 30 album Songs From The Mardi Gras, which produced the No. 12 hit single "I've Got News for You".
Music industry (1992–present)
Starting in the early 1990s Sharkey moved into the business side of the music industry, initially in A&R for Polydor Records, and then as managing director of EXP Ltd. He was appointed a member of the Radio Authority for five years from December 1998 to December 2003.
When the Undertones reunited in 1999, Sharkey was offered the opportunity to rejoin the group but turned down the offer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His position as lead vocalist/frontman for the Undertones was taken by fellow Derry native Paul McLoone.
Sharkey became chairman of the UK Government task force the 'Live Music Forum' in 2004, to evaluate the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on the performance of live music,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and gave public evidence before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on 11 November 2008.
In 2008, Sharkey was appointed as the CEO of British Music Rights, replacing Emma Pike.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2008, he became head of UK Music,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an umbrella organisation representing the collective interests of the UK's commercial music industry. He has become prominent in criticising the use of Form 696 by the Metropolitan Police' requiring event promoters to provide data on performers and audiences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sharkey resigned from UK Music on 11 November 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011, Sharkey made a one-off appearance in a set named Erasure + Special Guests, singing "Never Never". He stated that he had not sung live for 20 years and that Vince Clarke was the only person he would have returned for.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sharkey appeared on BBC Newcastle, interviewed by Simon Logan on the afternoon show on 7 August 2013. He spoke about his career and his decision to retire from the stage: "I've had an absolutely brilliant career... It's time to get off the stage and make room for [new artists]".Template:Citation needed
Awards and honours
In 2004, Sharkey was awarded the "Scott Piering Award", by the radio industry for "recognising achievement in the promotion of music and the understanding of the music industry to their colleagues in radio". He is the only member of the Radio Authority to have been honoured in this way by the radio industry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2006, he received the "Bottle Award" at the International Live Music Conference for "outstanding contribution to the live music industry".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2008, Sharkey was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts, by the University of Hertfordshire in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, he entered The Guardian's MediaGuardian 100, described as the "MediaGuardian's annual guide to the most powerful people in television, radio, newspapers, magazines, digital media, media business, advertising, marketing and PR", at number 56.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2010, he appeared in Wired's The Wired 100, "Who are the people who shape the Wired world," at number 45.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The same year he received a Doctor of Letters honoris causa from the University of Ulster in recognition of his services to music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sharkey was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to music.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
Environmental campaigning
Sharkey is a lifelong fly fisherman and has campaigned against the pollution of British rivers (particularly chalk streams),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the regulations of the water industry which affect British water resources.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He gave the keynote address at The Rivers Trust Autumn Conference 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 25 May 2019, Sharkey was the guest on BBC Radio 4 Ramblings<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with presenter Clare Balding. The featured walk was along the River Hogsmill on the south London-Surrey border which is a part of the London Loop. Sharkey was able to discuss his concerns for the state of the River Hogsmill, and other chalk streams.
On 30 August 2020, Sharkey appeared in episode 2 of the third series of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing to discuss the environmental pressures faced by Britain's chalk rivers, during a conversation beside the River Lea.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He reappeared on episode 6 of the fifth series of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing on 14 October 2022, and discussed pollution in English rivers including the Thames and Wye.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is Chairman of the Amwell Magna Fishery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He has subsequently become a figurehead for the campaign to prevent water companies dumping untreated sewage into UK waterways and coasts, appearing on television news coverage and gathering a large following on Twitter,<ref>Feargal Sharkey Twitter account </ref> as well as supporting The Times' campaign to "clean it up".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Hobbies
Sharkey holds the amateur radio callsign G0OAN.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK <ref name=uk>Template:Cite web</ref> |
AUS <ref name=aus>Australian chart peaks:
|
CAN <ref name="CAN Albums">Template:Cite web</ref> |
FIN <ref name="FIN">Template:Cite web</ref> |
GER <ref name=ger>German chart peaks:
|
NLD <ref name=ned>Template:Cite web</ref> |
NZ <ref name=nz>Template:Cite web</ref> |
SWE <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
SWI <ref name=swi>Template:Cite web</ref> |
US <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |||||
| Feargal Sharkey |
|
12 | 7 | 17 | 13 | 29 | 6 | 16 | — | 11 | 75 |
| ||
| Wish |
|
— | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | |||
| Songs from the Mardi Gras |
|
27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK <ref name=uk/> |
AUS <ref name=aus/> |
BEL <ref name="BEL">Template:Cite web</ref> |
CAN <ref name="CAN">Template:Cite web</ref> |
GER <ref name=ger/> |
IRE <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
ITA <ref name="ITA">Template:Cite web</ref> |
NLD <ref name=ned/> |
NZ <ref name=nz/> |
SWI <ref name=swi/> |
US <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | ||||
| "Listen to Your Father" | 1984 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" Template:Non-album singles | |
| "Loving You" | 1985 | 26 | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | ||
| "A Good Heart" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 74 | Feargal Sharkey | ||
| "You Little Thief" | 5 | 4 | 9 | — | 30 | 3 | — | 10 | 38 | 27 | — | |||
| "Someone to Somebody" | 1986 | 64 | 64 | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "It's All Over Now" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "More Love" | 1988 | 44 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | Wish | |
| "Out of My System" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "If This Is Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I've Got News for You" | 1991 | 12 | 193 | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | Songs from the Mardi Gras | |
| "Women & I" | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "To Miss Someone" | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Cry Like a Rainy Day" | 1991 | Songs from the Mardi Gras |
References
Further reading
External links
Template:Feargal Sharkey Template:The Undertones Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1958 births
- British music industry executives
- Male singers from Northern Ireland
- Pop singers from Northern Ireland
- Rock singers from Northern Ireland
- Living people
- Musicians from Derry (city)
- New wave musicians from Northern Ireland
- British male new wave singers
- Punk rock musicians from Northern Ireland
- The Undertones members
- The Assembly members
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Zarjazz artists
- Environmentalists from Northern Ireland
- 1970s in Irish music
- 1980s in Irish music
- 1990s in Irish music