View source for Bernard Sumner

{{Short description|English musician (born 1956)}}
{{refimprove BLP|date=March 2025}} 
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image             = New Order - Fête de l'Humanité 2012 - 013.jpg
<!-- NOTE: Do not replace New Order - Fête de l'Humanité 2012 - 013.jpg unless it is with a photo under a public domain or free license (meaning NOT fair use). Any fair use photos (i.e. 'promotional photos') violate the Fair Use Policy and will be deleted. See [[Wikipedia:Fair]] use criteria -->| alt               = Sumner playing a guitar and singing into a microphone onstage
| caption           = Sumner performing with [[New Order (band)|New Order]] in September 2012
| birth_name        = 
| alias             = {{hlist|Bernard Albrecht|Bernard Dicken|Barney}}
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1956|01|04|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = [[Manchester]], England
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[post-punk]]|[[new wave music|new&nbsp;wave]]|[[synth-pop]]
|[[electronica]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|musician|record producer}}<!--Please do not add to this list without first discussing your proposal on the talk page. -->
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|keyboards|synthesiser|melodica}}<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed or removed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument--->
| years_active      = 1973–present
| label             = {{hlist|[[Factory Records|Factory]]|[[London Records|London]]|[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]|[[Parlophone]]|[[Mute Records|Mute]]|Triple Echo}}
| current_member_of = [[New Order (band)|New Order]]
| past_member_of    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Joy Division]] <!-- 1977-1980 -->
* [[Electronic (band)|Electronic]] <!-- 1988-2001 -->
* [[Bad Lieutenant (band)|Bad Lieutenant]] <!-- 2008-2011 -->
}}
}}

'''Bernard Sumner''' (born 4 January 1956) is an English musician. He is a founding member of the bands [[Joy Division]], [[New Order (band)|New Order]], [[Electronic (band)|Electronic]], and [[Bad Lieutenant (band)|Bad Lieutenant]]. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the [[post-punk]], [[synth-pop]], and [[techno music|techno]] music scenes, as well as their various related genres, and was an early influence on the [[Manchester]] music scene that presaged the [[Madchester]] movement of the late 1980s centred on [[Factory Records]] and [[The Haçienda]] club in Manchester. He and drummer [[Stephen Morris (musician)|Stephen Morris]] are the only two continuous members of New Order, who have also appeared on all the band's albums. 

He began his career playing guitar and keyboards for Joy Division. Following lead singer [[Ian Curtis]]'s death, the remaining members of Joy Division formed New Order with Sumner taking on lead vocal duties. His complex electronic compositions became less guitar-driven and more focused on electronic keyboards, [[synthesizer]]s, and [[Programming (music)|programming]] throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He formed Electronic with [[Johnny Marr]] in the late 1980s as a creative outlet outside of New Order, which continued after New Order went on hiatus in 1993.  New Order became active again from 1998 through 2006, after which he returned to a more traditional rock context with the band Bad Lieutenant. He continues to record and perform with the latest iteration of New Order, which reformed in 2011.

==Early life and education ==
Bernard Sumner was born on 4 January 1956 in [[Crumpsall Hospital]] (now North Manchester General Hospital) in [[Manchester]], England. He has also used the surnames Dicken (similar to his stepfather's name Dickin) and Albrecht.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-johnny-marr-bernard-sumner-1107290.html|author-first1=Laurence|author-last1=Phelan|title=How we met: Johnny Marr & Bernard Sumner|date=18 July 1999|website=independent.co.uk|access-date=4 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043137/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-johnny-marr-bernard-sumner-1107290.html|archive-date=1 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joydiv.org/bernardsumner.htm|title=Bernard Sumner Biography – the early years|website=www.joydiv.org|access-date=4 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220060712/http://www.joydiv.org/bernardsumner.htm|archive-date=20 February 2016}}</ref>

Sumner was educated at [[Salford Grammar School]], before joining a company who did [[cartoon animation]]s for television.<ref name=joydiv.org />

==Career==
[[File:Barney2005.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sumner with New Order in NYC, 2005]]
Through his long career, Sumner has played music in many overlapping genres, including [[Rock music|rock]],<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://consequence.net/2014/07/joy-divisionnew-orders-bernard-sumner-to-release-autobiography/ | title=Joy Division/New Order's Bernard Sumner to release autobiography | website=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence of Sound]] | date=10 July 2014 | access-date=18 October 2015 | author=Coplan, Chris | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919070411/http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/07/joy-divisionnew-orders-bernard-sumner-to-release-autobiography/ | archive-date=19 September 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[synth-pop]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bernard-sumner-mn0000759339 | title=Bernard Sumner | publisher=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=18 October 2015 | author=Sutton, Michael | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018210717/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bernard-sumner-mn0000759339 | archive-date=18 October 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
[[electronica]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music-live-electronica-veterans-move-with-the-times-1044355.html | title=Music: Live: Electronica veterans move with the times | work=[[The Independent]]|publisher=ESL Media | date=23 October 2011 | access-date=18 October 2015 | author=James, Martin | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305151627/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music-live-electronica-veterans-move-with-the-times-1044355.html | archive-date=5 March 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
[[post-punk]], and [[new wave music|new&nbsp;wave]]. 

===Joy Division===
Sumner was a founding member of [[Joy Division]], formed at [[Salford]] in 1976. He and childhood friend [[Peter Hook]] both attended the fabled [[Sex Pistols]] concert at Manchester's [[Free Trade Hall]] on 4 June 1976 and whose music inspired them to perform together.<ref name="Mojo 1994">{{cite magazine |last=Savage |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Savage |date=July 1994 |title=Joy Division: Someone Take These Dreams Away |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]}}</ref> Widely considered one of the most influential [[Band (rock and pop)|band]]s of the era, Sumner was lead guitarist (his main guitars were a [[Gibson SG]] and a custom [[Shergold#History|Shergold Masquerader]]),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/Gibson-Recommends-Joy-Division.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131120825/http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/Gibson-Recommends-Joy-Division.aspx | archive-date=31 January 2013 | title=A Closer Look: Joy Division }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shergoldguitars.com/history.html|title=History|website=Shergoldguitars.com|access-date=4 September 2024}}</ref> as well as playing [[electronic keyboards]]<ref>Reynolds, Simon (2005). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. Penguin. {{ISBN|0-14-303672-6}}, p. 115</ref> and made his first vocal appearance on record singing the chorus of "Walked in Line" on the ''[[Warsaw (album)|Warsaw]]'' album.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/warsaw/they-walked-in-line-7bd5166c.html|title=Warsaw - They Walked in Line Songtext|website=Songtexte.com|access-date=4 September 2024}}</ref> In May 1980, after the suicide of its lead singer, [[Ian Curtis]], Joy Division disbanded.{{sfn|Curtis|1995|p=132}}

===New Order===
Sumner and remaining band members [[Peter Hook]] and [[Stephen Morris (musician)|Stephen Morris]] started a new band named [[New Order (band)|New Order]], joined by keyboardist [[Gillian Gilbert]] in October 1980.<ref>Savage, Jon. "Joy Division: Someone Take These Dreams Away." ''Mojo''. July 1994.</ref> Though Hook, Morris, and Gilbert also contributed vocals on some early tracks, Sumner emerged as the band's permanent singer and lyricist, alongside playing guitar and keyboards.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 

Through a series of splits and reformations, the band has released ten studio albums.{{when|date=March 2025}} Sumner and Morris are the only members to be part of every lineup.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 

===Electronic===
In 1989, Sumner joined up with former [[The Smiths|Smiths]] guitarist [[Johnny Marr]] to form [[Electronic (band)|Electronic]]. The [[Pet Shop Boys]]' [[Neil Tennant]] collaborated on two tracks on their debut [[Electronic (album)|eponymous album]], providing vocals.{{cn|date=March 2025}} Sumner was their singer, guitarist, keyboardist and lyricist. Electronic released two other albums until a quiet disband in 2001 for Sumner to focus his efforts on New Order.{{cn|date=March 2025}} Sumner occasionally appears to sing Electronic songs at Marr's concerts.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 

===Bad Lieutenant===
[[Bad Lieutenant (band)|Bad Lieutenant]] included fellow New Order member [[Phil Cunningham (rock musician)|Phil Cunningham]] and Jake Evans of Rambo & Leroy. Stephen Morris of New Order and [[Blur (band)|Blur]] bassist [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]] also performed on the band's debut album. Sumner provided vocals, guitar and lyrics. Bad Lieutenant disbanded after New Order reformed in 2011.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 

===Other projects===
In 1981, [[Pauline Murray]] and [[The Invisible Girls]] released their last single "[[Searching for Heaven]]", which included a guitar solo by Sumner, although he was not credited in the sleeves of its 7" and 10" edition at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Pauline-Murray-And-The-Invisible-Girls-Untitled/release/685055|title=Pauline Murray And Invisible Girls, The – Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls|date=August 1993 |publisher=Discogs.com|access-date=29 September 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423234738/http://www.discogs.com/Pauline-Murray-And-The-Invisible-Girls-Untitled/release/685055|archive-date=23 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://lesdisquesducrepuscule.com/pauline_murray.html|title = Pauline Murray \ Biography|date = September 2014|access-date = 3 October 2014|website = Les Disques du Crépuscule|last = Nice|first = James|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141006095425/http://lesdisquesducrepuscule.com/pauline_murray.html|archive-date = 6 October 2014|df = dmy-all}}</ref> In 1983, Sumner co-produced, with Donald Johnson, the single "The Great Divide"/"Love in a Strange Place" by the band Foreign Press. Foreign Press (aka Emergency) had had a long history with Sumner through both Joy Division and New Order.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 

In 1990, he worked with former [[Factory Records]] label mates [[A Certain Ratio]], remixing their song "Won't Stop Loving You". He has also recorded tracks with fellow Mancunians [[808 State]] and [[Sub Sub]].{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} Sumner appeared as guest singer and guitarist (alongside [[Primal Scream]]'s [[Bobby Gillespie]]) on [[The Chemical Brothers]]' 1999 album ''[[Surrender (The Chemical Brothers album)|Surrender]]'', on the track "[[Out of Control (The Chemical Brothers song)|Out of Control]]"; and in a 2005 Chemical Brothers show at the [[Brixton Academy]], Sumner appeared live onstage as a special guest on this track.{{cn|date=March 2025}} He has also lent vocals and guitar to a track ("Miracle Cure") on German trance outfit [[Blank & Jones]] 2008 release, "[[The Logic of Pleasure]]",{{cn|date=March 2025}} and appeared on the Primal Scream track "Shoot Speed Kill Light" from their 2000 album ''[[XTRMNTR]]''.{{cn|date=March 2025}} 

He has produced several [[remix]]es for tracks such as [[Technotronic]]'s "[[Rockin' Over the Beat]]" (which was featured in the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III]]'' soundtrack).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-3-mw0000881129|title=Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|publisher=Allmusic|language=English|date=1993|accessdate=December 27, 2015}}</ref> He served as a record producer and/or songwriter for other [[Factory Records]] acts, including [[Happy Mondays]], [[Shark Vegas]], [[Abecedarians (band)|Abecedarians]], [[52nd Street (band)|52nd Street]]{{cn|date=March 2025}} and [[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]].

==Personal life==
Sumner married Sue Barlow on 28 October 1978 but they later divorced.<ref name=joydiv.org>{{cite web|url=http://www.joydiv.org/members.htm|title=Short bio at JoyDiv.org|publisher=Joydiv.org|access-date=29 September 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106202306/http://www.joydiv.org/members.htm|archive-date=6 November 2014}}</ref>

== In film ==
Sumner was portrayed by [[John Simm]] in the 2002 film ''[[24 Hour Party People]]'' and [[James Pearson (actor)|James Anthony Pearson]] in the 2007 film ''[[Control (2007 film)|Control]]''.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

==Discography==

===Joy Division===
{{Main|Joy Division discography}}
* ''[[Unknown Pleasures]]'' (1979)
*''[[Closer (Joy Division album)|Closer]]'' (1980)

===New Order===
{{Main|New Order discography}}
*''[[Movement (New Order album)|Movement]]'' (1981)
*''[[Power, Corruption & Lies]]'' (1983)
*''[[Low-Life]]'' (1985)
*''[[Brotherhood (New Order album)|Brotherhood]]'' (1986)
*''[[Technique (album)|Technique]]'' (1989)
*''[[Republic (album)|Republic]]'' (1993)
*''[[Get Ready (New Order album)|Get Ready]]'' (2001)
*''[[Waiting for the Sirens' Call]]'' (2005)
*''[[Lost Sirens]]'' (2013)
*''[[Music Complete]]'' (2015)

===Electronic===
{{Main|Electronic (band)|l1 = Electronic discography}}
* ''[[Electronic (album)|Electronic]]'' (1991)
*''[[Raise the Pressure]]'' (1996)
*''[[Twisted Tenderness]]'' (1999)

===Bad Lieutenant===
* ''[[Never Cry Another Tear]]'' (2009)

===Collaborations===
*[[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]] – "Sakura" (keyboards, 1982)
* [[52nd Street (band)|52nd Street]] – "Look into My Eyes" (synthesizer, production, 1982)
* [[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]] – "Back To Wonder" / "Beating Heart" (production, 1983)
* [[Quando Quango]] – "Love Tempo" (production, 1983)
* [[The Durutti Column]] – "I Get Along Without You Very Well" / "Prayer" (production, 1983)
* [[A Certain Ratio]] – "I Need Someone Tonite" (synthesizer, 1983)
* [[52nd Street (band)|52nd Street]] – "Cool As Ice" / "Twice As Nice" (synthesizer, production, 1983)
* [[Paul Haig]] – "[[The Only Truth (song)|The Only Truth]]" (guitar, production, 1984)
* [[Marcel King]] – "Reach For Love" / "Keep On Dancing" (synthesizer, production, 1984)
* [[Quando Quango]] – "2 From Quando" (production, 1984)
* [[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]] – ''[[From the Hip (Section 25 album)|From The Hip]]'' (composer{{Efn|Composer on the tracks "The Process" and "Inspiration".|name=|group=upper-alpha}}, production, 1984)
* [[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]] – "Looking From A Hilltop (Restructure)" (synthesizer, production, 1984)
* [[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]] – "Crazy Wisdom" (production, 1985)
* [[Shark Vegas]] – "You Hurt Me" (guitar, production, 1985)
* [[Paul Haig]] – "Love and War" (guitar, 1986)
* [[Section 25 (band)|Section 25]] – "Bad News Week" (production, 1987)
* [[A Certain Ratio]] – "Good Together" (backing vocals, 1989)
* [[Technotronic]] - "[[Rockin' Over the Beat]]" (synthesizer, production, 1989)
* [[The Beat Club]] – "Security (Remix)" (vocals, production, 1990)
* [[Banderas (duo)|Banderas]] – "This Is Your Life" (backing vocals, guitar, 1991)
* [[808 State]] – "Spanish Heart" (vocals, 1991)
* [[Sub Sub]] – "This Time I'm Not Wrong" (vocals, guitar, 1997)
* [[The Chemical Brothers]] – "[[Out of Control (The Chemical Brothers song)|Out of Control]]" (vocals, guitar, 1999)
* [[Primal Scream]] – "Shoot Speed Kill Light" (guitar, 2000)
* [[Gwen Stefani]] – "[[The Real Thing (Gwen Stefani song)|The Real Thing]]" (backing vocals, 2004)
* [[Blank & Jones]] – "Miracle Cure" (vocals, guitar, 2008)

==Bibliography==
* Curtis, Deborah (1995). Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division. London: Faber. {{ISBN|0-5711-7445-0}}.
* ''Bernard Sumner: Confusion – Joy Division, Electronic and New Order Versus the World'', [[David Nolan (British author)|David Nolan]], 2007
* ''Chapter and Verse – New Order, Joy Division and Me'', Bernard Sumner, 2014

=== Notes ===
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Curtis |first=Deborah |author-link=Deborah Curtis |year=1995 |title=[[Touching from a Distance]]: Ian Curtis and Joy Division |location=London |publisher=[[Faber and Faber|Faber]] |isbn=0-5711-7445-0 }}
{{Commons category|Bernard Sumner}}

==External links==
*{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=mn0000759339}}
*{{discogs artist}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0838858|name=Bernard Sumner}}
*[http://www.neworderonline.com New Order Online] – semi-official website, endorsed by the band

{{New Order}}
{{Joy Division}}
{{Electronic (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumner, Bernard}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English alternative rock musicians]]
[[Category:English synth-pop new wave musicians]]
[[Category:English male new wave singers]]
[[Category:English new wave singers]]
[[Category:British alternative rock singers]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:British alternative rock guitarists]]
[[Category:English lead guitarists]]
[[Category:English male guitarists]]
[[Category:English rock keyboardists]]
[[Category:English male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:English record producers]]
[[Category:Joy Division members]]
[[Category:New Order (band) members]]
[[Category:English post-punk musicians]]
[[Category:Electronic (band) members]]
[[Category:English tenors]]
[[Category:English lyricists]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
[[Category:21st-century English singers]]
[[Category:English male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English writers]]
[[Category:Ivor Novello Award winners]]
[[Category:Musicians from Salford]]
[[Category:People educated at Salford Grammar School]]
[[Category:People from Broughton, Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:People from Alderley Edge]]
[[Category:Musicians from Cheshire]]