Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg was born in December 1957. When punk rock hit the music scene, Bragg formed his first bank, Riff Raff. Following their demise, he spent a brief spell in the British Army before emerging as a solo performer in 1983. His back-to-basics, stripped-down style earned him many admirers, among them Kirsty MacColl, who had a top ten hit with his song 'A New England'. Bragg's radical views saw him become a fixture at political rallies and benefits, particularly during the 1984 Miners' Strike.

He was a founder of Red Wedge - an artist-led initiative to encourage young people to vote Labour in the 1987 General Election. He has release ten albums, the most recent being England, Half English.

Billy lives in Dorset with his partner and their son and is still writing songs and challenging our elected politicians.