Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971 in Billinge Higher End, Lancashire) is an English singer-songwriter. He is the lead singer of The Verve, an English rock band that he helped form in 1989.
He is also a solo artist in his own right and he is still scheduled to resume and continue with his solo career at some point in the future, despite being busy with newly reformed The Verve at present. Ashcroft grew up in Up Holland, Lancashire with his mother, who was a hairdresser, and his younger sisters. His father died when Richard was 11 as a result of a brain hemorrhage. Ashcroft soon fell under the influence of his stepfather, Doug (who incidentally was also called Ashcroft) who belonged to the Rosicrucians. While in Up Holland, Ashcroft was an avid football player. He still closely follows his favourite team, Manchester United. He has also admitted to cheering for Wigan Athletic, since he actually played for the youth team when he was young and they are geographically the closest professional team to where he grew up. Ashcroft's slightly misshapen nose can be credited to a broken nose he sustained playing football at school. At school, Ashcroft was said to have nicknames such as 'spliffhead' and he was also dubbed 'the cancer of the class'.
Discography
Studio albums
* Alone with Everybody (26 June 2000) (Hut Records) (#1 (UK) (Platinum)
* Human Conditions (21 October 2002) (Hut Records) (#3 (UK) (Gold)
* Keys to the World (23 January 2006) (Parlophone) (#2 (UK) (Platinum)
Singles
From Alone With Everybody
* "A Song for the Lovers" (3 April 2000) (#3 UK)
* "Money to Burn" (12 June 2000) (#17 UK)
* "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)" (11 September 2000) (#21 UK)
From Human Conditions
* "Check the Meaning" (7 October 2002) (#11 UK, #25 Europe)
* "Science of Silence" (6 January 2003) (#14 UK)
* "Buy It in Bottles" (7 April 2003) (#26 UK)
From Keys to the World
* "Break the Night With Colour" (9 January 2006) (#3 UK, #3 ITA, #12 Europe)
* "Music Is Power" (17 April 2006) (#20 UK)
* "Words Just Get in the Way" (10 July 2006) (#40 UK)
* "Why Not Nothing?" / "Sweet Brother Malcolm" (4 December 2006) (limited)
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