Artist

As figurehead of gothic-rock innovators Bauhaus, Peter Murphy exuded a dramatic performance presence. Wielding a deep baritone voice that meshed well with the band’s glam and post-punk sounds, he was at times lowered to the stage while hanging upside down like a vampire bat. Born in 1957 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, Murphy worked as a printer's assistant before joining Bauhaus in 1978 alongside his childhood pal Daniel Ash. After the group split up in 1983, he teamed up with Japan bassist Mick Karn on the experimental and atmospheric Dalis Car before launching a solo career. His third album, 1989’s Deep, produced the modern-rock No. 1 “Cuts You Up” and established Murphy in the U.S. The 1992 LP Holy Smoke, released as he relocated to Istanbul, Turkey, produced another alternative-rock hit (the Bowie-esque electro-glam song “The Sweetest Drop”) and pointed to Murphy’s ability to draw on his gothic-rock past while continuing to evolve. Over the years, he has continued to balance increasingly ambitious solo work (2014’s thundering, symphonic Lion) with participation in several high-profile Bauhaus reunions.