Paul Weller
John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as
Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band
the Jam, alongside
Bruce Foxton and
Rick Buckler. The band gained significant critical and commercial success in the United Kingdom, and were the most influential band of the
mod revival of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Following the dissolution of the Jam at the end of 1982, Weller formed
the Style Council with
Mick Talbot, where he explored a wide variety of other musical styles, including pop, jazz, soul, hip hop, folk and classical. Although initially successful, the band's popularity declined in the late 1980s, leading them to break up in 1989. Weller began a solo career in the early 1990s, slowly re-establishing his commercial standing across his first four solo albums, ''
Paul Weller'' (1992), ''
Wild Wood'' (1993), ''
Stanley Road'' (1995) and ''
Heavy Soul'' (1997).
Although Weller has received international critical recognition as a singer, lyricist and guitarist, he is most famous in his native country, as his songwriting is rooted in
English society. Many of his songs with the Jam had lyrics about
working class life. He was the principal figure of the 1970s and 1980s mod revival, often referred to as
the Modfather, and an influence on many subsequent British
alternative rock and
Britpop artists, such as
Oasis. He has received four
Brit Awards, including Best British Male three times, and the
2006 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
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