John Johnson (musician)

Simply Red
Lead singer, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red.
Background information
Origin	Manchester, England
Genres	Pop,soul,blue-eyed soul,sophisti-pop
Years active	1985–2010 2015–present
Labels	Elektra, East West
Website	www.simplyred.com
Members	Mick Hucknall Ian Kirkham Steve Lewinson Kenji Suzuki Kevin Robinson Dave Clayton Roman Roth
Past members	See below

Simply Red are a British soul/pop band which formed in 1985 in Manchester. The lead singer of the band is the singer/songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band was disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since the release of their debut studio album Picture Book (1985), they have had ten songs reach top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, including "Holding Back the Years" and "If You Don't Know Me by Now", both of which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. They have had five number one albums in the UK, with their 1991 album, Stars, one of the best-selling albums in UK Chart history.

At the 1992 and 1993 Brit Awards, they received the award for Best British Group. They received three Grammy Award nominations: for Best New Artist in 1987, and "Holding Back the Years" and "If You Don't Know Me by Now" for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. The band re-formed in 2015. Simply Red have sold over 50 million records worldwide.

Simply Red's origination dates from a 1976 Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. Manchester art student Mick Hucknall was one of the few young music fans present, along with Mark E. Smith of The Fall as well as original members of the bands Joy Division, The Smiths and Buzzcocks. The first incarnation of the band was a punk group called The Frantic Elevators, whose seven-year run produced limited releases on local labels and ended in 1984 upon critical acclaim for their final single, "Holding Back the Years".