Edwyn Collins

A star of the 1980s as lead singer with Scottish indie band Orange Juice, Edwyn Collins made a heroic comeback as a solo act in the 2000s after suffering a brain haemorrhage. Born in Edinburgh, he formed his first band Nu-Sonics in 1976 (with Alan Duncan, James Kirk and Steven Daly) which, three years later, transmuted into Orange Juice, struck it big in 1983 with the Top 10 UK single "Rip It Up" and had best-selling albums with You Can't Hide Your Love Forever and Rip It Up. They were noted for their kitsch lyrics and insistent melodies, but internal disputes meant that by 1984, there were only two members of Orange Juice left: Edwyn Collins and Zeke Manyika. who were joined by various guest musicians to record their fourth and last album The Orange Juice, produced by Dennis Bovell. Edwyn Collins then embarked on a solo career, releasing several albums, and had a hit in both the UK and US in 1994 with "A Girl Like You." His songs subsequently featured in various movies, including The Secretary and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and he also produced albums for various artists, including The Proclaimers, The Cribs, Space and A House. In 2005, he suffered a life-threatening cerebral brain haemorrhage, yet despite the appalling debilitating effects, he slowly fought his way back to record a well-received comeback album Losing Sleep (2010), while also collaborating with his wife Grace Maxwell on a book and TV documentary about his illness and recovery. He kept the music coming, with 2013's Understated album reaching number 66 in the UK and 2019's Badbea reaping critical acclaim across the board. That same year, he worked on the soundtrack for British comedy-drama film Sometimes Always Never with guitarist Sean Read. In 2025, he released the new album Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation.