Suggs

Born in Hastings on January 13, 1961, Graham McPherson is most known as Suggs, nicknamed after jazz musician Peter Suggs. As front man of Madness, Suggs helped meld together Jamaican ska and British rock to send a generation of skinheads into pogo-ing mayhem with some of the biggest pop hits of the 1980s. The band split in 1986, but Suggs bounced back into the charts with his debut solo album The Lone Ranger (1995) and the Top 10 hits "I'm Only Sleeping" (originally by The Beatles) and "Cecilia" (originally by Simon and Garfunkel). A huge Chelsea Football Club fan, he recorded "Blue Day" as their official 1997 FA Cup song before collaborating with ragga star General Levy and trombonist Rico Rodriquez for second album The Three Pyramids Club (1998). Madness released their first album in 14 years in 1999 and Suggs went on to make a name as radio and television host, act in films and on stage and generally become regarded as a loveable cockney celebrity and all round British institution. In 2022, he collaborated with Paul Weller for the hit single "Ooh Do U Fink U R", which peaked at number one on the UK's Physical Singles Sales Official chart.