Highly distinctive singer/songwriter, born July 30th, 1958. She was signed to EMI at age 16 after being recommended by David Gilmour, and in 1978 (at age 19) her debut single "Wuthering Heights" reached #1 in four countries. She has maintained a large cult following ever since, typically releasing new material between periods of 2 to 4 years (from 1978 to 1993), though in 1995 she disappeared from public view altogether in order to devote time to her family.November 2005 saw the release of her newest album in 12 years ("Aerial"), which was preceded by the single "King Of The Mountain"; since then she has stated that "Aerial" is not meant to be her last work and that she wishes to continue writing and recording.
Whilst learning the violin and piano at St. Joseph's Convent Grammar, she caught the ear of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour who funded some demos, ultimately leading to a deal with EMI (Pink Floyd's ultimate record company through the progressive Harvest imprint) when she was sixteen. Over the next two years EMI allowed her ? either to allow her to hone her talents or so she wouldn't be offered a contract by another record company ? to finish school without releasing any material. Bush's first releases were in 1978 when she released the single Wuthering Heights (which went to number 1 in the UK, a first for a female singer/songwriter) followed by the album The Kick Inside.
Even from her earliest works, featuring piano as a primary instrument, Bush wove together many diverse influences, melding classical music, rock, and a wide range of ethnic and folk sources, producing a unique amalgam which has continued throughout her career. Later recordings have moved farther from a rock base, however, notably with the release of The Dreaming in 1982, where she experimented heavily with the then-new technology of sampling.
More than one reviewer has used the term "surreal" to describe much of her music, for many of the songs have a melodramatic emotional and musical surrealism that defies easy categorization. It has been observed that even the more joyous pieces are often tinged with traces of melancholy, and even the most sorrowful have elements of a unique vitality struggling against all that would oppress it. Her unapologetic use of her voice as an instrument conveying a broad range of emotional intensity and subtlety has characterized nearly all of her work.
Kate Bush has tackled sensitive and taboo subjects long before it had become fashionable to do so; "Kashka From Baghdad" is a song about a gay male couple; "Breathing" explores the results of nuclear fallout. Her lyrics are often literate and reference a wide array of subject matter, some of which is relatively obscure, such as Wilhelm Reich in "Cloudbusting", or G.I. Gurdjieff in "Them Heavy People".
The lush arrangements, complex production and intelligent, thoughtful lyrics found in her work can sometimes mask the fact that Kate Bush is a peculiarly witty writer and that comedy is not only a big influence on her ? she has cited Monty Python, Woody Allen, Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones as particular favourites ? but also a significant component of her work. In addition to her British peers, Bush has reportedly cited American musicians Frank Zappa and Devo as musical influences, both of who's work are heavily influenced by humor.
As a vocalist, she has also provided backing vocals or duets with Peter Gabriel, Roy Harper, Big Country and others. She is often cited as an influence on later artists, most especially female singers such as Jane Siberry, Happy Rhodes and Tori Amos as well as others.
Kate Bush has collected two Ivor Novello awards ? in 1979 'Outstanding British Lyric' for "The Man With the Child in His Eyes" and 'Outstanding Contribution To British Music As A Songwriter' in 2002. In 1987 she scooped 'Best British Female Artist' at the Brit Awards. In 2001, Kate won Q Magazine's 'Classic Songwriter' award, revealing an unlikely fan in John Lydon who announced, in his acceptance speech for the 'Inspirational Artist Award,' "I'd like to say hello to Kate Bush, thank you, your music is f****ng brilliant".
Kate's song "Running Up That Hill", from the 1985 album Hounds Of Love, has been covered by Placebo on a number of dates during their 2006 tour. The Futureheads, released a version of Kate's "Hounds Of Love" as a single, which did rather well.
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From Wikipedia:Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush; 30 July 1958) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years. Bush was signed by EMI at the age of 16 after being recommended by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. In 1978, at age 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut song "Wuthering Heights", becoming the first woman to have a UK number-one with a self-written song and was the most photographed woman in the United Kingdom that year.
After her 1979 tour?the only concert tour of her career?Bush released the 1980 album Never for Ever, which made her the first British solo female artist to top the UK album charts and the first female artist ever to enter the album chart at No. 1. In 1987, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Solo Artist. She has released nine albums, three of which topped the UK Albums Chart, and has had UK Top 10 hit singles with "Wuthering Heights", "Running Up That Hill", "King of the Mountain", "Babooshka", "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" and "Don't Give Up".
In 2002, Bush's songwriting ability was recognised with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. In 2005 she released Aerial, her first album in 12 years. The album earned her a BRIT Award nomination for Best Album and another for Best Solo Female Artist. During the course of her career, she has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards.