- Born
- Birth nameNeil Francis Tennant
- Height5′ 10½″ (1.79 m)
- Neil Francis Tennant was born on July 10th in North Shields, Northumberland. In 1975, Neil plays in a group in Newcastle called Dust: Their most popular song is a preposterous affair he has written called "Can you hear the dawn break?". They are heavily influenced by The Incredible String Band. "We were convinced we would become terribly famous. It was a very kind of stoned seventies but we used to think it was absolutely brilliant at the time".
After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil took a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviewed comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely pointed out that his tape recorder wasn't working. In 1977 he worked at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joined Smash Hits.
On August 19th 1981, Neil and Chris Lowe met by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they had a common interest in dance music, they began to write together. To begin with they called themselves West End; later they came up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who worked in a pet shop in Ealing.
- IMDb mini biography by: J.Y.G
- In 1984, while still working as a music critic, he wrote a scathing review of the single "Walk Through the Fire" by Peter Gabriel, describing it as "a meaninglessly mysterious thing with Peter Gabriel straining to convince that he's something rather important. He isn't". Less than three years later, he found himself being photographed with Gabriel at the 1987 BPI awards (both were winners on the British music industry's biggest night).
- He was a music journalist and worked for the pop magazine "Smash Hits" before launching his own music career. He has won several Brit Awards with Pet Shop Boys, including British Single in 1987 for their song "West End Girls", British Group in 1988 and Outstanding Contribution in 2009. They also won the 2004 Q Inspiration Award.
- Scottish actor David Tennant, who was born David John McDonald, choice his stage name as a tribute to Tennant. He was unable to register as a member of Equity as there was another actor using the name David McDonald and the British actors' union requires its members' names to be unique.
- In the Independent on Sunday [UK] 2006 Pink LIst - a list of the most influential gay men and women - Neil Tennant came no. 65, up from no. 67.
- Along with Chris Lowe they form the duo Pet Shop Boys.
- An issue I've had is: is it possible to be a pop star without selling sex? And ultimately I think to have mass selling pop music it is not possible to do it without selling sex. That's why I think we're not as successful as I think our music could be.
- We do politics through satire. I think when you get activist pop, that's the problem. I think there's only been one successful activist pop song, which is Free Nelson Mandela, because I think it did a great pop thing - it made Nelson Mandela famous.
- On my own lyrics, John Betjeman and T.S. Eliot are always quite a strong influence.
- [in 2009] In the '70s I used to like punk and new wave and I used to hate Fleetwood Mac - and over the years recently I've got to like Stevie Nicks's voice. I didn't appreciate her at the time. I still like the punk but I also like Fleetwood Mac. We like women with a lot of star quality.
- I think the world should be one community.
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