Music Profile

Kate Bush

Pin-Up Turned Art Rock Superstar By Stewart Mason

A former teenage pop star's music becomes increasingly complex and, surprisingly, even more commercially successful

When the 19-year-old Kate Bush first hit the UK pop scene with her debut single "Wuthering Heights" in 1978, she became an instant pop star, although at first, it was at least as much for her pin-up looks as her music. Bush's initial persona—somewhat daffy and spacy, like a brunette Stevie Nicks with an English accent—belied the teenager's desire for complete artistic control, which the commercial success of her first two albums gave her the opportunity to exercise. Bush ceased performing live and took over the production reins beginning with 1980's Never For Ever, which introduced the then-revolutionary Fairlight CMI sampler that would come to define the sound of her most popular albums. As the decade progressed, Bush's music became increasingly complex both musically and lyrically, incorporating influences ranging from Celtic folk and Charles Ives to Wilhelm Reich and James Joyce. Surprisingly, her commercial success grew as well during this period, including a US Top 40 hit with 1985's "Running Up That Hill." Since The Red Shoes, a concept album based on the Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger film, Bush has been semi-retired; 2005's double CD Aerial was her first release in 12 years.

TAGS: Art Rock, Concept Albums, Fairlight CMI, Great Britain, Singer-Songwriter,

FACTS: Born/Formed: July 30, 1958; July 30 1958; Location: Bexleyheath, Kent, United Kingdom; Kate Bush

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