Michael James Hucknall is a British singer. Hucknall is the lead singer of British band Simply Red.
Hucknall claims to have been among the people present at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester in June of 1976, where the Sex Pistols were playing. His interest in the music scene led to the launch of his career in the late seventies, when he was part of the formation of the band Frantic Elevators. The Frantic Elevators released four singles, including a version of “Holding Back The Years”, which he would later record with Simply Red.
As lead singer and core member of Simply Red, he has become the identifiable face of the band. His face, including his long curly red hair, was featured prominently on album artwork and in videos. Hucknall is also one of the founders and financial backers of the successful reggae label Blood and Fire. He also manages the record label “simplyred.com”.
Hucknall is active in politics, and is a prominent celebrity supporter of the UK Labour Party and is a close friend of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
