Paul Young (Mike + The Mechanics)

Paul Young (Mike + The Mechanics)

Paul Young (17 June 1947 – 15 July 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Noted for his often-breathy singing style and wide vocal range, Young initially came to prominence as the frontman of 1970s rock band Sad Café, with whom he achieved multiple UK Top 40 and US Billboard Hot 100 hits. He later enjoyed greater chart success sharing lead vocal duties with Paul Carrack in Mike + The Mechanics, the pop-rock band formed in 1985 by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. In that band, Young would play various instruments as required, and serve as de facto frontman during live performances.

Young provided lead vocals on several chart hits, including Sad Café's "Every Day Hurts" and "My Oh My", and Mike + The Mechanics' "All I Need Is a Miracle", "Word of Mouth", "Taken In" and "Nobody's Perfect". Former Marillion vocalist and 1980s chart peer, Fish, hailed Young as "one of the finest frontmen and singers from the history of the British music scene"; Rutherford described his singing voice as "fantastic...one of the best rock voices of his generation."

Young died from the last in a series of heart attacks at his home in Hale, Altrincham on 15 July 2000.