Paul Weller is a singer, songwriter, and musician from England. He was a member of punk rock bands before establishing himself as a solo artist. As a child, he was a huge fan of rock bands like ‘The Who,’ ‘The Beatles,’ and ‘Small Faces,’ among others. Paul Weller began playing the guitar at a young age and went on to seek a career in music after finishing his education. He is a co-founder of the bands ‘The Jam’ and ‘Style Council,’ and after the disbandment of both bands, he went on to become a solo artist. Paul Weller was a key figure in the rebirth of mod music, which was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, he became known as ‘The Modfather.’ Several renowned accolades have been bestowed upon him for his singing and songwriter abilities. Despite his international popularity, he is more well-known in England since his songs are deeply steeped in British culture and hence appeal to a national rather than international audience.
Childhood and Adolescence
Paul Weller was born on May 25, 1958, in Surrey, England, to John William Weller Jr. and Ann Weller. His parents renamed him Paul after he was given the name John. His mother worked as a cleaner and his father was a cab driver.
He attended Maybury County First School and Sheerwater County Secondary School for his studies. Paul Weller began playing the guitar when he was eleven years old. With his friends Steve Brookes and Dave Waller, he established the band ‘The Jam’ in 1972. Initially, the band consisted of five members, with Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton added later, and they performed at local bars, gradually gaining popularity and notoriety in the area. Steve Brookes quit the band in 1976.
Career of Paul
Paul Weller was a founding member of ‘The Jam’ and remained with the band until its disbandment in 1982. ‘The Jam’ was formed at a period when many other punk rock bands were forming; however, they did not cater to the punk rock population, and the music they played was more suited to the new wave genre. The band’s first single, “In the City,” was released in 1977 and charted in the UK Top 40. The band entered the UK Top 10 two years later with the release of the political single ‘The Eton Rifles.’ The popularity of the band was largely due to Paul Weller’s lyrics and the inclusion of pop music. The band’s first No. 1 single, ‘Going Underground,’ was released in 1980.
Despite not being published as singles in the UK, the band’s two hits, ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘Just Who Is the 5 O’clock Hero?’ charted at No. 21 and No. 8, respectively, in the UK singles chart. The songs grew in popularity solely as a result of import sales of German and Dutch singles. ‘The Jam’ was disbanded in 1982. The band’s final single, “Beat Surrender,” became a UK chart topper in the first week of its release. The next year, he created an English band named ‘The Style Council’ with keyboard player Mick Talbot. Paul Weller was free to explore with numerous kinds of music while with The Style Council, and the majority of the group’s concerts were favorably received.
With their chart topper ‘Shout to the Top’ in 1984, ‘The Style Council’ had a lot of success in Australia. However, the group’s popularity began to wane near the end of the 1980s, and the band disbanded in 1989. Following the disbandment of The Style Council, Paul Weller embarked on a solo career in music. After taking a year off, he went on tour with drummer Steve White as “The Paul Weller Movement” and began performing in clubs. Under his own independent company, ‘Freedom High Records,’ he published ‘Into Tomorrow’ in 1990. The record was well-received, reaching the UK Top 40 that year.
He began distinguishing himself as a lyricist and performer with the release of his debut solo album, ‘Paul Weller,’ in 1992. The album debuted in the UK charts at number eight. The following year, he released his single album ‘Wild Wood,’ which reached No. 2 on the UK Charts. ‘Sunflower,’ ‘Hung Up,’ and ‘Wild Wood’ were among the album’s many successful tracks, and it also received several prizes. With the release of his album ‘Stanley Road’ in 1995, he recovered his place as a best-selling artist in the United Kingdom after nearly a decade. ‘The Changingman’ and ‘You Do Something to Me’ were two of the album’s chart-topping singles.
Paul Weller was a key figure in the popularization of Britpop, a subgenre of rock and pop music. He was idolized by the audience, and many young musicians at the time, such as Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, looked up to him. His next album, ‘Heavy Soul,’ was published in 1997. The album was a tremendous smash and received a lot of positive feedback. He published the CD ‘Modern Classics: Greatest Hits’ a year later. He published his fifth album, ‘Heliocentric,’ in 2000. The following year, he released ‘Days of Speed,’ his second live album, and went on a worldwide tour to promote it. ‘Illumination,’ his next studio album, was released in 2002.
In 2004, he published ‘Studio 150,’ a collection of covers. Covers of songs by Rose Royce, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, and Gil Scott-Heron, to mention a few, were included. The next year, an album titled ‘As Is Now’ was released, which was warmly received but did not achieve critical acclaim. The album ‘Hit Parade’ was released in 2006, and it contained all of the singles recorded by the bands ‘The Jam’ and ‘The Style Council,’ as well as Paul Weller as a solo artist. Two years later, his next album, ’22 Dreams,’ was published, featuring the title track ‘Echoes Round the Sun.’
In 2009, he made cameo appearances on Dot Allison’s album ‘Room 71/2,’ and co-wrote the song ‘Love’s Got Me Crazy.’ The following year, he released the critically acclaimed and commercially successful album ‘Wake UpThe Nation.’
In 2012, he announced that the ‘Dragonfly EP’ would be released in a limited edition of 3000 copies. The album ‘Sonik Kicks’ was released the same year. In the same year, he sang for the band ‘The Moon’ in their single ‘Something Soon.’ Paul Weller composed the song ‘Let Me In’ for Olly Murs’ album ‘Never Benn Better’ in 2014 as a songwriter. Andy Lewis, Steve Cradock, Andy Crofts, Ben Gordelier, and Steve Pilgrim make up his current team.
Major Projects of Paul
As a songwriter and vocalist, Paul Weller has had a lot of success. He was a key figure in the mod resurgence of the 1970s and 1980s. ‘Wild Wood,’ ‘Heavy Soul,’ ‘As Is Now,’ and ‘Sonik Kicks,’ to name a few, are some of his most well-known albums.
Achievements & Awards
From 1979 through 1982, he received the NME Award for ‘Best Guitarist’ four times in a row. In 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982, he won the NME Award for ‘Best Songwriter.’ In 1995, 1996, and 2009, he received the BRIT Award for ‘Best British Male Solo Artist.’ In 1980 and 1982, he received the NME Award for ‘Best Male Singer.’ In 1995 and 1996, he won the NME Award for ‘Best Solo Artist.’ At the 2006 BRIT Awards, he got the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his ‘exceptional contribution to music.’ He earned the NME Awards’ ‘Godlike Genius Award’ in 2010. He received the ‘Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award’ the same year.
Personal History and Legacy
He married singer Dee C. Lee in 1987 after a long romance. Leah and Nathaniel are the couple’s two children. In 1988, their marriage terminated in divorce. Paul Weller had a romantic relationship with Samantha Stock in the mid-1990s. Jesamine (born in 2000) and Stevie Mac are their two children (born in 2005). In 2008, the couple divorced. He began living with singer Hannah Andrews in 2008, and the two married in the Capri Islands in 2010. John Paul and Bowie, the couple’s twin sons, were born on January 14, 2012. From his partnership with makeup artist Lucy, he has a daughter named Dylan.
Estimated Net Worth
Paul Weller’s net worth is $10 million dollars. Paul Weller is a British musician and songwriter with a net worth of $10 million dollars. Paul Weller was born in the United Kingdom’s Woking, and grew up listening to The Beatles and The Who. He knew he wanted to be a musician since he was a child, and he began studying guitar in elementary school.