Marc Almond

English singer-songwriter, the flamboyant vocalist of the ’80s synth-pop band, "Soft Cell." Teamed with electronic instrumentalist Dave Ball, Almond gained a cult following with hits like "Tainted Love," which went to No. 1 in August 1981, and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" (1982). Their music, sometimes described as "sleazy electronic pop," centred on themes of hedonism, alienation and emptiness, and their album, Memorabilia was the first techno record ever released. Although their music regularly hit the top five on the charts, Soft Cell split up in 1984.

Almond remembers his teenage years as a time when he was bored with high school, just trying to get from day to day, but as well, he remembers how difficult it was to summon the courage to purchase a copy of Gay News. Although physically small and thin with tattoos, Almond transformed when performing, becoming magnetic and sexy. He didn’t let the breakup of "Soft Cell" sidetrack his climb to fame. Almond quickly formed a new group, "Marc and the Mambas," but after only two albums, they too went their separate ways.

Next embarking on a solo career, he enjoyed a fair amount of success, primarily in Europe, and he produced a series of albums including The Stars We Are (1988), his most acclaimed effort. Although his initial success as a musician came during the 1980s, Almond, by his own admission, has little memory of those days due to his extensive use of the drugs LSD and Ecstasy. During 1999, he made a solo worldwide tour, and in October of that year, his autobiography, Tainted Love, was released.

Almond relocated in 2000 to Moscow where he rented an apartment. With the encouragement and connections of executive producer Misha Kucherenko, he embarked on a three-year recording project of Russian romance and folk songs, called Heart on Snow.

In 2001, Almond and Ball reunited after 17 years apart, and "Soft Cell" released a new album, Stranger Things.