Mick Hucknall - Simply Red A British group formed in 1982, originating in Manchester, with an original line-up of Mick "Red" Hucknall on vocals, Chris Joyce on drums, Tom Bowers on bass, Tim Kellet on keyboard and trumpet, Fritz McIntyre on keyboards and vocals, and with Sylvan Richardson on guitars. Hucknall has always been the driving force and the most identifiable image of the group. Brought up in Manchester, as an ex-art student he originally formed an Indie-punk band called "Frantic Elevators", who released 3 singles, including an early version of Hucknall's later and most celebrated single "Holding Back the Years". From the outset, the newly formed Simply Red band was offered a multi-million pound deal with Solo Records, but they turned it down, and Hucknall reformed the band with fellow Mancunians Joyce, Bowers and Kellet, from fellow Manchester band Durritti Column. Chosen to support already heavyweight bands like UB40 on their UK tour, the band attained almost instant success, which has continued throughout the 80s and 90s