Murray Head, a talented actor and singer, is most renowned for his 1984 chart-topping hit "One Night in Bangkok". Born on March 6, 1946, in England, he is the son of documentary filmmaker Seafield Head and actress Helen Shingler. Head's early beginnings in the entertainment industry started at the tender age of 7, when he appeared in his father's documentaries.
At 12 years old, he began his performing career with appearances in a series of radio plays. A year later, he started writing songs, and by 16, he had run away from home to pursue a recording career in London. Under the guidance of renowned producer Norrie Paramor, he released his early singles.
Murray Head made his film debut in 1966 with the picture "The Family Way", which also featured his third single "Some Day Soon", produced by the iconic Tim Rice. Although his early career didn't gain significant traction, he was eventually dropped from his recording contract. Head then spent a few years working in insurance before Rice and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber approached him to sing the role of "Judas" on the soundtrack of their musical "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Concurrently, he appeared in the 1971 film "Sunday Bloody Sunday", which marked a turning point in his career. The success of both projects brought him mainstream attention, and in 1972, he released his debut solo album "Nigel Lived". Three years later, he resurfaced with "Say It Ain't So", which scored a lasting cult hit with the single "Say It Ain't So, Joe".
Apart from a starring role in the 1977 film "Madame Claude", Head spent the remainder of the decade out of the spotlight. He returned to the scene in 1980 with "Between Us", followed by two more albums, "Voices" and "How Many Ways", in 1981.
In 1984, Murray Head was cast in the musical "Chess", and his soundtrack performance of "One Night in Bangkok" was released as a single, becoming a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Although his subsequent recordings were largely unknown outside of his core audience, he continued to act in Britain, France, and French-speaking Canada.
Fluent in French, Head co-wrote the screenplay for the 1999 film "Children of the Century". He returned to the stage in 2003 in the musical "Cindy" in Paris and performs his own music at venues in France and England. Notably, his younger brother is the acclaimed actor Anthony Head.
