Martin Kemp

Biography

Martin Kemp might have come a long way from his Spandau Ballet roots but he's still a musician at heart, even after years of playing TV and movie gangsters. The ex Eastender showed his face at the NME Awards to celebrate Britain's top rockers.
see pictures

Martin's slim buddies - 15/01/04
Martin Kemp is not only a singer and an actor, but he hosts events as well, like for Slimming World.

Martin hosted the Slimming World Annual Awards, an award show which rewards successfully slimmer people. He said 'Meeting people whose lives Slimming World has helped to change was such an eye opener. It's amazing to hear people's inspirational stories and how losing weight has transformed their lives. I am full of admiration for what they have achieved."

I wonder how much he was paid for that event?

Martin is Best of British - 12/11/02
Local boy Martin Kemp has been chosen as Burtons pin up model in their Best of British campaign.

He is one of the latest showbiz personalities to be signed up by high street stores to boost their sales on the run up to Christmas. So expect to see Martin's blue eyes gazing at you from a Burtons store poster real soon.

BIOGRAPHY
Martin Kemp was born in Islington on the 10th October 1961 and went to Rotherfield Juinor School. He grew up with a working class background and his mum and dad wanted to make him and his brother Gary feel a bit special, so they enrolled them both into the 'Anna Scheer Children's Theatre' when Martin was 8 years old. The drama school cost the Kemp family 10 pence a lesson!

Martin quickly got noticed and was soon appearing in several programmes ranging from Jackonory, Dixon of Dock Green and Glittering Prizes. But although he liked acting, he also liked music...

Martin didn't join his elder brother's band at first though he knew all of his mates. He started his own band - very punk, but it didn't last so Martin got a job in a printer's firm as an apprentice. At least he learnt to play the guitar though!

In 1978 Garys band (then called The Makers) needed a bass player and Martin was asked to join. Gary taught him the bass guitar in four weeks and then a year later he changed the band name to Spandeau Ballet. Martin quit the printer's job and they focused on stardom. In 1980 the world began to go Spandeau crazy. They were credited with starting the New Romantic movement, they had much publicized slanging matches with Duran Duran (Blur and Oasis anyone?) and achieved chart success especially with 'True' and 'Gold'. Martin became the main pin up for the band with many female fans lusting after him. But he only had eyes for Shirlie in Wham.

They get married in 1988 and have two children - daughter Harley Moon (now 13) and son Roman ( now 9). Spandeau stop recording around the early nineties, and Martin and Gary go back to the world of acting starring as two other famous (or should that be notorious brothers - The Krays). But Martin is increasingly unwell and is diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1995. He takes time off to be with his family and to concentrate on his recovery.Thankfully he does get better, and goes back to acting to become one of our best known faces on the box - as Eastenders baddie Steve Owen.

Martin has now left Eastenders and is going from strength to strength on ITV. From child actor, to pop star, to film star, to actor again and recovering from a brain tumor on route - this man is one to be watched in the next coming years.