I was trying to think of successful (and TALENTED) pops stars/musicians who were genuinely from working class backgrounds and...

[said]

...couldn't think of many.

Bruce Springsteen's dad was a bus driver so he qualifies

Who can we name?

The Beatles (bar Ringo) were all pretty middle-class

Ditto the Stones (not sure about Keith?)

Dylan was from an affluent background.

The TALENTED proviso is to exclude the likes of Cheryl Cole etc

Jimi Hendrix?
Django Reinhardt

(Robert Smith is from a middle class background)

AC/DC

Billy bragg

Wasn't Paul Weller from Camberley, and cultivated the wc cockney act?

Likewise Ian Dury was from well-to-do Irish stock.

Has anyone mentioned Rod Stewart?

Oh, and (His Lordship)Bryan Ferry's dad was a miner (arf).

ozzy, stevie winwood, ub40, musical youth, duran duran, napalm death..

has there ever been a middle / upper class brummie in music?

ee arr we'll claaim slash as well. Near enough!

Lily Allen's dad is an actorr dahling.

Fergal Sharkey must count.

And I assume we've covered the likes of Keayne West and JayZ.

If you're having Duran Duran, I'm having Spandau Ballet.

And what about that lot who had the interminable no1 from 4 Weddings?

Can't remember what they were called.

Mick Hucknall?

Simple Minds?

Susan Boyle? (I don't like her but she made 5mil last year and who am I to argue!)

Quite a few from tv shows I think, can only be a good thing if we are struggling to name some?

haha yes - any band from scotland as well
er and most stuff from wales..
and manchester. Pretty much all the north of england

Most original punk bands except the clash, slits

most early techno, rave, drum & bass, garage, grime..

you could have a thesis here that most original / new musical movements start out from adverse social circumstances then get sucked into the mainstream

ACDC
Black Sabbath - including Ozzy Ozbourne

The Beatles were working class! Aspirational working class, but working class all the same!
Also most of the mersybeat acts who came out of Liverpool at the same time

Happy Mondays
Stone Roses
Primal Scream
Oasis

Bay City Rollers

Sterophonics
Goldie Looking Chain

The Undertones
Stiff Little Fingers

James Brown
Tina Turner

Yeah, but the Beatles weren't from poor or deprived backgrounds. That's what I mean really.

Ahem, some of these entries are straying a bit on the TALENT criteria.

Maybe we should list all those with rather privileged backgrounds

Paul Maccartney def working class - wasn't his council house opened up as a nat trust/blue plaque a few years back

Ian Curtis his dad was a police inspector and he went to private school I think so prob not working class

Elvis def and Dolly Parton - hillbilly family

Paul Weller from Woking, Surrey

Robert Smith from Crawley

Craig David from v w class part of Southampton

WHAT is Craig David doing on this thread?

Shane MacGowan from the Pogues - made me laugh when I read he was born in Tunbridge Wells.

Sorry my fault, I was keen to include a celeb (?) from my hometown.

oh, yaaaawn.

What Bonsoir said.

fark- Amy Winebox was fine until she met Blake! (Who I have met, the massive fucking drug fiend)

well as all popular music has its basis in jazz and the blues and then rock and roll.. started by black artists in america from incredibly deprived and oppressed backgrounds, this whole exercise in singling out working class, nah poor and deprived artists is somewhat churlish

and as for the need for expensive musical / classical training haha - ALL decent (er and shit) music originated from the gutter. Trace back any popular music genre you can think of - reggae, ska, hip hop, disco etc etc

Oh sorry I forgot about the talent bit!

I can't believe I listed Oasis as having anything to do with talent.

I love the Mondays and Stone Roses, but can't stand Oasis!

Paul Weller's dad was a taxi driver and his mum a cleaner iirc

Jarvis Cocker's mum is a Tory councillor, although she was a single parent, and Jarvis went to St Martin's college, so not sure I'd count him in.

Jarvis and (his sister) Saskia not typical Sheffield w/c names are they?

That's a fair point re the names and the Tory council member - but I went to art college around the same time as him, and my family were definitely working class!

Dad a labour councillor, btw.

It's only a bit of fun herjazz, just a bit of fun

yeah I was enjoying this one.