Richard Fairbrass
Encyclopedia
Richard Peter John Fairbrass (born 22 September 1953) is an English
singer and television presenter.
, Surrey
, in England
, and raised in East Grinstead
, West Sussex
. He is the lead vocalist of the band Right Said Fred
which he formed with his brother Fred Fairbrass. The band became very popular in the UK from 1991.
Fairbrass is open about his bisexuality
and once co-hosted, with Rhona Cameron
, a TV series aimed at a lesbian
and gay
audience called Gaytime TV
(1995–1999) on BBC2.
In 1984, Richard appeared in Jazzin' for Blue Jean
, a David Bowie
video, as the bass player, which can be found on Best of Bowie
. This video appears as an Easter egg
on that DVD.
In 1994 he was joint winner of Rear of the Year
with Mandy Smith
.
In 2001 he co-presented the television game show
The Desert Forges with Gabrielle Richens
for Five.
In April 2007 Fairbrass was reported to be planning to run for Mayor of London
in the 2008 election
.
In November 2007 he announced that he and his brother, Fred Fairbrass, will be taking part in the next series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!; however, the pair did not make it onto the show.
In an episode of Celebrity Fantasy Homes, hosted by Gaby Roslin
, Richard and his brother Fred were looking to spend 2.5 million pounds on a property in Sussex
with 3 separate living accommodations for them and their mother.
rally
in Red Square
, Moscow
, on May 27, 2007 commemorating the 14th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality
in Russia
, Richard and Fred Fairbrass were assaulted by members of a counter-demonstration staged by ultra-nationalists. Richard Fairbrass sustained a cut under his eye.
According to a post by Richard and Fred Fairbrass on their website, they had flown into Moscow, Russia, the day before for an evening show. On the day of the incident they had been invited by their Russian show promoter to attend what was termed a "civil liberties/freedom of speech" rally in Red Square. The Fairbrass brothers were not aware that this was a gay pride demonstration and that it had been denied a licence by the Moscow authorities; they were assured that the demonstration was safe and its main purpose was to hand in a petition to the Mayor of Moscow. When they arrived they were interviewed by reporters. Suddenly, a man pushed his way through the press and punched Richard in the face. The Fairbrass brothers tried to move away but were prevented from doing so by the police. Richard was struck in the face another three or four times, while Fred—who is actually straight—had his body kicked and punched. The brothers managed to break away, but were chased by what they termed "Neo-Nazis
" and attacked again. Two policemen intervened and arrested one of the attackers, and protected the brothers until their promoter came with a car to pick them up.
Fred Fairbrass said that his injuries and those of his brother were healing "a lot faster than the deeper and more worrying wounds that fester inside the heads of those who attacked us and of those who were happy to watch and let it happen". Speaking about the incident upon his return to the UK, Richard Fairbrass commented, "When it was over I actually felt more sorry for the guy that whacked me than I did for me... How threatened can he be, how insecure is he to be threatened by a bisexual pop singer who's most famous for singing "I'm Too Sexy
"?"
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer and television presenter.
Biography
Fairbrass was born on September 22, 1953 in Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and raised in East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. He is the lead vocalist of the band Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred is an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli. The group is named after a song of the same name which was a hit for Bernard Cribbins in 1962...
which he formed with his brother Fred Fairbrass. The band became very popular in the UK from 1991.
Fairbrass is open about his bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and once co-hosted, with Rhona Cameron
Rhona Cameron
Rhona Cameron is a Scottish comedian. She rose to prominence via the stand-up comedy circuit, and became a regular on British TV in the 1990s.-Television career:...
, a TV series aimed at a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
audience called Gaytime TV
Gaytime TV
Gaytime TV was a late-night gay-themed comedy and lifestyle magazine programme broadcast on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom. It was the first regular BBC television programme to directly address the gay and lesbian community, and won praise from the Daily Mail for its "lightness of touch that other...
(1995–1999) on BBC2.
In 1984, Richard appeared in Jazzin' for Blue Jean
Jazzin' for Blue Jean
Jazzin' for Blue Jean is a 20-minute short film featuring David Bowie and directed by Julien Temple. It was created to promote Bowie's single "Blue Jean" in 1984 and released as a video single.-Plot:...
, a David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
video, as the bass player, which can be found on Best of Bowie
Best of Bowie
Best of Bowie is a career-spanning greatest hits album by multi-platinum recording artist David Bowie. The songs range from his second album to 2002. It was released 35 years after his first album, David Bowie....
. This video appears as an Easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
on that DVD.
In 1994 he was joint winner of Rear of the Year
Rear of the Year
Rear of the Year is a light-hearted British award for celebrities who are considered to have a notable posterior. It was created by publicity consultant Anthony Edwards and is organised by Rear of the Year Limited.-History:...
with Mandy Smith
Mandy Smith
Mandy Smith is an English dance-pop singer, former model and aspiring counsellor.-Early life:In 1983, at age 13 she started dating 47-year-old The Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, with the consent of her mother...
.
In 2001 he co-presented the television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
The Desert Forges with Gabrielle Richens
Gabrielle Richens
Gabrielle Richens is a British model and TV presenter. She was born in Kent of British, Indian and Chinese extraction although her parents are from South Africa. Richens has worked as a model since she was fifteen when she signed with the Elite modeling agency...
for Five.
In April 2007 Fairbrass was reported to be planning to run for Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
in the 2008 election
London mayoral election, 2008
The London mayoral election, 2008 for the office of Mayor of London was held on 1 May 2008 and was won by Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson....
.
In November 2007 he announced that he and his brother, Fred Fairbrass, will be taking part in the next series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!; however, the pair did not make it onto the show.
In an episode of Celebrity Fantasy Homes, hosted by Gaby Roslin
Gaby Roslin
Gaby Roslin is an English television presenter and actress. She rose to fame while co-presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 between 1992 and 1996, and also presented the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal from 1994 to 2004....
, Richard and his brother Fred were looking to spend 2.5 million pounds on a property in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
with 3 separate living accommodations for them and their mother.
Incident at gay rights rally in Moscow in May 2007
During a gay rightsLGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
rally
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
in Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, on May 27, 2007 commemorating the 14th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Richard and Fred Fairbrass were assaulted by members of a counter-demonstration staged by ultra-nationalists. Richard Fairbrass sustained a cut under his eye.
According to a post by Richard and Fred Fairbrass on their website, they had flown into Moscow, Russia, the day before for an evening show. On the day of the incident they had been invited by their Russian show promoter to attend what was termed a "civil liberties/freedom of speech" rally in Red Square. The Fairbrass brothers were not aware that this was a gay pride demonstration and that it had been denied a licence by the Moscow authorities; they were assured that the demonstration was safe and its main purpose was to hand in a petition to the Mayor of Moscow. When they arrived they were interviewed by reporters. Suddenly, a man pushed his way through the press and punched Richard in the face. The Fairbrass brothers tried to move away but were prevented from doing so by the police. Richard was struck in the face another three or four times, while Fred—who is actually straight—had his body kicked and punched. The brothers managed to break away, but were chased by what they termed "Neo-Nazis
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
" and attacked again. Two policemen intervened and arrested one of the attackers, and protected the brothers until their promoter came with a car to pick them up.
Fred Fairbrass said that his injuries and those of his brother were healing "a lot faster than the deeper and more worrying wounds that fester inside the heads of those who attacked us and of those who were happy to watch and let it happen". Speaking about the incident upon his return to the UK, Richard Fairbrass commented, "When it was over I actually felt more sorry for the guy that whacked me than I did for me... How threatened can he be, how insecure is he to be threatened by a bisexual pop singer who's most famous for singing "I'm Too Sexy
I'm Too Sexy
"I'm Too Sexy" is a song by English trio Right Said Fred from their album Up. The single topped the American charts for three weeks in early 1992, after having peaked at number two in Britain less than six months earlier....
"?"