Paul Weller Artistfacts

May 25, 1958
He was born John William Weller in Woking, Surrey, England, to John and Ann Weller (née Craddock). Though named John William, he became known as Paul to his parents.
Paul's mother was a part-time cleaner at Woking mosque, which was the first mosque in Britain.
Weller's mother was a big influence on him. He told Uncut: "My mum was very young when she had me and she was a big music fan. From the earliest age, I heard Elvis, Little Richard, Tom Jones, Nat King Cole - they were always big in our house."
Weller was a founder member of The Jam and wrote most of their material. A principal figure of the 1970s and 1980s UK mod revival, he is often referred to as "The Modfather."
After The Jam split in 1982, Weller formed the blue-eyed soul band The Style Council with keyboardist Mick Talbot and drummer Steve White, later adding his then-wife Dee C Lee, as a singer.
After The Style Council disbanded in 1989, Weller embarked on a solo career. Following a slow start, his 1995 album, Stanley Road, took him back to the top of the British charts for the first time in a decade.
Having worked as a taxi driver and a builder up to his 40s, Paul Weller's father started managing the career of his son after he formed The Jam. He continued to do so throughout his years in The Style Council and Weller's re-emergence as a solo artist in the 1990s.
Paul Weller can pinpoint the exact moment his love for music took root: the family living room in Woking, Surrey, on November 4, 1963. He was 5 years old.

"The Beatles were on the Royal Variety Performance, and it was the best thing I had ever seen," Weller recalled to Mojo magazine, still buzzing with the memory.

"Mum and Dad had old rock and roll records - Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis - which I loved, but The Beatles... they changed everything. It's not an exaggeration to say they altered the world for so many people, me included. They made me realize there was more to life than this little town. There was a world out there, beyond these city walls, and I wanted to be a part of it. To see it, feel it, experience it. The Beatles made it possible for ordinary people - people like me - to explore life in a whole new way."

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