If
David Bowie's rich baritone had melded with
Bryan Ferry's velvety croon, the result would be virtually identical to
Jim Kerr's distinct voice. However, that comparison isn't justified if only
Kerr's punk beginnings in the late '70s with
Johnny and the Self-Abusers were slipped under a microscope. Back then,
Kerr and his raw combo were an energetic yet dull facsimile of
the Damned;
Kerr's angry, unpolished vocals weren't distinguishable from the raucous screams of numerous spiky-haired youths. However, when
Kerr and guitarist
Charlie Burchill formed
Simple Minds in 1978 with Tony Donald (bass), Brian McGee (drums), and Mick McNeil (keyboards),
Kerr altered his singing style, smoothing its rough edges while retaining a brooding, enigmatic quality. Panned by some critics as being derivative of
Bowie and
Ferry,
Kerr became influential himself, inspiring artists like
Icehouse,
the Blue Nile, and
the Mission. In May 1984,
Kerr married
Chrissie Hynde of
the Pretenders; they eventually divorced. In 1985,
Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)," recorded for
The Breakfast Club soundtrack, ignited the American charts, and the band even performed at Live Aid.
Kerr also contributed vocals to
the Call's Reconciled album. When
Simple Minds released the single "See the Lights" in 1991, many radio listeners, anxiously awaiting a new
U2 LP, mistook
Kerr's voice for
Bono's. But while
U2 were able to toy with their signature sound to suit contemporary tastes,
Simple Minds were dismissed as '80s artifacts. ~ Michael Sutton