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Early life and name

James Ure was born on 10 October 1953 in Cambuslang, near Glasgow, Scotland. Growing up in an industrial setting, he gravitated to music early and taught himself guitar, absorbing influences from 1960s pop and the more dramatic edges of early 1970s glam. To avoid confusion with other musicians named Jim, he adopted the nickname Midge, a phonetic inversion of Jim. That compact moniker would become a signature as he moved from local groups to the forefront of Britain's late-1970s and 1980s musical transformations.

First steps: Slik and the shift to new wave

Ure's first significant chart breakthrough came with Slik, a Glasgow band that rode the crest of mid-1970s pop. The group scored major UK success, and Ure, who had initially been a guitarist, became a central voice and face of the act. As punk erupted later in the decade and the musical climate changed, Slik's polished pop no longer aligned with the shifting tastes. Ure, however, was already looking ahead, drawn to sharper, more modern sounds and to the emerging possibilities of electronics and studio craft.

Rich Kids, Visage, and the Blitz scene

In 1977 Ure joined the Rich Kids, the post-punk group formed by Glen Matlock after his departure from the Sex Pistols, alongside guitarist Steve New and drummer Rusty Egan. The band's hunger for new textures sparked Ure's fascination with synthesizers and rhythm machines. After the Rich Kids dissolved, Ure and Rusty Egan linked with Steve Strange to create Visage, a studio-centered project that became closely associated with the London Blitz Club, where Strange and Egan curated influential nights that incubated the New Romantic movement. Visage's sleek, cinematic single Fade to Grey, to which Ure contributed as a writer and musician, became a defining hit of early synth-pop and positioned him at the creative core of a scene that merged style, technology, and pop songwriting.

Ultravox: reinvention and chart success

In 1979, with John Foxx departing Ultravox for a solo career, Ure was invited by keyboardist/violinist Billy Currie to join the band, completing a lineup with Chris Cross on bass and Warren Cann on drums. Ultravox's reinvention under Ure leaned into powerful electronics, concise guitar work, and a dramatic, European sensibility refined in collaboration with producer Conny Plank. The album Vienna (1980) yielded the monumental title track, which reached the upper reaches of the UK charts and became the band's signature. Subsequent releases deepened their range: Rage in Eden (1981) expanded their atmospheric palette, while Quartet (1982), produced by George Martin, delivered radio-ready singles such as Hymn and Reap the Wild Wind. Lament (1984) kept the momentum with Dancing with Tears in My Eyes, a Cold War-era anthem that brought Ultravox further mainstream visibility. The group's precision, stagecraft, and use of cutting-edge technology crystallized the sound of early-1980s synth-pop.

Thin Lizzy and ties to Phil Lynott

Ure's versatility brought him briefly into the orbit of Thin Lizzy in 1979. When Gary Moore exited mid-tour, Ure stepped in on short notice, covering guitar and keyboards alongside Phil Lynott and Scott Gorham. The experience underscored his ability to bridge hard rock and modern electronics. He continued working with Lynott afterward, co-writing and producing the track Yellow Pearl, which later became the theme for the BBC's Top of the Pops. These collaborations deepened Ure's network across stylistic lines and honed his skills as a producer and arranger.

Band Aid, Live Aid, and global activism

Ure's most consequential public work began in 1984, when footage of famine in Ethiopia galvanized Bob Geldof to seek a response from the music community. Ure and Geldof co-wrote Do They Know It's Christmas?, with Ure composing the music and producing the recording session that assembled a cross-section of leading British and Irish artists. The single became a landmark charity record, and the proceeds were directed through the Band Aid Trust, with Ure a driving force behind its ongoing stewardship. The following year, Ure and Geldof worked with promoter Harvey Goldsmith and an international team to mount Live Aid, the global concert staged in London and Philadelphia in July 1985. Ultravox performed at Wembley, and Ure's role behind the scenes helped deliver one of the most significant broadcast events in music history, raising substantial funds and defining a template for large-scale charity concerts.

Solo career and collaborations

Parallel to Ultravox, Ure pursued a solo path. His 1982 cover of No Regrets reached the UK charts, signaling a distinctive voice beyond the band setting. In 1985, during a peak year that also included Live Aid, he topped the UK singles chart with If I Was, taken from his debut solo album The Gift. The record showcased his multi-instrumental ability, taste for elegant melodies, and production craft. Subsequent albums, including Answers to Nothing (1988), Pure (1991), and Breathe (1996), explored reflective songwriting and meticulous studio textures; Breathe later found renewed popularity in parts of Europe after its use in advertising. Across this period Ure collaborated widely, drawing on relationships formed through Ultravox, Visage, and his charity work, and he continued to produce and arrange for other artists when projects aligned with his sensibilities.

Reunions, later work, and legacy

Ure returned to Ultravox in the late 2000s with Billy Currie, Chris Cross, and Warren Cann for tours that affirmed the band's enduring impact, culminating in the album Brilliant (2012). He then focused on a blend of intimate solo tours and studio projects, including Fragile (2014), which revisited his strengths in songwriting and electronics, and Orchestrated (2017), which reimagined highlights of his catalog with symphonic arrangements. He has remained a trustee and public face for the Band Aid legacy, contributing to anniversary initiatives and using his platform to advocate for humanitarian causes. In recognition of his contributions to music and charity, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2005. He also published a memoir, If I Was, offering an insider's view of scenes that stretched from Glasgow's rehearsal rooms to the control rooms of international benefit concerts.

Midge Ure's career traces a coherent arc through multiple reinventions: a pop frontman in Slik; a guitarist and experimenter in the Rich Kids; an architect of New Romantic aesthetics with Steve Strange and Rusty Egan in Visage; a chart-topping bandleader in Ultravox alongside Billy Currie, Chris Cross, and Warren Cann; a collaborator with figures such as Phil Lynott, Gary Moore, Glen Matlock, Conny Plank, George Martin, and promoter Harvey Goldsmith; and a solo artist whose songs balanced craft and conscience. Few musicians have so convincingly united technical proficiency, studio innovation, pop accessibility, and organizational leadership. His body of work, from Vienna and Fade to Grey to If I Was and the enduring Do They Know It's Christmas?, sits at the intersection of artistry and responsibility, marking him as a pivotal figure in the story of modern British music.