On this day, 65 ago, British singer/songwriter and record producer 'Barney' Bernard Sumner was born (4 January 1956, Lancashire, UK).
Sumner was one of the founding members of Joy Division, formed in 1976. He and childhood friend, Peter Hook, both attended the fabled Sex Pistols concert at Manchester's Free Trade Hall on 4 June 1976 and whose music inspired them to perform together under the Warsaw moniker.
To avoid confusion with the London punk band Warsaw Pakt, the band renamed themselves Joy Division in early 1978 and became widely considered one of the most influential bands of the era. Sumner was lead guitarist as well as playing the keyboards.
In May 1980 after the suicide of its lead singer, Ian Curtis, Joy Division was disbanded. Then, Sumner, together his fellow ex-Joy Division members, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris formed New Order (later joined by keyboardist Gillian Gilbert) and became the leading protagonists of synthesizers in the electro-dance music scene.
Other projects:
Electronic: with former Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr.
Bad Lieutenant: with fellow New Order member Phil Cunningham and Jake Evans of Rambo & Leroy.
