Richard Ashcroft

Richard Ashcroft performing at Live 8, with Chris Martin of Coldplay in the background

Richard Ashcroft (born September 11, 1971) is best known as the front man of The Verve, which he helped form in 1989. After that band's demise in 1999, Ashcroft began his solo career, releasing Alone With Everybody in 2000 and Human Conditions in 2002. He performed vocals for the track "Lonely Soul" on U.N.K.L.E.'s 1998 release Psyence Fiction.

He is good friends with Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher and Coldplay's Chris Martin, and occasionally plays as support at Oasis and Coldplay concerts. The Oasis track "Cast No Shadow" is dedicated to him. Chris Martin introduced him as "the best singer in the world" when he performed "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (which Martin called "the best song in the world") with Coldplay at the London Live 8 concert in 2005. On his second album Human Conditions Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson guest stars with the song "Nature is the law".

Ashcroft is married to Kate Radley, ex-Spiritualized keyboard player.

Ashcroft's third solo album, entitled Keys to the World and recorded with the co-operation of London Metropolitan Orchestra, is aimed for a 23 January 2006 release from Parlophone. The first single from the album will be "Break The Night With Colour", due for release on 9 January 2006.