My Top Ten - Holly Johnson
After the phenomenal success of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's first two singles, band frontman Holly Johnson discusses some of his favourite songs with Andy Peebles. Holly talks about the importance of the Liverpool accent, his musical influences and, inevitably, the effect the BBC's ban on the band's first record, Relax, had on its success.
Born William Johnson, Holly took his name from Holly Woodlawn, the transsexual actress and friend of Johnson's idol Andy Warhol whose story was summarised by Lou Reed in the song Walk on the Wild Side. He recorded his first single, Yankie Rose, in 1979, and two further solo singles went Top Five in the UK Singles chart in 1989 - Love Train and Americanos. Though he's still remembered primarily as the lead singer for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Holly has shifted his attentions to art and has exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Art. Note: Some edits have been made for copyright reasons.
