Fish (singer)

This article is about the former singer in Marillion. For the 1960s artist, see Country Joe and the Fish.

Fish
Fish live onstage at BB Kings in New York City, June 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Derek William Dick
Also known as	Fish
Born	25 April 1958 (1958-04-25) (age 53) Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland
Genres	Neo-progressive rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, actor
Instruments	Vocals, percussion
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Chocolate Frog, EMI, Polydor, Roadrunner, Voiceprint, Dick Bros.
Associated acts	Marillion, Tony Banks, Ayreon
Website	fish-thecompany.com

Fish in 2010.

Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, (born 25 April 1958, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland) is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.

Biography

Fish was educated at Dalkeith High School. After working as a petrol pump attendant,^[1] gardener and forestry worker, Fish came to the public's attention in 1981 with the British rock group Marillion. The band achieved chart success in the UK, attaining top-ten hits in 1985 with "Kayleigh" and "Lavender", and again in 1987 with "Incommunicado". In 1988, Fish left Marillion in order to pursue his solo career. Many of Fish's later works contain lengthy spoken word lyrics, shorter examples of which can be heard on earlier Marillion albums. Vocally, Fish has sometimes been compared to Peter Gabriel, lead singer of Genesis in the 1970s. Music journalist David Hepworth described his voice as a “conflation of Roger Daltrey and Peter Gabriel”.^[2]

According to Fish himself, his nickname originates from the amount of time he spent in the bathtub.^[3] Fish has one daughter, Tara.

On 26 August 2007, Fish performed at the 'Hobble on The Cobbles' show at the Market Square in Aylesbury, UK. He was accompanied on stage by four Marillion members (Mark Kelly, Steve Rothery, Ian Mosley and Pete Trewavas) for one song: 'Market Square Heroes'. This was the first time they had performed together in nearly two decades. In a press interview following the event, Fish denied this would lead to a full reunion, claiming that "Hogarth does a great job with the band... We forged different paths over the 19 years."^[4]

His most recent studio album, 13th Star, was released on 12 September 2007 as a specially-packaged pre-release version available to order from his website. A UK tour for this album commenced in March 2008, supported by Glyder. In February 2008, Fish was confirmed to be the Friday night headline act at NEARFest X. He also appeared with BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris on GMTV to promote Childline Rocks, a charity concert.

In 2008, Fish presented a Friday evening radio show "Fish on Friday" for digital radio station Planet Rock. When the station was faced with closure, Malcolm Bluemel with the help of Fish, Tony Iommi, Ian Anderson and Gary Moore helped save Planet Rock by buying the station.^[5]

On 9 June 2008, Fish embarked on his first full North American tour in eleven years. At each stop, he hosted a pre-show meet-and-greet with his fans. Two days prior, he was interviewed by Vince Font of the progressive rock podcast Prog'opolis, which was aired a week later on The Dividing Line Broadcast Network (DLBN) as "My Lunch With Fish".^[6]

In 2008, Fish revealed that he would be taking at least six months off from singing due to an "irregular cell growth" in his throat. This was later determined not to be cancerous.^{[citation needed]}

Fish is a supporter of Scottish Premier League side Hibernian F.C.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, Fish won a Celebrity Music edition of The Weakest Link, beating Eggsy of Goldie Lookin Chain in the final round, sharing £18,750 with Eggsy's charity and his own.

Record labels

Following a legal dispute with EMI and an unsuccessful contract with Polydor, Fish established the Dick Bros Record Company in 1993. He released a number of "official bootleg" albums to finance the company before selling it to Roadrunner Records. Another financially unsuccessful period followed before he re-established his own Chocolate Frog Records record label in 2001. In 2005, Fish signed with Snapper Music but later returned to Chocolate Frog Records.

Awards

In May 2008, Fish's Planet Rock show won the Silver award in the Music Broadcaster of the Year category at the UK Sony Radio Academy Awards 2008.^[7] In June 2008, at the New York Festivals Radio Broadcasting Awards, he and Gary Moore jointly received the Gold World Medal in the Regularly Scheduled Music Program category for their respective shows on Planet Rock.^[8]

Acting

Fish's first prominent role was as the thug "Ferguson" alongside John Sessions in Jute City, a four-part 1991 BBC drama based on a group of Masonic ruffians. In 1994, he appeared in Chasing the Deer, a film set during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, as "Angus Cameron".

In 1998 he appeared in one episode of the ITV TV series The Bill, credited as David Lawson. It was episode 44 of series 14, named 'Manhunt' and was aired on 16 April. He also appeared in a 2000 episode of the TV detective series Rebus alongside John Hannah and, in 2003, appeared as the old gay man "Old Nick" in 9 Dead Gay Guys.

In the 2005 movie, The Jacket, Fish appeared alongside Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley as a patient in a mental institution.

He also played Derek Trout, a record producer in the 1999 series, The Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rock Star.

Current live band

• Derek William Dick - lead vocals
• Frank Usher - lead/rhythm guitars
• Chris Johnson - rhythm/lead guitars, backing vocals
• Gavin Dickie - bass guitars, backing vocals
• Foss Patterson - keyboards, backing vocals
• Gavin Griffiths - drums

Discography

Studio albums

• 1990: Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors
• 1991: Internal Exile
• 1993: Songs from the Mirror (covers album)
• 1994: Suits
• 1997: Sunsets on Empire
• 1999: Raingods with Zippos
• 2001: Fellini Days
• 2004: Field of Crows
• 2007: 13th Star
• 2012: 'A Feast of Consequences' (working title)

Live albums

Some of these live albums were first released as "official bootlegs" sold via mail-order and on tour. Several of these have later been released to retail.

• 1993: Pigpen's Birthday
• 1993: Derek Dick and his Amazing Electric Bear
• 1993: Uncle Fish and the Crypt Creepers
• 1993: For Whom the Bells Toll
• 1993: Toiling in the Reeperbahn
• 1994: Sushi
• 1996: Fish Head Curry (limited edition live album, 5000 copies only)
• 1996: Krakow
• 1998: Tales from the Big Bus
• 1998: Fortunes of War
• 1999: The Haddington Tapes (From the 1998 Haddington Convention)
• 1999: The Complete BBC Sessions
• 2000: Issue 30 CD (From the 1999 Haddington Convention)
• 2000: Candlelight in Fog (limited edition live album, 3000 copies only)
• 2000: Acoustic Sessions
• 2001: Sashimi
• 2002: Fellini Nights
• 2002: Mixed Company
• 2005: Scattering Crows Live In Europe 2004
• 2005: Scattering Crows Live At The Robin 2, Bilston Feb. 18th 2004
• 2006: Return to Childhood
• 2007: Communion

Compilation albums

• 1995: Yin and Yang
• 1998: Kettle of Fish (88-98)
• 2005: Bouillabaisse

Singles

• 1986: "Shortcut to Somewhere" (Fish & Tony Banks)
• 1989: "State of Mind"
• 1989: "Big Wedge"
• 1990: "A Gentleman's Excuse Me"
• 1990: "The Company" (Germany only)
• 1991: "Internal Exile"
• 1991: "Credo"
• 1992: "Something In The Air"
• 1992: "Never Mind The Bullocks" (feat. Hold Your Head Up)
• 1994: "Lady Let It Lie"
• 1994: "Fortunes of War"
• 1995: "Just Good Friends" (feat. Sam Brown)
• 1997: "Brother 52"
• 1997: "Change of Heart"
• 1999: "Incomplete" (feat. Liz Antwi)
• 2008: "Arc of the Curve"
• 2008: "Zoë 25"

Collaborations

• 1981-1988: Sang for Marillion.
• 1986: "Shortcut To Somewhere" on the album Soundtracks by Tony Banks, lead vocals by Fish, produced by Richard James Burgess
• 1991: "Angel Face" and "Another Murder Of A Day" on the album Still by Tony Banks, lead vocals by Fish.
• 1992: Sang the part of "Crixus the Gaul" on the album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus.
• 1993: "Out Of My Life" (Acoustic), "The Seeker" and "Time And A Word" on the album Outpatients '93.
• 1994; "Lady Let It Lie", backing vocals by Knox Academy Junior Choir on the album, Suits.
• 1994: "Spirit Of The Forest" on the album Earthrise.^{[citation needed]}
• 1998: Sang the part of the "Highlander" character on the album Into the Electric Castle by Ayreon.
• 1998: Played a cameo role in the TV series The Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rock Star as the character Derek Trout.
• 2000: Sang on the single "Scotland By Our Side" credited to Scotia Nostra.
• 2003: Sang on the track "Caledonia" on the Frankie Miller tribute album, A Tribute To Frankie Miller

References

1. ^ "Official Fish site: Biographies - Fish". Fish-thecompany.com. http://fish-thecompany.com/bio.htm?rdctd=1. Retrieved 2011-08-20. 
2. ^ David Hepworth Q, July 1987.
3. ^ "Fish - December 1999 Interview". http://www.fish-thecompany.com/int/int36.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-06. 
4. ^ "Singer Fish and Marillion Reunite". BBC News. 2007-08-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6966603.stm. Retrieved 2008-06-06. 
5. ^ "Fish - Planet Rock radio station saved". http://www.planetrock.co.uk/article.asp?id=731764. Retrieved 2008-06-06. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "Podcast interview "My Lunch With Fish" June 7, 2008". Thedividingline.com. http://www.thedividingline.com/archives.html. Retrieved 2011-08-20. 
7. ^ "Fish wins Silver in 2008 Sony Radio Academy Awards". http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?category=The_Music_Broadcaster_of_the_Year&year=2008. Retrieved 2008-06-06. 
8. ^ "Newyorkfestivals.com" (PDF). http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2008WinnersBookletRB.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-20. 

External links

• Official website
• Fish on Myspace
• Fish at the Internet Movie Database provides information on Fish and his acting career.
• Marillion's website

Persondata
Name	Dick, Derek William
Alternative names	Fish
Short description	Singer, Songwriter, Actor
Date of birth	April 25, 1958
Place of birth	Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom
Date of death
Place of death