Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot

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Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot
Born
Martin Benedict Volpeliere-Pierrot

(1965-05-19) 19 May 1965 (age 56)
Earls Court, London, England
Known forLead singer of Curiosity Killed the Cat

Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot is an English singer best known as the vocalist from the band Curiosity Killed the Cat and later an offshoot group 'Curiosity'. He is known for sporting a distinctive beret, which is actually a fiddler cap - a traditional Greek fisherman's hat - worn backwards.[1]

Early life[]

Volpeliere-Pierrot is the son of 1960s celebrity photographer Jean Claude Volpeliere-Pierrot and the model Belinda Watson.[2] He attended Woolverstone Hall School in Ipswich, which he credited in a 1987 interview with giving him "real hope"[3] through the education he received. In the mid 1980s, he appeared as a model[4] on the front of Mike Read's Pop Quiz board game (made by Waddingtons in 1985) and formed the band Curiosity Killed the Cat.

Curiosity Killed the Cat[]

Curiosity Killed the Cat was formed in 1984 and had several hit singles in the UK. At the time of their breakthrough, Volpeliere-Pierrot was known for wearing a beret in most pictures of the band, though it was actually a peaked fisherman's hat, turned round with the peak to the rear so that it resembled a beret. Ben VP (as he was billed on a number of solo singles in the mid-1990s) was frequently referred to as 'Ben Vol-au-vent Parrot' in Smash Hits magazine,[5] with 'Bendy Ben' (or 'Boozy Ben') also used.

Their 1989 hit Name and Number has been sampled and remixed several times, including a version credited to Elements vs Ben VP[6] in 2006.[7]

Post-Curiosity[]

The band, who had signed to RCA Records/BMG[8] as Curiosity in the early 1990s,[9] split in 1994, with Ben VP signing to Telstar Records to release the 1996 single "Gotta Get You Home" [10]

In 2018, Volpeliere-Pierrot appeared on the civilian version of Channel 4's First Dates,[11][12] a series which has also seen 1990s/2000s popstar Paul Cattermole (of S Club 7) take part.

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.classicpopmag.com/2019/02/godfathers-of-pop-ben-volpeliere-pierrot/
  2. ^ "The Godfathers of Pop: Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot". Classic Pop Magazine. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  3. ^ Ashby, Jonathan (1987-11-30). "School caning and slippering news, UK, Nov 1987 - CORPUN ARCHIVE uksc8711". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2020-06-30 – via Corpun Archive.
  4. ^ https://thetalentsociety.co.uk/entertainment-services/celebrity-talent/ben-volpierre/
  5. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39692931
  6. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/elements-vs-ben-vp-mn0001459378/credits
  7. ^ Scott, Danny. "Ben Volpeliere Pierrot and his mother, Belinda". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  8. ^ https://superdeluxeedition.com/interview/ben-volpeliere-pierrot-talks-curiosity-killed-the-cat-hits-and-andy-warhol/
  9. ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27492/curiosity/
  10. ^ TS Records/Telstar 1996, catalogue number BVP2813
  11. ^ https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a856233/first-dates-curiosity-killed-the-cat-ben-volpeliere-pierrot/
  12. ^ https://www.irishpost.com/news/sinead-oconnor-reveals-daughter-signed-find-love-first-dates-180210
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