   michael "mick" james hucknall (born 8 june 1960) is an english pop singer and songwriter. formerly the lead singer of the modestly successful punk rock band the frantic elevators, hucknall achieved international fame in the 1980s as the lead singer and songwriter of the soul-influenced pop band simply red, with whom he enjoyed a 25-year career and eventually sold over 50 million albums. hucknall is recognisable for his smooth, distinctive voice and wide vocal range, as well as his red curly hair. he has been described by critic trevor j. leeden as "one of the truly great blue-eyed soul singers". ==early life== hucknall was born at st mary's hospital in manchester, as an only child. his mother left him when he was three; the upheaval caused by this event inspired him to write "holding back the years," which would become one of simply red's biggest and best-known hits. he was brought up by his father, reginald (1935â2009),{{cite web|url=http://www.simplyred.com/index.php?id=550|title=reginald hucknall 1935â2009 r.i.p.|publisher=mick hucknall â simply red â offici
1960_births Alumni_of_Manchester_Metropolitan_University Blue-eyed_soul_singers Brit_Award_winners English_businesspeople English_male_singers English_pop_singers English_soul_singers Faces_(band)_members Living_people Musicians_from_Manchester People_from_Denton,_Greater_Manchester Simply_Red_members