BIOGRAPHY AND RANDOM INFORMATION






James Ure (midge being a fancy backward spelling of Jim), born at 8.30 on the 10th October 1953 (making him a Libra) at 24 park street, cambuslang. Scotland (currant home bath.) His mother bet, father Jim and his older brother bobby and younger sister Linda was not a well off family but inspired midge to become the rock legend he is today “ there was definitely a choice in Glasgow, that you’re either going to be one of the lads or your going to do something else, I must have thought that being a pop star would be an easy way to make money. I was a cut-price rocker.”

Midge also describes his family home as “ just one bedroom and this sitting room with a wee kitchenette in. there used to be water running underneath the floorboards. We were on the bottom floor so our toilet was out in this desolate wasteland.”

At aged 14 midge had started his own band stumble with some school friends mainly as an option to school work! Midge still describes his proudest moment of school was leaving and never going back. Confidence indeed.

Midge however was not as confident with the ladies describing his early experiences as “ a lot of talking, but never much action.”

At 16 midge enrolled at an apprenticeship in engineering “ I was taught that’s what you did-go off and learn a trade”. But this never took of and midge began to look into different bands including salvation with eventually changed to slik and shot straight to number 1 with ‘forever and ever’. However the fun did not last long the band was denied access to write their own songs and in some cases the record companies refused to let them play on them! Eventually by late 1976 the band was finished. “The whole thing had changed in the course of about six months. Nobody wanted bubblegum bands, they wanted Johnny rotten” midge explains ironically. As midge himself had been offered the role as lead singer in the sex pistols when he went to buy an amp off Malcolm mclaren whom was impressed with midges look.

Eventually with the Sex Pistols turning rapidly into a chaos they couldn’t control and midges departure from slik, Glen matlock decided it was time to set up his own band ‘rich kids’ with midge ure as lead singer. “ I popped down to London for the weekend and played three concerts with them, it was the most chaotic weekend of my life.” And unfortunately midge decided that the band wasn’t for him after a brief hit with ‘rich kids’. Rumours of fights with glen matlock killed the band before it begun.

However midges luck held out and midge soon became a member of visage teaming up with his old band mate rusty egan. Borrowing cloths off Steve strange and staying behind the scenes until he joined up with the then unsuccessful band Ultravox. Ultravoxs popularity skyrocketed and midge began to develop more as an artiste using a variey of instruments and developing a style of music completely different.

Solo recording beckoned and midge started teaming up and dueting with the likes of Mick Karn (Japan) and Phil lynott. However band aid became midge’s new calling and with Bob Geldof they wrote a song involving a number of great artists ad raiseing money for the people of Ethiopia.

Midges bachelor days were numbered however when he met and married model Annabel Giles. “ I don’t think its changed me” he explains cautiously “ ive become less manic, its great now I couldn’t really ever go on holidays before because I didn’t want to go alone and id never go with anyone in case they become too attached.” He also exclaims that his “ a great romantic, IV just never really had anyone to be greatly romantic with before.”

Midge now lives with his second wife Sheridan (first wife Annabel Giles with whom midge has a daughter Molly) and his children Florence and ruby, and his many pets including a Shetland pony called Hamish.



1. Reading including Errol Flynns biography ‘ my wicked wicked ways’ and ‘memoirs of a geisha’ by Arthur golden.

2. Favourite songs include itchycoo park by the small faces

3. Films including Casablanca and it’s a wonderful life