Mick Hucknall Sick of Red Hair Jokes
May 13, 2008 – Come on admit it you’ve made jokes about redheads? Sure, maybe when you were six! Mick Hucknall says he’s sick of it. He’s so disappointed with folks making “Ginger” jokes that he calls it a form of racism. He said: "When it comes to name calling for being ginger or for the way you talk, then that's simple bullying. The simply Red lead singer says it’s ridiculous that kids still get bullied in the playground because of the color of their hair, "It has become acceptable to mock people for the colour of their hair. But at the end of the day, you've just got to ignore the jibes and get on with things."
The singer has a theory when it comes to his taunting – he says people are jealous. Hucknall has dated some cuties including Catherine Zeta Jones and is a very rich dude, He says, “The truth is if you're successful, you've sold a load of albums and slept with a load of women - and all the rest of it is just pure envy."
Simply Red recently announced their retirement and Hucknall plans to release his first solo album `Tribute to Bobby` on May 19. - by John Beaudin
Simply Red's Lead Singer Mick Hucknall To Release His First Ever Solo Album
 May 1, 2008 - It has been six months since Hucknall, Simply Red's Lead Singer and founder, announced he was breaking up Simply Red, the band he founded in 1984, that catapulted him to fame and fortune.
Hucknall is about to release on May 19th, 2008 a solo album called "Tribute to Bobby", a homage to the American singer Bobby Bland, sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues", who was such an influence on the young Hucknall. 'Tribute to Bobby' is a twelve track master class in soul, blues and R&B. Along with such artists as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and Junior Parker, Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with blues and R&B. He sang classics such as big-band blues number "Farther Up The Road" (US R&B top 10 hit in 1957) and perfected his craft in the 1960's with a series of releases including "Cry Cry Cry" and "I Pity The Fool". Bobby 'Blue' Bland perhaps achieved his greatest recognition much later in his career; in 1992 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1997 he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hucknall has spent more than 25 years as the front man and driving force of Simply Red, notching up an astonishing 22 hit singles and a personal fortune of more than £40 million. Hits such as Fairground, Money's Too Tight To Mention, If You Don't Know Me By Now and Holding Back the Years have made him a household name on both sides of the Atlantic. His song-writing skills have earned him three Brits Awards and two Ivor Novello awards
After having stepped out from Simply Red, Hucknall will be doing a European Summer tour to support his debut solo album "Tribute to Bobby".
The 2008 UK tour dates are:
29 June Bristol Colston Hall
30 June Wolverhampton Civic Hall
1 July Summer Pops (Liverpool)
3 July Manchester Apollo
4 July Newcastle City Hall
5 July Oxford New Theatre
7 July Leicester De Montfort Hall
8 July Ipswich Regent
9 July London Indigo 02 Arena
For more information: www.simplyred.com
By Akbar Nour
Simply Red To Split Up in 2009
 October
29, 2007 - One of the few great British soul and
Smooth Jazz singers Mick
Hucknall, a multi-million CDs seller with Simply Red,
has indicated that his band will split up in 2009.
As he put it on the band's official web site:
"'Stay' will be Simply
Red's final studio album and 'The World and
You Tonight', which is released next Monday, will
be Simply Red's final single. The group will disband
after their tour in 2009." This will end
up a 25 years successful career, that has seen
the band producing 10 CDs and selling more than
50 million copies. The main reason behind this
amicable split up is Hucknall's desire to embark
on a solo career, as he has just completed an
album of his own, a tribute to Bobby Bland, a
blues and R&B artist. Simply
Red's name was inspired by Hucknall's love
of the famous football British team Manchester
United, his political affiliations with Tony Blair's
Labour Party and the color of his hair. The band
has often topped the charts with its albums and
famous songs such as Sunrise," "You've
Got It," "For Your Babies," "Money's
Too Tight to Mention, "It's Only Love,"
"Something Got Me Started" and "If
You Don't Know Me By Now." Before Hucknall
puts a book end to the Simply
Red story, there is still some more time left
to appreciate their memorable tracks. By Akbar
Nour, Smoothjazznow.com's Contributing Editor
Simply
Red Betting the House On A Hit!
March
30, 2003 - Here's something that doesn't happen
everyday - a musician betting his house on
a hit album! Simply Red lead singer Mick Hucknall
(pictured left) is betting his house you'll
like their new album, ``Home.'' Having earned
a healthy core following Hucknall formed his
own label, Simply
Red.com, to release the bands latest.
He has signed a contract guaranteeing that
if the album tanks, he loses his house which
seems highly unlikely but heck it'll get the
band some attention! The first single is called
``Sunrise'' and samples ``I Can't Go For That
(No Can Do)'' by Hall and Oates.
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June 11, 2008 – 
