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Julian Bream

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Musician

The Resume

    (July 15, 1933-August 14, 2020)
    Born in London, United Kingdom
    Classical guitarist and lutenist
    Formed the Julian Bream Consort (1960) to play Elizabethan music
    Won four Grammys, two for Best Chamber Music Performance, two for Best Classical Instrumental Performance
    Named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1985)

Why he might be annoying:

    Although he made his professional debut at age 13, when asked if he was a child prodigy, he replied, ‘Not really.’
    He said he took up classical guitar professionally because so few other musicians played it: ‘I could be, as it were, the best boy in an all-girls school.’
    He was married and divorced twice.
    He called the Gauloise cigarettes he smoked ‘tubes of narcotic joy.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    He earned a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he studied piano and cello.
    He was a fan of jazz guitar, naming Django Reinhart one of his musical heroes.
    Benjamin Britten wrote ‘Nocturnal’ especially for him (1963).
    He presented a series of master classes for guitarists on BBC TV.
    Three months after injuring his elbow in a car crash, he toured the US with ‘various nuts and bolts’ in his arm (1984).
    The New York Times wrote, ‘It could be argued that he, even more than Andre Segovia, established the guitar’s credibility as a serious solo instrument.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 87.50% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 21 Votes: 19.05% Annoying