Paul Simonon

Paul Simonon is an English musician and visual artist whose main fame came as the Clash's bassist. Born in London in 1955, he grew up in Brixton and Ladbroke Grove. In 1976 Mick Jones recruited him for a new band even though he could not play an instrument; he learned bass by playing along to records, named the group, and shaped its clothing and stage backdrops. He played bass on nearly all of the Clash's songs and appears on the London Calling cover. After the Clash split in 1986, he formed Havana 3am, recorded one album, and took part in a Bob Dylan session for Down in the Groove. He later played bass with the Good, the Bad and the Queen and played on Gorillaz's Plastic Beach. He filmed Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982) and works as a visual artist. In 2023 he announced Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?, an album with Galen Ayers.