MIKEY CRAIG - Early Biography

Bassist, Mikey Craig, real name Michael Emile Craig, was born within the sounds of Hammersmith Odeon on February 15, 1960.

And if Boy George's family was male dominated, Mikey's was female. "I've got four sisters and a couple of elder brothers," he says. "In fact one of them, Greg, is also a musician and a member of the group, 'Funkapolitan'.

Music was a feature of this life from quite a young age. "I was always there in front of the television screen when the 'The Monkees' show was on and I liked their record too". But whilst 'The Monkees' were very much a manufactured group which happened to turn into a tour band too, Mikey's thoughts were more in forming a band someday.

However, music wasn't his first choice for a career. He showed a great talent for football at school and was noticed by a few major teams who were making the right sounds in his direction for him to sign on with them when he left school. "I was all for it," he says, "but the usual thing happened. It was impressed upon me that it was much more important for me to get a full education." Not an unwise choice, since signing on with a football team does not ensure a place in that team.

The fact that he had to concentrate on his schoolwork didn't prevent him from having a
highly active nightlife.

Instead of dancing around the fields with a football he was down all the London clubs hoofing it on the dance floor. And soon he was doing dee jay work which he found exciting. This continued whilst he pursued a variety of jobs on leaving school, one of which, like Jon Moss, brought him into touch with the music industry.

Soon, he was learning bass guitar and looking for a group to join. Which is when he discovered that Boy George was putting a band together. Making noises in George's direction he found himself being auditioned and brought strain into the band as a founder.