Paul Gustave Simonon (; born 15 December 1955) is an English musician and artist best known as the bassist for the Clash. More recent work includes his involvement in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen and playing on the Gorillaz album Plastic Beach in 2010, which saw Simonon reunite with the Clash guitarist Mick Jones and Blur frontman Damon Albarn – and which also led to Simonon becoming the live band's touring bassist for Gorillaz's Escape to Plastic Beach Tour. Simonon is also an established visual artist.
Early life
Simonon was born in Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey. His father, Gustave, was an amateur artist and his mother, Elaine, was a librarian. Simonon's paternal grandfather was a Belgian refugee who came to England during the First World War. Paul grew up in the London areas of Brixton and Ladbroke Grove. Before joining the Clash, he had planned to become an artist. He studied at Byam Shaw School of Art (then based in Campden St, Kensington), which he attended on a scholarship.
Career
The Clash
In 1976, Mick Jones of protopunk band London SS was putting together a new band, inspired by the arrival of the Sex Pistols. London SS manager Bernard Rhodes recommended hiring Simonon due to his attitude and looks, despite Simonon not knowing how to play an instrument. Jones attempted to teach Simonon the guitar but gave up in a matter of hours and asked him to play bass instead. Six months later, the Clash was formed when vocalist and guitarist Joe Strummer completed the lineup. Strummer has since remarked that Simonon learned to play bass by playing along to the Ramones first album.
Simonon is credited with coming up with the name of the band and was mainly responsible for the visual aspects such as clothing and stage backdrops. Simonon was depicted on the front cover of the band's double album London Calling in Pennie Smith's now iconic photograph of him smashing his Fender Precision Bass guitar during a 1979 concert in New York City, undoubtedly one of the signature images of the punk era.
Simonon played bass on almost all of the Clash's songs. Recordings that he did not play on include: "The Magnificent Seven" and "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)" on Sandinista! (played by Norman Watt-Roy), "Rock the Casbah" on Combat Rock (played by Topper Headon), and Cut the Crap (played by Norman Watt-Roy). Sandinista! featured bass played by Jones or Strummer, some but possibly not all of which Simonon later re-recorded once he rejoined the sessions after filming Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. Also, when performing "The Guns of Brixton" live he switched instruments with Joe Strummer, because it was easier for him to sing while playing guitar, instead of bass as he sings lead vocals on this track.
