Richard Ashcroft, English singer-songwriter and musician

Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Ashcroft formed the alternative rock band the Verve in 1989 and served as the sole songwriter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime. His songwriting has been commended by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors twice with an Ivor Novello Award ; he is a multi-platinum selling artist, selling over 10,000,000 albums worldwide. Following the Verve's disbandment in 1999, Ashcroft embarked on a successful solo career, releasing six UK top-three solo albums, including Alone with Everybody, Keys to the World and These People. The Verve reformed in 2007 and disbanded again in 2009.