Alex Kapranos

Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley (born 20 March 1972), commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a Scottish musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the Glasgow-based rock band Franz Ferdinand.

Early life

Alex Kapranos was born in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England to an English mother and Greek father. He moved to Scotland at the age of seven, attending primary school in Edinburgh and high school in Bearsden, a suburb of Glasgow. At the age of 17, Kapranos attended the University of Aberdeen to study Theology. After dropping out, he continued his studies at the University of Strathclyde, eventually gaining a BA. In 2005, he was awarded Strathclyde's Alumnus of the Year. He worked as a chef, barman, music promoter, driver, welder and lecturer prior to finding fame with Franz Ferdinand.

From the early 1990s, he was a fixture of the Glasgow music scene, running live nights at the 13th Note, most notably The Kazoo Club. While working as a chef, bartender, lecturer in IT at the city's Anniesland College, and other various jobs, he played in some of Glasgow's popular bands, including The Blisters (later known as The Karelia), The Amphetameanies, and The Yummy Fur. He is also known to have contributed to the noise act Urusei Yatsura and Lung Leg recordings.