Neil Hannon

Edward Neil Anthony Hannon (born 7 November 1970) is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter. He is the creator and front man of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy, and is the band's sole constant member. Hannon wrote the theme tunes for Graham Linehan sitcoms Father Ted and The IT Crowd.

Early life and education

Hannon was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, the son of Brian Hannon, a retired Church of Ireland clergyman and former Bishop of Clogher. He moved with his family to Enniskillen, in County Fermanagh, in 1982. While there, he attended Portora Royal School.

Career

Hannon is founder and mainstay of The Divine Comedy, a band who have achieved critical and, at times, commercial, success throughout the past 21 years. The band achieved their biggest commercial success in the mid to late 1990s with the albums Casanova (1996), A Short Album About Love (1997), and Fin de Siècle (1998). Hannon continues to release albums under The Divine Comedy name, the most recent being the critically acclaimed Bang Goes the Knighthood (2010).