Martin Fry

Martin David Fry (born 9 March 1958, in Stockport, Cheshire) is an English singer. He is the lead singer (and currently sole member) of the new wave band ABC.

Biography

He grew up in Bramhall, Stockport, alongside his younger brother Jamie (of Earl Brutus).

ABC

Martin Fry first met up with future bandmates Mark White and Stephen Singleton while interviewing them for a fanzine that he edited called Modern Drugs. White and Singleton, then fronting a rock band called Vice Versa, invited Fry to join their band to play the keyboards. The group changed its name to ABC and changed its sound to a synthpop style that at that time led them to be categorized with bands like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and The Human League.

Between 1982 and 1992, ABC recorded six studio albums (The Lexicon of Love, Beauty Stab, How to Be a...Zillionaire!, Alphabet City, Up and Abracadabra) and released a greatest hits compilation, Absolutely. During this time, the band went through numerous personnel changes, with Martin Fry and Mark White being the only permanent members.

Stone skipping

Stone skipping is the pastime of throwing a flat stone across water in such a way that it bounces off the surface, preferably many times. The object of the game is to see how many times a stone can bounce before sinking.

Championships and records

The North American Stone Skipping Association (NASSA), founded by Coleman-McGhee, in 1989 and based in Driftwood, Texas, sanctioned world championships for four years from 1989 through 1992 in Wimberley, Texas. The next official NASSA World Championships is expected to be held at Platja d'en Ros beach in Cadaqués, Catalonia, Spain.

The world record for the number of skips Guinness Book of Records is 88 by Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner, age 48. The cast was achieved on September 6, 2013 at Red Bridge in the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania. The previous record was 65 skips, by Max Steiner, set at Riverfront Park, Franklin, Pennsylvania. Before him, the record was 51 skips, set by Russell Byars on July 19, 2007, skipping at the same location. Kurt Steiner also held the world record between 2002 and 2007.

Skipping Stones

"Skipping Stones" is a short story by Orson Scott Card. It first appeared in his short story collection Capitol and then later in The Worthing Saga.

Plot summary

"Skipping Stones" is the story of two boys who grow up together. One is the son of a very wealthy man while the other is an indentured servant. Despite these differences the two boys become best friends. As children they both enjoy art and study it together. When they grow up, the rich boy goes into his father’s business and begins using the fictional drug Somec to put himself into a state of suspended animation for five years at a time so that he will live longer - a common practice in his society for those who can afford it. When he becomes a young man, the servant is released from his contract but is too poor to go on Somec, so he continues to paint to make a living. Each time he comes out of suspended animation the rich man finds that his friend is becoming more successful as an artist. Eventually the artist is famous and rich enough to afford to go on Somec himself - but declines to do so, preferring to live his life as a contiguous whole rather than skipping across time like a stone across the water.