Gary Numan (born Gary Anthony James Webb, 8 March 1958) is an English electronic musician.
He is a singer, songwriter, composer, instrumentalist and record-producer. He entered
the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums
with the band, he released his debut solo album The Pleasure Principle in 1979, topping the
UK Albums Chart. While his commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s
with hits including "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars" (both of which reached number one
on the UK Singles Chart), Numan maintains a cult following. He has sold over 10 million records.
Numan faced intense hostility from critics and fellow musicians in his early career,
but has since come to be regarded as a pioneer of electronic music. He developed a signature
sound consisting of heavy synthesiser hooks fed through guitar effects pedals, and is also
known for his distinctive voice and androgynous "android" persona. In 2017, he received
an Ivor Novello Award, the Inspiration Award, from the British Academy of Songwriters,
Composers, and Authors.