Brandon Flowers

Brandon Flowers was the most popular frontman of the new wave revival, which swept through America and England during the early 2000s.

As frontman of the Killers, he helped popularize a genre that hadn’t been fashionable for nearly two decades, drawing influence from a number of '80s synth pop bands -- including New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Psychedelic Furs -- while writing the songs that comprised his band’s multi-platinum debut, Hot Fuss.

Flowers also proved to be a super-sized media personality, gathering headlines for his clothing choices (which ran the gamut from neatly tailored suits to bizarrely feathered shoulder pads) and controversial, outspoken opinions on rival bands.

Although the Killers retooled their sound with each album, the group rarely subscribed to convention -- and Flowers, who launched a solo career in 2010, seemed happy to be the most unconventional of them all.

Flowers grew up in the southwest, spending his first eight years in the Las Vegas suburbs before moving to Utah with his parents.

He returned to Las Vegas several years later, where he finished high school and landed a job working as a bellhop at the Gold Coast Hotel.

He began spending his free time playing keyboards in a synth pop band, although he lost his position in the group when his bandmates all relocated to Los Angeles in 2001.

Flowers remained in Las Vegas and began working with local guitarist Dave Keunig, with whom he pieced together a new band that relied on guitars as much as keyboards.

The Killers’ lineup was officially cemented in August 2002 with the arrival of bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, and their glossy debut album -- released on both sides of the Atlantic in 2004 -- made the Killers one of the decade’s biggest pop bands. With their open-armed embrace of synthesizers, icy atmospherics, and other trappings of the '80s, the Killers were placed into the same retro category as groups like Franz Ferdinand and the Rapture.

For the band’s second album, though, the guys shifted their focus to the heartland rock & roll of Bruce Springsteen.

Released in October 2006, Sam’s Town found Brandon Flowers modeling his performance after the Boss and Bono, and the album (although not as popular as Hot Fuss) went platinum across the globe.

While on tour the following summer, Flowers had his first son with wife Tana Mundkowsky, whom he’d married two years prior.

After releasing a rarities compilation, Sawdust, in late 2007, the Killers began working on a third album.

Day & Age arrived in November 2008 and became another worldwide hit, with “Human” hitting the Top Ten in several countries.

Flowers’ second son was born while he was on the road in support of Day & Age, and his mother passed away in early 2010.

Both experiences inspired him to keep writing, and he decided to launch a solo career later that year while the rest of the Killers enjoyed a short hiatus.

Flamingo, his first album of solo material, was released that fall.

~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi

Brandon Flowers denies he is an ''egomaniac'' and said he would be fine with other members of The Killers making solo albums. Headline Abstract

(BANG) -

Brandon Flowers denies he is an "egomaniac" and would be fine with other members of The Killers going solo.

The 'Crossfire' singer - who has recently embarked on a solo career - said it is a misperception he made an album while the rest of the band are on hiatus because he wanted total control, and he will have no problem coming up with material for a new album with his main band, because he has always got "songs cooking".

He told BBC6 Music: "There's a lot of confusion, people think I'm an egomaniac and they don't realise the band are actually really happy that I did this.

"It actually comes from a place of humility really, I need to do this, I can't take two years off. And I always write. At any given time there are songs cooking."

When asked how he'd feel if, for example, guitarist Dave Keuning came and said he had wanted to record his own solo album and was going to take a year to promote it, Brandon replied he'd simply: "Put out another solo album" himself.

Brandon recently played at London's Brixton Academy venue yesterday (19.10.10) where he brought producer Stuart Price, who has worked on both Killers albums and 'Flamingo', Brandon's solo debut. They played Killers track 'Human', 'Only The Young', and Stuart's remix version of 'Mr Brightside'.

Brandon Flowers performed a cover version of Kim Carnes's 1981 hit 'Bette Davis Eyes' at his first London solo concert last night (17.10.10).

(BANG) -

Brandon Flowers played his first London solo concert last night (17.10.10) - treating fans to a surprise cover version of Kim Carnes's 'Bette Davis Eyes'.

The singer - who is on hiatus from his band The Killers - launched into the classic 80s track during his show at the HMV Forum, much to the delight of the sell-out crowd.

Flowers was showcasing material from his debut solo LP 'Flamingo' and sent his fans wild with renditions of 'Magdalena', 'Only The Young', 'Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts' and hit single 'Crossfire'.

The 29-year-old musician drew huge screams from the women in the audience as he strutted across the Las Vegas-inspired stage in a green rolled-up shirt.

He was happy to speak in-between tracks and flattered fans when introducing a slowed-down version of 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' by saying: "This land is my musical home, but this song is about my physical home."

Flowers - who was supported by American band Transfer - didn't ignore his Killers career and played 'Losing Touch' from the band's third studio album 'Day & Age'.

He came off stage to huge cheers and after the crowd chanted his name for a few minutes begging for him to return he came back for a two track encore comprised of 'The Clock Was Tickin'' and a stripped down acoustic version of The Killers hit 'When You Were Young'.

Former Killers frontman Brandon Flowers has admitted while he tries to be positive about his career, he doesn't trust anyone in the music industry.

(BANG) -

Brandon Flowers doesn't trust anyone in the music industry.

The former Killers frontman - who released his debut solo album 'Flamingo' last week - admitted while he tries to be optimistic about his career, the industry has taught him to be distrusting.

He explained: "Don't trust anyone. It's not a pretty business. I still try to be optimistic. I forget about everything and get back to normal when I go home, but when the cycle of working on a new record starts again it all comes back to me."

However, the 'Crossfire' hitmaker revealed he will reconvene the Killers next year, as he realised while recording his album on his own that the band "can't be replaced".

Brandon, 29, added to the Metro newspaper: "It was unusual. I tried to find the similarities. It's still making music and doing the best I can. The band can't be replaced; I worked with friends of mine who are great musicians on this. The producers were also all very capable musicians.

"We don't have a date set but it will be next year. I miss them sometimes. We've shared a lot of experiences together.

"When the blows come it's nice to have people there to share them with."