Alex Kapranos

Kapranos (born Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley-he would alter drop the last name) is the lead singer and guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand. He was born in Almondsbury, England to an English mother and Greek father. At the age of seventeen, he attended the University of Aberdeen to study theology.
However, he eventually dropped out and continued his studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, gaining a BA in English and catering. Prior to his big break and fame with Franz Ferdinand, he had worked as a chef, barman, music promoter, driver, welder and lecturerat at the city's Anniesland College. At the time, he's established himself a notable player in the Glasgow music scene, running live nights at the 13th Note, most notably 'The Kazoo Club', and playing with some of the city's most popular bands, including The Blisters, The Amphetameanies, The Yummy Fur and The Karelia (formerly known as The Blisters). He formed Franz Ferdinand in 2001. The band comprises Kapranos, Nick McCarthy (guitar, keyboard, backup vocals), Paul Thomson (drums, backup vocals, sometimes guitar) and Bob Hardy (bass), and saw fame and chart success with their debut album "Franz Ferdinand" featuring the hit single "Take me Out". They went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. In addition to music, he is also a featured writer, beginning Soundbites, a weekly food column for G2 in the Guardian newspaper in 2005, which detailed his culinary adventures as Franz Ferdinand traversed the globe on their world tour. A book of the column, "Sound Bites: Eating on Tour with Franz Ferdinand", featuring unreleased material illustrated by Andy Knowles was released in 2006.
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