Stuart Matthewman
| Stuart Matthewman | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Cottonbelly |
| Born |
18 August 1960 Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Associated acts | |
| Website |
www |
| Notable instruments | |
| Doepfer Polyphonic modular system | |
Stuart Colin Matthewman (born 18 August 1960), also known as Cottonbelly,[1] is an English songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. With Sade Adu, Paul S. Denman, and Andrew Hale, he gained worldwide fame as the guitarist/saxophonist of the English band Sade.[2] Stuart is also a member of bands, Sweetback and Twin Danger.
Early life and career
Stuart Colin Matthewman was born on 18 August 1960 in Hull, East Yorkshire, England.[1]
In 1982, Matthewman relocated to London. Joining Latin funk band Pride, he met singer-songwriter Sade Adu and they began writing songs together. Teaming with bassist Paul S. Denman and keyboardist Andrew Hale, they formed the band Sade. Sade signed with Epic Records U.K. division in 1984. Matthewman can be heard on saxophone, guitar, keyboards, and programming. He has appeared on all of Sade's albums: Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, Love Deluxe, and The Best of Sade, all of which went triple platinum in the U.S. and have totaled sales over 40 million albums worldwide.
In 1996 Matthewman along with Andrew Hale and Paul Spencer Denman formed the studio band Sweetback. The band features instrumental songs and songs with guest vocalists. They have released two albums, Sweetback (1996) and Stage 2 (2004).[3]
He cites his musical influences as Junior Walker, King Curtis, Art Pepper, Ernie Isley, Steve Jones, Wah Wah Watson, Issac Hayes, Bill Withers, Lee Perry, Tony Iommi, and Gustav Mahler.
He has composed the music scores for the movies: Twin Falls Idaho, Jackpot, Northfork, The Double (short subject), The Astronaut Farmer and Life Support.[4]
Stuart is also a member of the group Twin Danger. He formed the group in 2011 with singer/writer Vanessa Bley, Daughter of Jazz pianist Paul Bley. In 2014 they signed to Decca Classics/Universal records and will release their first album in the spring of 2015.
Personal life
He has a son, Clay Matthewman. He is also an avid cyclist, and races with the New York race team RBNY Racing.
Awards and nominations
Discography
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Cottonbelly Biography". 16 February 2012. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
- ↑ "Stuart Matthewman Producer Engineer Mixer Songwriter Musician". Erik Eger Entertainment. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- ↑ helen folaSADE adu – band
- ↑ Stuart Matthewman at the Internet Movie Database
External links
- Cottonbelly website
- Interview with Stuart Matthewman, 27 July 2011
- Stuart Matthewman Career Retrospective Interview from August 2015 with Pods & Sods