Bari Goddard is an avant garde and controversial British singer-songwriter, artist and photographer.
Life and work
Goddard was lead singer with Welsh Art Rock band Blaue Reiter, who released a single in 1981 called "Where He Stands" on Orifice Records to critical acclaim from John Peel, marketed by Rough Trade Records in London. The band split in 1982 and Goddard moved to London. He formed a band with Steve Maguire called The Design Team, then became lead vocalist with The Knives from 1983 to 1987. The Knives released one song, "The Lonely One", on the compilation album "Freedon To Rock" on Red Bus Records in 1986, amid often sellout performances at the Marquee Club, and the Batcave in London. Renowned for his performing skills and vocal range he was approached by bands as diverse as Marillion and Frankie Goes To Hollywood for their vacant lead vocals, dismissing both as "dinosaurs unaware of the comet". In 1989 Goddard became backing vocalist with Then Jerico touring their Big Area album internationally. A double CD compilation of Radio Sessions and a live performance at Hammersmith Odeon in 1989 was released in 1997, called "Radio Jerico" on Eagle Rock Communications Records. When Then Jerico split in 1990 he became backing vocalist with The Communards and Jimmy Somerville. Performed with Jimmy Somerville at the London premier of the 1992 film Orlando and at the London premier of the 1991 Pedro Almodóvar film High Heels. After the exhaustive and hectic touring schedule of the Jimmy Somerville Greatest Hits world tour in 1991 – 3, he opted out of the music world and returned to his love of painting. One of his paintings "Burning The Babies Of Muslim Martyrs" exhibited in Madrid and London in 2000 caused a great deal of controversy for which he is unrepentant, stating "political correctness is a castration device designed by religion and government to make us all grey — I don't like grey". Video appearances include "Rain" — Madonna, "Mistletoe And Wine" — Sir Cliff Richard, "Loves In The Neighbourhood" — His Latest Flame, "Good Guys Only Win In The Movies" — C. C. Catch. Today he is a reclusive artist and photographer, living in Madrid, exhibiting worldwide. He featured on the Saatchi online Web site where his work is likened to Graham Sutherland and Ceri Richards. In 2015 he was one of a group of artists chosen to be exhibited at the Louvre Summer show in Paris. Recent exhibitions include : Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, London 2015 and 2016. Stradun, Dubrovnik 2016. Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik July 2017. WAG Ode To Life, Montenegro September 2017.
