Robert Holmes is an English-born guitarist, best known for his work as guitarist/vocalist/writer in the American new wave band

'Til Tuesday Til Tuesday (often stylized as til tuesday) was an American new wave band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band, consisting of Aimee Mann (lead vocals, bass), Robert Holmes (guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Michael Haus ...

, the former band of

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...

. He first moved to America with his family at the age of seven.

From 'til Tuesday to Ultra Blue

In 1988, he formed a bluesy rock quartet called Ultra Blue with his wife Glenda who sang backups for Robert and occasionally sang lead. Ultra Blue won best new artist at the

Boston Music Awards Founded in 1987, the Boston Music Awards are a set of music awards given annually that showcase talent in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. Past shows have featured such notable talent as Aerosmith, Paula Cole, Esperanza Spalding, Boston, Rubyhor ...

in 1989 and made many recordings. Several sessions were paid for by Epic records but a recording contract never materialized. In 1993, Ultra Blue was put on the back burner when Holmes joined up with Street Magic, an a cappella quintet specializing in

Doo Wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

. A short article written by Holmes was published on the backside page of the August 1996 ''

Musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

'' magazine called "The Morning After 'Til Tuesday" in which Holmes detailed some of the differences between working with 'Til Tuesday and doing general business work on a local level with Street Magic. In 1996, he moved to Vermont and formed a function/cover band called "Love Bomb" for which he was the leader and lead guitarist. According to an interview he gave to the Valley Advocate, the band inherited its name from the Lynsey De Paul song " Love Bomb". The band built up a sizable following in the Southern Vermont/ Western Massachusetts area and played numerous weddings and private parties for the next 13 years. In 2010, Holmes collaborated with Grammy Award-winning producer Bob St. John and former Beat Surender (

Sony Records Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation. Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the label ...

) front man Paul Souza to release ''Shakin' Not Stirred'' under Souza's current rock band The Velveteen Playboys, before moving to the UK.

Back to the UK

Holmes is now a freelance guitar player for hire living in the UK. During late 2011 and spring 2012, Holmes played guitar on the first Wilderspin album ''Something to Crow About'', with songs written by Mark Wilderspin and produced/engineered by Paul Bryant. Late 2012 sees Holmes again working with producer and bass player Paul Bryant, on the Sarana VerLin and Billy Brandt CD ''Going Home''. Both Wilderspin and VerLin Brandt albums recorded in Paul Bryant's Cotswold recording studio in the UK. In 2013, Holmes played on a session with

Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 1 ...

producing at

British Grove British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

studios in London. The two tracks recorded were written by Holmes and singer-songwriter Lydia Baylis, but they have not been released as of yet. There are also original and cover songs recorded by Holmes at home posted on his Soundcloud page. In 2017, Holmes joined The Achievers, a touring original Rhythm and Blues act and winners of the sixth UK Blues Challenge in 2019. The band has released two records, ''Live at the SVA'' in 2018 and ''The Lost Arc'' in 2019.

Personal life

He lives in Gloucestershire with his wife, artist and self portraitist Sheridan Jones.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Robert Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American rock guitarists American male guitarists American people of English descent English male guitarists 'Til Tuesday members American new wave musicians English rock guitarists