Richard Lofthouse Butler was born on 5 June 1956, in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. His father George Butler was a research chemist, a communist and an atheist. In the 1970s the elder Butler was slated to become a scientific ambassador for the Soviet Union, but a friend convinced him this would not be a good place for his family. Butler's mother was an artist, and he started art school in London with the idea of becoming a painter. After graduation, he worked in a silk-screen print shop, but got the idea to form a band.
Musical career
Butler formed the Psychedelic Furs in 1977 with his bassist brother Tim Butler. According to Butler, the Psychedelic Furs began rehearsing in the Butlers' front room, but were soon banished because of the noise. Joined by guitarist John Ashton, guitarist Roger Morris, drummer Vince Ely and saxophonist Duncan Kilburn, the band quickly gained commercial success. The band's self-titled 1980 debut on Columbia Records and the 1981 Talk Talk Talk totaled 20 songs. The Psychedelic Furs went on hiatus in the early 1990s and Butler became the founder and lead singer of Love Spit Love. By 2000 he stated that Love Spit Love had "gone into remission." His work with Love Spit Love can be heard on the hitsyndicatedtelevision showCharmed. A truncated version of LSL's cover version of the Smiths' hit song "How Soon Is Now?" – recorded for The Craft soundtrack – plays during the Charmedopening credits. He also sang backing vocals, on "I Am Anastasia" by the American band Sponge. Love Spit Love's "Am I Wrong" was the theme over the opening credits of the 1995 film Angus. In 2001, the Psychedelic Furs reformed after a nine-year hiatus and have toured worldwide since then. In 2001, they released a live album titled Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live. In early 2006, Butler released the eponymous solo album titled Richard Butler, a collection of songs dedicated to his late father, Dr. George Butler, and also Jon Carin's father, Dr. Arthur A. Carin. In 2014, Butler covered Charles Aznavour's "She" for the Gone Girl teaser trailer.
Art career
In the early 2000s, Butler became interested in the art scene and began painting again. He has had gallery exhibitions in New York City, Miami, and Florence, Italy. One of his works, "Girl With a Map," has been used as a CD's cover art.
