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Gary Numan: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Gary Numan? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Gary Numan
Man Alive! via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. The band's second and final album, 1979's Replicas, reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and spawned a UK No. 1 single with "Are 'Friends' Electric?". Following the band's split, he released his debut solo album The Pleasure Principle later in 1979, which also reached No. 1 in the UK and produced another UK No. 1 single with "Cars". Although his commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he has maintained a strong cult following since then. He has sold over 10 million records. Numan is regarded as a pioneer of electronic music. He developed a signature sound consisting of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals, and is also known for his distinctive voice and androgynous "android" persona. He received an Ivor Novello Award, the Inspiration Award, from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors in 2017. In June 2025, Numan made his debut at the Glastonbury Festival.

Quick facts about Gary Numan

  • Full name: Gary Numan
  • Born: 1958-03-08
  • Nationality: United Kingdom
  • Known as: Musician
  • Wikidata ID: Q331731

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gary Numan?

Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician.

What nationality is Gary Numan?

Gary Numan is United Kingdom.

When was Gary Numan born?

Gary Numan was born on 1958-03-08.

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