Captain Sensible

For the 1950s singer, see Ray Burns (singer).

Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible performing live with the Damned at the Ritz in Manchester, 2015
Captain Sensible performing live with the Damned at the Ritz in Manchester, 2015
Background information
Birth nameRaymond Ian Burns[1]
Born (1954-04-24) 24 April 1954 (age 70)[2]
Balham, London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
  • keyboards
  • vocals
Years active1976–present
Labels
  • A&M
  • Deltic
  • Humbug
Member of
Formerly of

Raymond Ian Burns (born 24 April 1954), known by the stage name Captain Sensible, is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He co-founded the punk rock band the Damned in 1976, originally playing bass before switching to guitar. He is known for his distinctive appearance including a red beret and sunglasses, typically with white frames. Sensible embarked on a solo career during the 1980s, achieving a UK number one hit with his version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Happy Talk" (1982) and further hits with "Wot" (1982) and "Glad It's All Over" (1984). In 2006, Sensible founded the Blah! Party. He continues to perform in the Damned.

  1. ^ Valcourt, Keith (4 May 2017). "The Damned's Captain Sensible: 'What Is Punk?'". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Captain Sensible Official Site – Bio". Archived from the original on 4 June 2014.
  3. ^ Turner, Luke (10 November 2009). "The Damned's Captain Sensible on Why He Likes Trains". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  4. ^ Abjorensen, Norman (2017). "New wave music". Historical Dictionary of Popular Music. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 367–368. ISBN 978-1-538-10215-2. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2019.