Jez Lowe

Jez Lowe is a songwriter and singer from North East England. John Gerard "Jez" Lowe was born 14 July 1955 in County Durham, in a family with Irish roots. He is known primarily for his compositions dealing with daily life in North-East England, particularly in his hometown of Easington Colliery. He attended St Francis RC Grammar School in nearby Hartlepool and later studied languages at Sunderland Polytechnic. He commenced playing folk music at that stage. Later he played with Ged Foley who had been with him at High School. They formed a band called Hendon Banks with some people at college and played all over England. He commenced performing solo in the late 1970s and released his first solo album in 1980. In 1990 he released his first album with the Bad Pennies. He continues to performs both as a solo artist and with his backing band, The Bad Pennies in countless live performances around the world.