Alex James

Biography: An English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur. He has also played with temporary bands, Fat Les, Me Me Me, WigWam and Bad Lieutenant.

Born in Boscombe, Bournemouth, he attended the state grammar school Bournemouth School in Charminster. In 1988 James met future bandmate Graham Coxon at Goldsmiths, University of London, where James studied French. Introductions with Coxon?s old school friend Damon Albarn and Dave Rowntree soon took place, who at the time were part of a band called Circus. He eventually joined the three?s new band, Seymour, in 1989, which would later be renamed Blur. While he has been in the band ever since he now describes the experience as "a past-life". Despite this, Blur got together with returning band mate Graham Coxon to perform at Glastonbury Festival, Hyde Park, Oxegen and T in the Park during the summer of 2009. They also played shows at Goldsmiths, Essex Museum and other venues around the UK and Europe.

In his book he describes a long period of decadent lifestyle.

He estimates that he spent about a million pounds on champagne and cocaine.

Alex James married Claire Neate, a music video producer, in April 2003 in Cheltenham. They have five children: three boys Geronimo and twins Artemis and Galileo and daughters Sable and Beatrix. The family live in Kingham in Oxfordshire on a 200-acre (0.81 km2) organic cheese farm.

Alex James was recently voted eighth in GQ Magazine?s Annual Best Dressed List 2011. He continues to work with Aubin & Wills as both a designer and model designing selected limited edition pieces. His first collaboration - the Galileo jacket, sold out and Aubin & Wills will unveiled a further design collaboration in Autumn 2011