Florence Welch

Florence Welch (born 28 August 1986 in Camberwell) is the daughter of Evelyn Welch, a Harvard-educated Professor of Renaissance Studies and Academic Dean of Arts at Queen Mary, University of London, and Nick Welch, an advertising executive.  Evelyn is also the niece of the satirist Craig Brown. Nick contributed a "rock and roll element to the family mix"; in his 20s he used to live in the West End squat and attended the Squatters' Ball organised by Heathcote Williams where The 101ers played regularly. Himself a self-confessed "frustrated performer", if Nick, as he put it, "nudged Flo in any way it's only been to listen to The Ramones rather than Green Day". Evelyn had an equally strong, even if completely different influence on her daughter. A visit to one of her mother's lectures left teenage Florence deeply impressed. She explained, "I aspire to something like that but with music. I hope that my music has some of the big themes sex, death, love, violence that will still be part of the human story in 200 years' time." Florence was educated at Thomas's London Day School then went onto Alleyn's School, South East London, where she did well academically. Welch often got in trouble in school for impromptu singing. Welch has been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia.  Following her meteoric rise to fame, she suffered a bout of depression. Upon leaving school, Florence studied at Camberwell College of Arts before dropping out to focus on her music. Welch's fascination with terror and doom was intensified by the death of her grandparents within a few years of each other. At the age 10 Welch witnessed her grandfather's deterioration, and her maternal grandmother, also an art historian, committed suicide when Welch was 14. When Welch was 13 years old, she and her mother moved in with their next door neighbour and his three teenage children. According to Welch: "We get on brilliantly now, but it was a nightmare then. I just used to stay in my room and dance around."  

Welch contributed vocals to David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's 2010 album Here Lies Love, an album about Imelda Marcos. Welch has been dating boyfriend Stuart Hammond since 2008; their temporary split provided inspiration for much of the Lungs album.  When discussing her fashion style, Welch said that, "For the stage, it's Lady of Charlotte meets Ophelia...mixed with scary gothic bat lady. But in real life I'm kind of prim." As of January 2011, Welch was working with Drake on material slated for his upcoming record. Welch has become a fashion icon, noticed for her red curls (though she is actually a natural brunette) and a style that has been described as daring but nonchalant. As a teenager she read fashion magazines more often than music magazines. Early in her music career she dressed in a tomboy style. 2011 saw Gucci dressing her for her summer tour and a performance at the Chanel runway show at Paris Fashion Week. Welch describes 1970s American drag queen troupe Cockettes and French beatnik singer Francoise Hardy as fashion mentors. Welch has also named Fleetwood Mac pop/rock songstress Stevie Nicks as a musical, fashion, and general influence. A Huffington Post entertainment article quotes her as telling a reporter that "I'm pretty obsessed with Stevie Nicks from her style to her voice. I like watching her on YouTube and her old performances, the way she moves and everything." Welch can sometimes be seen in concert paying homage to Nick's famous billowing, gypsy stage dress, all the while making it her own. Welch had a long term relationship with a literary editor. The couple briefly broke up prior to the release of Florence and the Machine's debut album and the breakup provided material for the album. In 2011 the couple broke up by mutual decision because of conflicting career demands and the breakup provide material for Florence and The Machine's second album.