“I never saw myself as a spokesman for a generation. It was all a bit heavy for me. I saw myself as a songwriter and wrote for myself, which I still do, and I also wanted to communicate with my audience.”

English singer-songwriter and musician

Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Born John William Weller, he rose to fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist, principal singer, and songwriter of the Jam, a key band of the mod revival. After the Jam ended in 1982, he formed the Style Council with Mick Talbot and worked through pop, jazz, soul, hip hop, folk, and classical influences. He later began a solo career in the early 1990s and rebuilt his success across his first four solo albums, including Paul Weller, Wild Wood, Stanley Road, and Heavy Soul.