Scots floored to discover what Midge Ure's stage name means after 56 years

Daily Record

21-04-2025

Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer Midge Ure has had a career spanning over five decades - but not everyone knows what his stage name actually stands for
Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer Midge Ure, who has enjoyed a successful career spanning decades, is one musician who has truly stood the test of time.
He achieved considerable success in the 1970s and 1980s, playing in bands such as Slik, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids, Visage and notably as the second bandleader of Ultravox after John Foxx's departure.
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His leadership helped propel the band to high chart positions for six years before he decided to disband the group.
Moreover, in 1984, he co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", and was instrumental in assembling the iconic Band Aid group. In short, he's known for his significant contributions to the music industry.
Despite being in the public eye for over five decades, not everyone is aware of the origin of his stage name. The topic recently surfaced on Reddit, leaving fans surprised by the revelation.
One user shared: "James 'Midge' Ure OBE (born 10 October 1953) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name.
"In 1984, he co-wrote and produced the charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' Interestingly, Midge Ure's stage name is a phonetic reversal of his birth name, Jim."
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The story behind this is that in an attempt to avoid confusion with his Salvation bandmate, Jim McGinlay, they decided to reverse James' nickname "Jim" to "Midge", creating a phonetic reversal.
Midge Ure, now 71, has had a dynamic career trajectory, from his early days in the band Salvation to his rise as a prominent figure in the music industry.
After taking over vocal duties when singer Kevin McGinlay left Salvation, the band was renamed Slik and achieved a UK number one single in 1976 with "Forever and Ever", thanks to the songwriting prowess of Bill Martin and Phil Coulter.
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Interestingly, about a year before this success, Midge Ure turned down an opportunity to join the Sex Pistols, believing that music mogul Malcolm McLaren, who put the band together, had "his priorities completely wrong".
Despite his initial reservations about the punk scene, Midge's direction shifted as Slik transformed into PVC2 in an attempt to align with the punk aesthetic.
He later formed Rich Kids with ex-Sex Pistol and Blondie touring member Glen Matlock, before joining Visage in 1978 and Ultravox a year later, contributing to some of the most iconic songs of the era.
Nowadays, the singer is still super active in the music industry. He tours extensively and continues to work on new music.
The star's electronic duo with Charlie Round Turner are heading back to the USA to play a few shows in May. He's also set to tour Australia later this year too.