Colin Vearncombe, who has died aged 53 following a road accident, released 14 live and studio albums as well as five compilations, some under his own name and some using his pseudonym, Black. He had been a recording artist since 1981 but, despite the breadth of his output, he was always best known for his 1987 hits Sweetest Smile and Wonderful Life.
Wonderful Life soared into the upper reaches of charts around the world, and became both a curse and a blessing for Vearncombe. As a calling card for his wistful, melodic and carefully crafted songwriting it could not have been bettered. It remains an international radio favourite, and the numerous cover versions it has inspired are a testament to its appeal; Tony Hadley, Kim Wilde, Ace of Base, Mathilde Santing and Katie Melua are among those who have recorded it. But as his recent collaborator the musician and producer Calum MacColl commented: “I think he got to the point where he really resented being Colin ‘Wonderful Life’ Vearncombe, and he wanted people to listen to some of his other stuff and the breadth and the darkness.”
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