Gary Numan

Gary Numan
Numan in 2025
Born
Gary Anthony James Webb

(1958-03-08) 8 March 1958
London, England
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1976–present
Spouse
Gemma O'Neill
(m. 1997)
Children3
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • synthesizer
Works
Labels
Formerly of
Websitegarynuman.com
Signature

Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. The band's second and final album, 1979's Replicas, reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and spawned a UK No. 1 single with "Are 'Friends' Electric?". Following the band's split, he released his debut solo album The Pleasure Principle later in 1979, which also reached No. 1 in the UK and produced another UK No. 1 single with "Cars". Although his commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he has maintained a strong cult following since then. He has sold over 10 million records.

Numan is regarded as a pioneer of electronic music. He developed a signature sound consisting of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals, and is also known for his distinctive voice and androgynous "android" persona. He received an Ivor Novello Award, the Inspiration Award, from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors in 2017. In June 2025, Numan made his debut at the Glastonbury Festival.