Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, who released three albums: The Tourists (1979), Reality Effect (1979), and Luminous Basement (1980), as well as half a dozen singles, including two hits, the Dusty Springfield cover “I Only Want to Be with You” (1979) and “So Good to Be Back Home Again” (1980).
Lennox was born on Christmas Day 1954 in Torry, Aberdeen, Scotland. Stewart was born in 1952 in Sunderland, England. Whilst still in his teens, Stewart secured a record deal as part of folk-rock band Longdancer with Elton John’s record label, The Rocket Record Company.
Lennox and Stewart met in 1975 in a restaurant in London, where Lennox worked at that time. They first played together in 1976 in the punk rock band the Catch. After releasing one single as the Catch in 1977, the band evolved into the Tourists.
It was in a hotel in Wagga Wagga, Australia, while playing around with a portable mini-synthesizer that Lennox and Stewart decided to become a duo. Calling themselves Eurythmics (after the pedagogical exercise system that Lennox had encountered as a child), they decided to keep themselves as the only permanent members and songwriters and involve others in the collaboration.
Eurythmics released a long line of hit singles in the 1980s, including “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” (a US number one and UK number two), “There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)” (UK number one), “Love Is A Stranger”, “Here Comes the Rain Again”, “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”, “Who’s That Girl?”, “Would I Lie to You?” (Australian number one), “Missionary Man” (Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group), “You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart”, “Thorn in My Side”, “The Miracle of Love” and “Don’t Ask Me Why”.
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was Eurythmics’ commercial breakthrough in the UK and all over the world. The single reached number two on the UK chart and was a US number 1 hit.
“There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)” released as the second single from their fifth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985) features a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder.
Stewart co-wrote and co-produced several tracks for Mick Jagger‘s 1987 album Primitive Cool.
Stewart married former Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey (who later formed Shakespears Sister) in 1987. The couple have two sons, Sam and Django. They divorced in 1996.
The duo released eight studio albums, in eight years, seven of which charted in the top 10 on the UK charts and Touch (1983) and We Too Are One (1989) peaking at the top of the charts.
When Eurythmics dissolved in 1990, Stewart moved to France and immediately released a self-titled album with his new band, The Spiritual Cowboys. In 1992, Stewart collaborated with singer Terry Hall (formerly of The Specials, Fun Boy Three and The Colourfield) on the project Vegas.
Annie Lennox released Diva her debut solo studio album in April 1992 by RCA Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and spawned five successful single releases, beginning with “Why” in March 1992, followed by “Precious” in May, “Walking on Broken Glass” in August and “Cold” in October 1992. “Little Bird” was released in February 1993.
Lennox’s second album, Medusa, was released in March 1995. It consisted solely of cover songs, all originally recorded by male artists including Bob Marley, Procol Harum, The Clash, Paul Simon and Neil Young and peaked at number 1 on the UK charts. The lead single “No More ‘I Love You’s'” won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards and was nominated for Best British Single at the 1996 Brit Awards.
In November 2002, Stewart worked with former South African president Nelson Mandela. Stewart came up with the idea of turning Mandela’s prison number into a telephone number then wrote and recorded songs with Paul McCartney, Bono and Edge from U2 that you could only hear if you dialled this number and whilst listening you were donating. He then began organising the 46664 campaign and series of concerts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
Lennox has been a public supporter of Amnesty International and Greenpeace for many years, and she and Dave Stewart donated all of the profits from Eurythmics’ 1999 Peacetour to both charities
Stewart co-produced the album Southern Accents for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as well as co-writing several songs for the album including the hit “Don’t Come Around Here No More”. Stewart also produced the debut solo album by Feargal Sharkey, which included the UK number one hit “A Good Heart”. Stewart won “Best Producer” at the 1986 BRIT Awards in London.
Lennox has been married three times. She and Dave Stewart were in a relationship for three years in the late 1970s, before they formed Eurythmics. They never married.
In 1992, along with Marcella Detroit, Stewart co-wrote Shakespears Sister hit single “Stay” with his then-wife, Siobhan Fahey (with Stewart credited under the pseudonym “Jean Guiot”). Working as a producer and songwriter Stewart has also collaborated with Stevie Nicks, Daryl Hall, Ringo Starr, No Doubt, Bryan Ferry, Candy Dulfer and Joss Stone.
Lennox has been named “The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive” by VH1 and one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone.
In November 2009, Lennox was awarded the Peace Summit Award 2009 by the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates for her engagement in the fight against the HIV pandemic in South Africa. In June 2010, she was named as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for AIDS. Lennox also works with other organisations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International and the British Red Cross.
In 2025, Billboard reported that the Eurythmics music video for “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” had joined YouTube’s Billion Views Club. Released in 1983 the song was the title track off of the Eurythmics 1983 sophomore album, and since has been featured on the soundtracks to multiple films, including House On Haunted Hill and Gamer, as well as in episodes of TV shows such as The Following and Luther. It was also certified gold in the US by the RIAA, and has been covered many times, most famously by Marilyn Manson, as the first single from his 1995 EP, Smells Like Children EP.
