As one-half of the synth-pop dancefloor-shakers known as Erasure, Andy Bell provided vocals and a flamboyant personality that would bolster the group's appeal. Bell would become known as one of the first openly-gay pop stars, paving the way for others to be open with their sexuality as well. Much later in his career, Bell would become a solo artist, finding some success in the same gay-friendly club territory that he did while in Erasure.

Bell was born in 1964 in Peterborough, England. His early 20s were spent moving around quite a bit, as well as joining a band called the Void. Sadly, they never played any gigs, and he quickly tired of the musical relationship and went looking for another one. Glancing through a music magazine, he saw an ad saying that Vince Clarke, formerly of synth-rock groups Depeche Mode and Yaz (known as Yazoo in England), was looking for a singer. Bell earnestly auditioned for the job and, to his delight as a fan as well as a musician, was hired.

Thus began the career of Erasure in 1985. Erasure scored numerous hits over the years, and though its base has never ventured far outside the club market, they had loyal fans all the same. They've recorded consistently since forming, and have released a dozen albums of original material, several live albums and a covers album. Their 2005 record Nightbird was an especially important work, as it was recognized as being largely about Bell's own struggle with being HIV-positive since 1998.

In 2005, Bell also released his first solo record, a dance-ready album called Electric Blue. While it failed to impress anyone outside the dance circles, it scored a major hit single with "Crazy."