Kevin Coyne was an English musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. He was born in Derby, Derbyshire, England, and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany.
Coyne was critically acclaimed for his unorthodox style of blues-influenced guitar composition, the intense quality of his vocal delivery, and his lyrics describing injustice to the mentally ill. Musicians who have described themselves as Coyne fans include Sting and John Lydon. In the mid-1970s, prior to the formation of the Police, Coyne's band included guitarist Andy Summers. BBC disc jockey Andy Kershaw described Coyne as "a national treasure who keeps getting better" and as one of the great British blues voices.
Over many years Coyne produced the art work for many of his own album covers. His move to Germany, in the 1980s, saw his work on full-size paintings blossom in its own right.