Eight famous singers and rock stars who studied at university in Birmingham

Birmingham and the West Midlands has always been a major centre for great music.

The city has consistently had an influential and consistent music scene over the years. Of course, Brum is known as the birthplace of heavy metal with Black Sabbath - and with the reggae sounds of UB40 - as well as classic rock provided by Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie - Brummies are proud of the city’s musical heritage.

Rap star Jaykae and The Streets frontman Mike Skinner also come from the city. If you went to the same school as one of Birmingham’s pop and rock stars, then you’ll definitely have grown up hearing stories about them.

Schools across the region are deservingly proud of their famous alumni, who have gone on to achieve highly after their time in education - but what about the famous singers and rock stars who came to Birmingham to study at university?

The department of Music at the University of Birmingham is one of the most distinguished in the UK, and it has attracted many young musicians over the years. Hundreds of legendary bands, including Sabbath, The Cure and Pink Floyd have all played at the university’s Guild of Students.

Jez Collins, founder of the Birmingham Music Archive, has looked at eight famous musicians who studied at the University of Birmingham.

Here’s the university’s famous singers and rock star alumni