In contrast to their later somewhat glamorous band image the Kemps have a solid working class background, but despite the fact that money was sometimes short in the Kemp household Martin's parents try everything to give their children something a bit special. So from the age of 8 Martin and his big brother go to a local drama school, the 'Anna Scheer Children's Theatre' in Benton Court, just across the street from their home.

One lesson used to cost 10 pence and the boys go there every evening. Martin used to be a very shy little kid, but this training makes him more confident and he has often said that he owes a lot to Anna Scheer and the things he learnt from her. The drama school has a very good reputation and so there are regular visits from tv producers. Also Martin and his brother are discovered and between the age of 11 and 14 Mart manages to star in about 30 different tv programmes, he even does a production with Vanessa Redgrave. Here are some of the programmes he has done:

The Edwardians (1972)
Jackanory (1972)
Mind Where You're Going (1972)
Katherine Mansfield (1973)
Scribble (1973)
The Tomorrow People (1973)
Oranges And Lemon (1973)
Dixon Of Dock Green (1973)
Pygmalion (1974)
Rumpole Of The Bailey (1975)
Jackanory (1975)
Glittering Prizes (1976)

'Glittering Prizes' deserves a special mentioning as it was a major BBC series and the director Martin worked with back then he met once again years later when he did a film for NBC called Murder Between Friends. There is also a famous anecdote from the set: in a shower scene his character, Graham Black, has to pee on another child, but Martin was not able to do that. They tried a whole day to make it work, but he just couldn't pull it off. Not in front of all the crew. So in the evening finally they came up with a wonderful idea, they used a tube and a girl had to pour orange juice down it. According to Mart this was the most embarrassing moment of his whole childhood and it put him off filming for quite a while!

Meanwhile Martin attended the Central Foundation Grammar School in Old Street, where he starts to mix with his brother's friends. That's where he also meets John Keeble, Steve Norman and Tony Hadley. But he doesn't join his Gary's school band at first, instead he starts his own band in 1977, a punk combo called 'The Defects'. But unfortunately it just lasts three months, but at least he has learnt to play the guitar. Leaving school at 16 his parents give him the freedom to hang around for a while, but finally he starts an apprenticeship as printer, following in his father's footsteps. Also he hands out copies of 'Miss London' at tube stations. But in the back of his mind it is already clear to him that his future would be in the music business.There were basicly only two ways to success, music or football. Martin actually once was invited by Arsenal for a special training that could lead to a professional football career. But due to a knee injury he has to give up on football and concentrated on music.

In 1978 Gary's school band The Makers lose their bass player Richard Miller and Martin steps in for him. His brother teaches him how to play the bass guitar in only four weeks. They change their name to 'Gentry' and Martin has his first gig with the original Spandau line-up at a university party when he was 16. In 1979 they change the band's name once again to 'Spandau Ballet' and ... the rest is history, as they say!!! Amazingly Martin is so confident in the success of the band that he decides to pull out of his apprenticeship. He gets lots of support from his parents who even write a letter to his old boss explaining their son's decision saying that their offspring now wants to become a popstar!

From 1980 till 1990 Martin enjoys incredible success with the band, and even if Tony Hadley will always be the voice of Spandau Ballet Martin definitely was THE pin-up of the 80s. The highlights of their career are countless Top75 hits, 4 major sell-out tours, Band Aid and Live Aid participations, classic pop tunes like 'True', 'Gold' and 'Through The Barricades' and a fan community that still loves and supports them years after their break-up. Find a summery of their carrer highlights on the Ballet Days page.

Many things that are considered normal nowadays where introduced by the band, they were pioneers in the field of 12" remixes, videos, image and fashion. Perhaps their biggest strength was also their biggest weakness ... over the years Spandau Ballet always tried to change their sound, they never duplicated their songs and didn't stick to the winning formula of their last hit, they were not like certain other groups who recycle their hits all over again and manage to enter the charts a million times with actually one and the same tune. And to say it loud and clear Spandau has always been a great live band, on vinyl they never managed to sound as energetic as live in concert!!!

When the band record their last album in London all members can develop a bit of a home life and so in 1988 three (!) of the guys tie the knot with their loved ones. And yes, after the longest engagement of all time even Martin manages to say 'yes'. The couple spontaneously get married during their winter holidays ...

... and on August 19th 1989 their daughter Harley Moon is born. Well, exactly nine months and 5 days after the wedding, isn't that romantic?!

Also some professional changes are underway during those two years. Martin and his brother have launched a second career in Cannes 1988 where they introduce their film project 'The Krays' to the press. But only at the end of 1989 cameras start rolling and finally after the last Spandau Ballet tour the film premieres in April 1990. It is a big success and opens the doors for Martin into the acting business.

For his new job he spends a lot of time travelling in the beginning of the 90s and also lives for a while in Los Angeles. There his second child Roman is born in January 1993. But after the riots and the big earthquake he decides to move back to England for good. Due to his brain tumour ordeal in 1995 Martin takes a bit of a break from filming, concentrating on getting well and writing on a film script himself. But in 1998 he comes back in full force with a miniseries for ITV and a special for the popular UK tv show 'The Bill'. His latest coup is joining the highly popular UK soap 'Eastenders' at the end of 1998. Check out the Filmography page to find out all about his acting career so far.