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Gary Anthony James Webb<ref name=RG2003>{{Cite book|last=Buckley|first=Peter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PA735|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|date=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-84353-105-0|page=735|language=en|access-date=21 January 2021|archive-date=4 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704160252/https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PA735|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AllMusicBio">{{cite web |last1=Huey |first1=Steve |title=Gary Numan Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-numan-mn0000183858/biography |website=AllMusic |publisher=Netaktion, Inc. |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806215508/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-numan-mn0000183858/biography |url-status=live }}</ref> was born on 8 March 1958 in [[Hammersmith]], [[London]].<ref name="FoleyIMDBBio">{{cite web |last1=Foley |first1=Adrian |title=Gary Numan - Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0637885/bio |website=IMDB |publisher=Amazon |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127025626/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0637885/bio |url-status=live }}</ref> His father was a [[British Airways]] bus driver based at [[Heathrow Airport]].<ref name="Rees Crampton|1991|p=366">{{cite book|last1=Rees|first1=Dafydd|last2=Crampton|first2=Luke|title=Rock Movers and Shakers: An A to Z of the People Who Made Rock Happen|date=1991|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0874366617|page=366}}</ref> He was seven when his family adopted his cousin (father's nephew) John,<ref>Gary Numan ''(R)evolution: The Autobiography'', Constable 2020, Chapter One</ref> who would become a musician and play in Numan's backing band. He was educated at Town Farm Junior School in [[Stanwell]]; [[Spelthorne College|Ashford County Grammar School]]; and [[Upton Court Grammar School|Slough Grammar School]],<ref name="BBCSlough">{{cite web |last1=Peach |first1=Andrew |title=80 things Slough has given the world80 things Slough has given the world |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06krygp/p06l21w3 |website=BBC Radio Berkshire |publisher=BBC |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413151951/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06krygp/p06l21w3 |url-status=live }}</ref> followed by [[Brooklands College|Brooklands Technical College]] in [[Weybridge]], [[Surrey]].<ref name="Loud&Quiet">{{cite web |title=While the other kids were at school, Gary Numan was looking at planes and practising his moves in the mirror |url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/short/gary-numans-teenager-sweet-16/ |website=Loud and Quiet |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=19 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119020923/https://www.loudandquiet.com/short/gary-numans-teenager-sweet-16/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He joined the [[Air Training Corps]] as a teenager and briefly held various jobs including forklift truck driver, air conditioning ventilator fitter, and accounts clerk.<ref name="NJ1015">{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Craig |title=Meet Gary Numan |url=https://nj1015.com/meet-gary-numan-photosvideos/ |website=New Jersey 101.5 |date=22 March 2014 |publisher=Townsquare Media, Inc. |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=19 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619205912/https://nj1015.com/meet-gary-numan-photosvideos/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
When Numan was 15, his father bought him a [[Gibson Les Paul]], which became his most treasured possession.<ref name=Webber>{{cite news|last=Webber|first=Richard|title=Gary Numan: I had so much cash, all I wanted to do was spend|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/fameandfortune/9028387/Gary-Numan-I-had-so-much-cash-all-I-wanted-to-do-was-spend.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=24 July 2012|date=22 January 2012|archive-date=30 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530012619/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/fameandfortune/9028387/Gary-Numan-I-had-so-much-cash-all-I-wanted-to-do-was-spend.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He briefly played in various bands and looked through advertisements in ''[[Melody Maker]]'' for bands to join. He claims to have unsuccessfully auditioned as guitarist for the then-unknown band [[the Jam]]<ref name="RevolutionBook">{{cite book |author-link=Gary Numan |title=(R)evolution: The Autobiography |publisher=Little, Brown Book Group, Ltd. |publication-place=London, England, UK |date=22 October 2020 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y6KEAAAQBAJ |isbn=978-1472134622 |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127025626/https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y6KEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> before joining Mean Street and the Lasers, where he met [[Paul Gardiner]].<ref name="VinylDistrict">{{cite web |last1=Neff |first1=Joseph |title=Graded on a Curve: Gary Numan, Replicas, The Pleasure Principle, Telekon |url=http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/2015/12/graded-on-a-curve-gary-numan-replicas-the-pleasure-principle-telekon/ |website=The Vinyl District |date=10 December 2015 |publisher=Mom & Pop Shop Media |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=19 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619070539/https://www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/2015/12/graded-on-a-curve-gary-numan-replicas-the-pleasure-principle-telekon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The latter band would soon become [[Tubeway Army]], with his uncle Jess Lidyard on drums and Gardiner on bass. The band signed a [[recording contract]] with [[Beggars Banquet Records]].<ref name="BeggarsSigned1978">{{cite web |title=Numan, Gary - Replicas - The First Recordings |url=https://archive.beggars.com/numan-gary-replicas-first/ |website=The Arkive |publisher=Beggars Group |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=4 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504172724/https://archive.beggars.com/numan-gary-replicas-first/ |url-status=live }}</ref> His initial pseudonym was Valerian, probably in reference to the hero in French science fiction comic series ''[[Valérian and Laureline]]''.<ref>Steve Malins (1999). ''The Plan'' 1999 reissue liner notes</ref> He later picked the surname Numan from an advertisement in the [[Yellow pages]] for a plumber whose surname was Neumann.<ref name="SynthBritannia"/>
== Music career ==
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