Spandau Ballet was one of the most influential British bands of the 1980s, first breaking through with their debut single To Cut a Long Story Short in October 1980. They went on to release a run of major hits, including True, Gold and Through the Barricades.
The band comprised five members: guitarist and songwriter Gary Kemp, bassist Martin Kemp, vocalist Tony Hadley, saxophonist Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble. Gary and Steve first formed the group while still at school, later bringing in the other three members.
Drawing inspiration from artists like Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Spandau Ballet achieved 23 international hit singles and sold more than 25 million albums worldwide. They were also among the first acts confirmed for Bob Geldof's landmark 1985 Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium.
In the decades that followed, the group went through several dramatic turns – including their 1990 split and an unsuccessful court case in which Tony, Steve and John filed against Gary over songwriting royalties. The band reunited in 2009 for The Reformation Tour and released the album Once More. Tony Hadley left the group in 2017 and was briefly replaced by Ross William Wild, who departed in 2019, leaving the band's future unclear.
With Martin Kemp currently deep in the jungle on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, here's where the rest of Spandau Ballet are now.
Gary Kemp
Much like his brother, Gary moved into acting and co-starred with Martin in The Krays, a biopic about the notorious East End gangsters. His other film credits include The Bodyguard (alongside Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner), Killing Zoe and Harry Brown.
Gary has also worked extensively in theatre, with credits including Art, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be, The Homecoming, The Rubenstein Kiss and Pig Night. Beyond performing, he has contributed to musical projects such as Guy Pratt's stage musical Bedbug. He continues to release music – releasing his new album This Destination in January – and co-hosts the acclaimed podcast Rockonteurs with bassist Guy Pratt, where they interview major figures from across the music industry.
Speaking to Forbes earlier this year about Spandau Ballet's legacy, Gary said: "We owe each other so much. Each one of us owes the other person. Who wants to die with enemies? If we can always make it up every now and again and just get out and play some of that music to an audience who believe it's their own as well and just want to hear it from the original guys – I do think that would be nice. But you've got to get all your ducks in a row, and that's always hard."
Tony Hadley
Since leaving Spandau Ballet in 2017, Tony has continued touring and releasing music as a solo artist. His newest album, If I Can Dream, releases on 21 November. He also previously appeared on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2015, finishing sixth in the series.
Speaking about Spandau Ballet's 2009 reunion, he told The i: “God, that was bloody difficult. The crux is always me and Gary. There’s always two in a band that have a fallout. And that was a very hard meeting between the two of us, with John Keeble being referee."
He continued: "I don’t know, we tried. We buried the hatchet, and we said, ‘it’s never going to be the same but let’s try.’ It was good. It was very successful."
Tony appeared on ITV’s Loose Women on Tuesday to promote his latest tour, which begins on Sunday 23 November. Asked what advice he would offer his former bandmate Martin in the jungle, Tony said to stay authentic: "Don't try to be anyone else," he said. "Because you can't pretend to be that 24/7. I mean, it's really intense in there."
Steve Norman
Steve has kept up a busy music career since the band's split. He initially moved to Ibiza and took some time out before collaborating with artists like Lenny Krarup and Nacho Sotomayor in the island's dance music scene, and has continued working across genres ever since.
In 2017, he formed his own five-piece band and played shows in London, Madrid and Birmingham, debuting new songs as well as Spandau Ballet classics.
Speaking to the Colchester Gazzette, Steve said of a potential reunion: "Personally, I would always do it and I am the only one who speaks to all the other members. It’s not easy to communicate but it seems to be softening. I’ve been saying this for a few years, but no one is getting any younger, and people are dying all around us including our friends, so you have more of a sense of your mortality."
John Keeble
Drummer John Keeble has stayed active in music since his time with Spandau Ballet, touring as part of Tony Hadley's solo band and collaborating with artists like Fish, 69 Daze and The Herbs. He also formed his own band, I Play Rock, where he plays drums and sings alongside Richie B and Chris Paulo Dale.