Facts about Neil Tennant: Age, partner, family and career of the Pet Shop Boys singer explained

July 10, 2024, 16:09

Neil Tennant is one half of one of the greatest British pop duos of all time.

Neil Tennant founded the synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys with Chris Lowe in 1981. Previously, Tennant worked as a journalist for Huge hits and worked as an editorial assistant for the magazine in the mid-1980s.

He is credited with coining the term “imperial phase,” which refers to the period when a musician achieves both commercial success and creative peaks.

The Pet Shop Boys embodied this phase perfectly: they had four British number one hits (“West End Girls”, “It’s a Sin”, “Heart” and “Always on My Mind”), received critical acclaim for their first three albums and explored innovative collaborations in the visual and performing arts.

1. How old is Neil Tennant and where is he from?

   

   Neil Tennant was born on July 10, 1954 and celebrated his 70th birthday in 2024.

   He was born in North Shields, a charming fishing port near Newcastle upon Tyne. His parents, William W. Tennant (1923-2009), a sales representative, and Sheila M. (Watson) Tennant (1923-2008), welcomed him into a family that included an older sister, Susan, and two younger brothers, Simon and Philip.

2. How did he meet Chris Lowe?

   

   Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe met in 1981 at the Chelsea Record Centre, a hi-fi store at 203 King’s Road in Chelsea, London.

   The meeting was sparked by Tennant’s purchase of a Korg MS-10 synthesizer, which led to a conversation with Lowe. During the conversation, they discovered their shared passion for disco and electronic music, which laid the foundation for their friendship.

   Inspired by synthpop records such as “Souvenir” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and “Bedsitter” by Soft Cell, the duo’s creative journey reflected their lifestyle at the time, immersing themselves in the sounds of electronic pioneers including OMD, Soft Cell, Kraftwerk, The Human League and Depeche Mode.

   Their collaboration began in Tennant’s flat in Chelsea and expanded to a small studio in Camden Town in 1982. Initially their demo tapes were called “West End”, but they eventually settled on the iconic name “Pet Shop Boys”.

   

   Pet Shop Boys – What Did I Do to Deserve This (Official Video) (HD REMASTERED)

   
   
   

   The band name was inspired by friends who worked in a pet shop in Ealing and were jokingly known as the “Pet Shop Boys”. Interestingly, there was also a subtle connection to the newly formed rap-rock group Beastie Boys.

   In August 1983 I worked as an editorial assistant at Huge hitsTennant traveled to New York to interview Sting. During his visit, he arranged a meeting with Hi-NRG producer Bobby Orlando and presented him with a demo tape containing tracks such as “It’s a Sin” and “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money).”

3. Is Neil Tennant married?

   Neil Tennant revealed his sexual orientation in a 1994 interview with Attitude Magazine where he came out as gay.

   In addition, he tends to keep his private and love life secret and adopt a mysterious role.

   He owns a house in London and another in the picturesque County Durham, nestled in the countryside of north-east England. Tennant and Chris Lowe also share an apartment in the city of Berlin.