Paul Simonon

In addition to being the bass player for The Clash, Paul Simonon was the only member of the group that remained in attendance from its inception in 1976 until its dissolution in 1986. Born Paul Gustave Simonon on December 15, 1955, in London, England, Simonon was raised first in Britxon and then in Notting Hill, where he attended predominantly black schools; resulting in an admiration for soul and Jamaican sounds. Although he was a "football hooligan" as a teenager, Simonon showed great talent as an artist, as he won a scholarship to a nearby art school. By the mid-'70s, Simonon decided to give music try, trying out as a singer for a group called London S.s. Simonon didn't get the gig, but he did strike up a friendship with its guitarist, Mick Jones, who would go on to teach Simonon how to play bass. It took a while for Simonon to learn the four-string (at one point, he marked the notes off on his instrument's neck to know where to place his fingers), but by 1976, Jones and Simonon had recruited singer/guitarist Joe Strummer, leading to the formation of The Clash (a name that Simonon came up with while reading a newspaper).

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