Bill Bryant (lyricist)

William Bryant (Born 29 July 1953, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, England) is a British lyricist, writer and speaker on spirituality. He is best known for his work on the Howard Jones number one-selling album, Human's Lib; contributing to the lyrics of the tracks, "Conditioning", "What Is Love", "Hunt the Self", "Equality", "Natural" and "Humans Lib". Bryant’s lyrics on the Human's Lib album, which have been influenced by Eastern philosophy, describe the freeing of oneself from the personal limitations of one’s conditioning, knowledge of love and the equality and naturalness of life.

Biography

Early life

Bryant’s early childhood was spent in Rayners Lane, London, England. His parents were working class; his father became a lorry driver after serving in the army in World War II and his mother worked in various factories in the locality. Apart from learning Morse code in under two hours, Bryant’s achievements at school were limited. At the age of 15, he became an apprentice instrument maker; something he enjoyed and became very good at.

In 1971, at the age of 18, Bryant met the Indian master, Sree Sree Mentu Maharaj, founder of the Universal Peace Mission. Mentu Maharaj is described as being a Sat Guru, messenger of God, and a world teacher, whose aim was to work for the common purpose of love, unity and peace.. After several years of devotion, love, resolve and steadfast following of the teachings of Mentu, at the young age of 21, Bryant experienced a deeply-felt, transforming spiritual experience. Changed by the experience, Bryant began to speak and write song lyrics on spirituality. After a time, a small group of followers gathered around Bryant. From his home in High Wycombe, England, he began to hold regular meetings at which he would speak at length on his knowledge and experience.

Howard Jones years

Bryant first met Howard Jones’s brother, Martin Jones, whilst working as an instrument maker in a factory in High Wycombe, England. Martin Jones had joined the company for the summer break from University. Bryant and Martin Jones enjoyed each other’s company and a strong friendship formed between them. Martin Jones introduced Bryant to others, including his brother Roy Jones, and from these introductions developed regular meetings at which Bryant would talk to groups of people on spiritual matters.

Martin and Roy Jones were both musicians and together with Bryant they began putting Bryant’s words to music. Bryant would provide the lyrics, Martin Jones the music and Roy Jones the vocals. From this small beginning developed the songs "Conditioning", "Equality" and "What Is Love", songs that would later appear on the Howard Jones album Human's Lib.

Howard Jones, the brother of Martin and Roy Jones, attended one of Bryant’s meetings and became a follower of Bryant listening to him speak regularly. Eventually, Jones asked if he could re-work the songs that his brothers, Martin and Roy Jones, had first composed.

Bryant acknowledged that Jones had a special talent for music and set out to bring Jones’s music together with his own lyrics to the wider public. To this end, Bryant persuaded Jones to start playing live gigs in and around their hometown of High Wycombe. The group around Bryant had increased in size, providing a ready audience for Jones’s music. Bryant used the influence of the group to attract more supporters to Jones’s gigs. He also used the manpower and skills of the group to assist Jones in the logistics involved in the large number of gigs necessary to raise Jones’s profile in and around the London music scene. Bryant, who shared his creative ideas with Jones, suggested that Jed Hoile, a member of the group that followed Bryant, should perform with Jones on stage.

For several years, Bryant motivated, encouraged and guided Jones to the brink of success. Bryant was Jones’s spiritual guide, activist, sponsor and best friend, each being best man for the other at their weddings. In due course, Jones attracted an experienced manager and promoter by the name of Dave Stopps, the promoter of the Friars Aylesbury. As success beckoned, the relationship between Bryant and Jones began to break down and relations within the group supporting Bryant and Jones became strained. Shortly before Jones’s first appearance on BBC Radio One’s Kid Jensen Show, Bryant and Jones split. The majority of those people who had worked and stayed together over the years promoting Jones left Bryant’s company and remained with Jones; including Bryant’s then wife.

Later years

In the immediate years that followed the break up with Jones, Bryant stopped writing and ended his regular open meetings at which he spoke. He earned a living mostly from setting up small businesses in various areas not connected with music.

In 1984, through an initiative to find a new outlet for his songs, Bryant met a young musician called Paul Linn, who, ironically, was a great fan of Howard Jones. Bryant loved Linn’s music and Linn Bryant’s lyrics; thus, a new partnership was born. Bryant helped Linn to purchase equipment and between them they started from scratch to write music together and work out routines that could be played at live venues. Within a year, Bryant and Linn had become very popular and were packing small music venues across England and Wales. However, Bryant and Linn were never to experience the same degree of success as Jones. After a good run of many years, the live gigs came to an end.

Today, Bryant lives with his wife Jo, son William, and mother Maureen, in Glastonbury, England. Bryant still continues to write.