Richard Ashcroft is an English musician, singer, and songwriter born on September 11, 1971, in Wigan, Lancashire. He formed the alternative rock band The Verve in 1990, serving as its sole songwriter, lead singer, and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime. After losing his father at age 11, Ashcroft found solace and inspiration in music, and by his late teens had co-founded The Verve alongside Simon Jones, Nick McCabe, and Peter Salisbury. The Verve's 1997 album Urban Hymns became one of the UK's best-selling albums of all time, producing iconic singles including "Bitter Sweet Symphony," "The Drugs Don't Work," and "Lucky Man." After The Verve disbanded, Ashcroft launched a successful solo career in 2000, releasing six UK top-three albums and earning two Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. His influence on British rock has been widely celebrated — Noel Gallagher of Oasis called him a "genius" and Chris Martin of Coldplay…