Huey Morgan is an American musician best known as the frontman of rock/hip hop band Fun Lovin' Criminals. Morgan performs both vocals and guitar and combines rock, hip hop, jazz, reggae, and funk influences in his music. He is also a music presenter for BBC Radio and has made film and TV appearances.
Early life
Morgan is an American, born to Puerto Rican-American and Irish-American parents. In his youth he committed petty crimes and dealt cocaine, and was arrested for doing so, whilst driving a stolen car.
Music career
In 1993, Morgan formed Fun Lovin' Criminals with Brian Leiser and Steve Borgovini. They have released six studio albums, three of which made the top ten in the UK Albums Chart, and have scored eight top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart. In 2010, Morgan made a guest appearance in the music video of Plan B's single "Prayin'", and in 2012, collaborated with JetTricks on the track "See Us Through" from their Better Than Real Life album. Also in 2012, Morgan released his début solo album Say It to My Face credited to Huey and the New Yorkers.
Appearances in other media
Writing
Morgan had a short-lived, ghost-written wine column for the British magazine Mondo from 2000 to 2001. In June 2015, Huey Morgan released his first book, Rebel Heroes: The Renegades of Music & Why We Still Need Them.
Television
In television, Morgan has appeared on the UK comedy music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, three times as a guest panelist and once as a guest host. In his most famous appearance, Morgan smashed a mug after becoming upset when needing to repeat lyrics from his songs in the next line round. Morgan also participated in the BBC's The Underdog Show, where eight celebrities trained and rehabilitated rescued dogs. He is also a frequent guest panelist on the UK Channel 5 morning show The Wright Stuff. Morgan also made a guest appearance in an episode of Skins as Toxic Bob, the owner of a metalrecord shop. In 2010, Morgan co-hosted Liza & Huey's Pet Nation on Sky One with Liza Tarbuck. Morgan also hosted Slips on the British music channel Viva. More recent work includes narration for National Geographic's epic series Drugs Inc, now in its third series, voice overs for TV ads such as Blink Box and more. In 2015, Morgan began work on the Sky Arts show Guitar Stars, working with fellow DJ Edith Bowman, but left after the first series. On 3 November 2016, he appeared as a panelist on the BBC Television political debate programme Question Time. In April 2018, Morgan appeared on Million Pound Holiday Club on Channel 4 with stunt driver Ben Collins racing cars in the countryside. In July 2020, Huey hosted a 3 part series for BBC Four called "Huey Morgan's Latin Music Adventure", which saw Huey travel to Brazil, Cuba and Puerto Rico, meeting famous musicians who shaped and inspired the sounds of Latin music.
Morgan did a voice-over for the video game . He is the voice of National Geographic TV shows Drugs Inc and Underworld Inc as well as narrating the two-part BBC television documentaryBlues America in 2013, which can be seen on YouTube. In 2016, he voiced a global advertising campaign for Lynx deodorant.
Radio
On 5 October 2008, Morgan began hosting his own radio show, "The Huey Show" on BBC Radio 6 Music. The show won a Bronze Award at the 2009 Sony Radio Academy Awards. Since April 2011, Morgan has hosted his own show on BBC Radio 2 on Saturdays from midnight until 3am, replacing the show's previous host Mark Lamarr. The show was moved to 3am till 6am from October 2014, but was moved back to its original timeslot of midnight till 3am from 4 February 2017 until 25 March 2017 when he presented his final "After Midnight" show. Morgan then presented two shows on Radio 2 from 1 April, from 5am, in 1 hour slots weekly on Saturdays and Sundays. His Saturday show is called "Huey's Finest Saturday Selection" which covers one hour of his favourite selections, and his Sunday show, "Huey's Sunday Best", covered Huey's favourite music from a chosen year of his choice and was broadcast until 13 May 2018. His Saturday show on Radio 2 has been extended to a two hour show from 19 May 2018 and was broadcast from 4am–6am before temporarily taking a break from 4 April 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, his Radio 2 show returned on 20 June 2020. Morgan has also covered other presenters' absences on various shows. In 2013, "The Huey Show" was moved to Saturdays on BBC Radio 6 Music which airs from 10am till 1pm, and from 28 March 2020, was moved from 11am-2pm in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Huey often refers to himself as "The people's champion".
Other business ventures
Morgan previously co-owned The Voodoo Lounge, The Dice Bar and DiFontaine's Pizza Place in Dublin. Huey also opened Notting Hill Tattoo Studio, Love Hate Social Club with New York Tattoo Artist Ami James in November 2012.
Personal life
Morgan has previously lived in New York City, Dublin, Hawaii, London,Frome in Somerset, and now lives in Bath. He married his wife Rebecca, an interior designer in 2007. They have a son.
