Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice

Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice was born in Deptford, South London. Stricken with polio as a child, he spent four years in hospital, finding solace in the poetry of T. S. Eliot and D. H. Lawrence. He worked as an apprentice journalist on regional newspapers before turning to busking and forming Cockney Rebel in 1972.

Cockney Rebel stood apart in the glam-rock era with their acoustic instrumentation, violin flourishes, and theatrical lyricism on albums like The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo. In 1975, Harley wrote and recorded "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" after a bitter split with his original bandmates. The infectious, sarcastic pop anthem topped the UK Singles Chart, sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide, and was covered by over 120 artists. Harley also originated the Phantom in early workshops of The Phantom of the Opera, duetting on the hit 1986 title track with Sarah Brightman, and presented Sounds of the 70s on BBC Radio 2 for nine years.