{{Short description|English singer and songwriter}} {{use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = | image = Television Personalities (5363667797).jpg | image_size = 350 | caption = Treacy performing with Television Personalities in Japan, April 1994 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | nationality = | occupation = Singer and songwriter | alma_mater = | notable_works = | awards = | module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes | genre = | instrument = Vocals | years_active = 1977–present | current_member_of = Television Personalities (TVP) | website = }}
}} '''Dan Treacy''' is an English singer and songwriter best known as the founding member of the post-punk band the Television Personalities (TVP). The band was formed in 1977 with his childhood friends Ed Ball and "Slaughter Joe" Joe Foster while they were teenagers.<ref name="d&c" /><ref name="tb">Earp, Joseph (26 July 2016). [https://thebrag.com/missing-man-music-search-elusive-dan-treacy-television-personalities/ "The Missing Man Of Music: A Search For The Elusive Dan Treacy Of Television Personalities"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310011308/https://thebrag.com/missing-man-music-search-elusive-dan-treacy-television-personalities/|archive-date=12 May 2018 |access-date=27 February 2026}}. ''The Brag''.</ref> Treacy was inspired afer hearing the Sex Pistols<ref name="d&c">Baal, Iphgenia. "[http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/21317/1/daniel-treacy-as-seen-on-screen Daniel Treacy as seen on Screen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702035727/http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/21317/1/daniel-treacy-as-seen-on-screen |date=2 July 2018 }}". ''Dazed & Confused'', 24 August 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2026.</ref> and Jonathan Richman, among others.
==Career== Treacy has been the only constant member of the Television Personalities, and his career has had many peaks and lows, aggravated by prolonged bouts of depression and substance addiction. Throughout, his songwriting and musical style continued to evolve, and he is widely considered to have contributed to the development of post-punk, neo-psychedelia and indie pop. He has always been idiosyncratic to the point of ambivalence about music, being far more interested in satire.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} The band rarely ever practised, and he rarely prepared set lists for live performances, preferring to keep the band on their toes.<ref name="cm">Marsh, Calum. [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/television-personalities-beautiful-despair/ "Beautiful Despair"]. ''Pitchfork'', 26 January 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2026.</ref>
He is known for the numerous popular culture references and in-jokes scattered throughout the TVP's lyrics, album titles and release artwork.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} Most of the references are to cult films, 1970s and 1960s culture and forgotten celebrities.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}
==Discography== {{Main|Television Personalities discography}}
*''...And Don't the Kids Just Love It'' (1981, Rough Trade)<ref name="Mason">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/and-dont-the-kids-just-love-it-mw0000646019|title=...And Don't the Kids Just Love It – Television Personalities|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=18 October 2012|last=Mason|first=Stewart}}</ref> *''Mummy Your Not Watching Me'' (1982, Whaam! Records) *''They Could Have Been Bigger than the Beatles'' (1982, Whaam! Records)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=television_personalities|title=TrouserPress.com :: Television Personalities|website=trouserpress.com}}</ref> *''The Painted Word'' (1984, Illuminated Records)}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-painted-word-mw0000456349 |title=''The Painted Word'' – Television Personalities {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards {{!}} AllMusic |last=Ankeny |first=Jason |website=AllMusic |accessdate=27 February 2026}}</ref> *''Privilege'' (1989, Fire Records) *''Closer to God'' (1992, Fire Records) *''I Was a Mod Before You Was a Mod'' (1995, Overground Records) *''Don't Cry Baby, It's Only a Movie'' (1998, Damaged Goods Records) *''My Dark Places'' (2006, Domino)<ref>{{cite web|last=Lindsay |first=Cam |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/television_personalities-my_dark_places |title=Television Personalities My Dark Places |publisher=Exclaim.ca |date=2006-04-01 |accessdate=2020-02-29}}</ref> *''Are We Nearly There Yet?'' (2007, Overground Records) *''A Memory Is Better Than Nothing'' (2010, Rocket Girl) *''Beautiful Despair'' (2018, Fire Records)<ref>"[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/television-personalities-mn0000016438/discography Discography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513081817/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/television-personalities-mn0000016438/discography |date=13 May 2018 }}". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 February 2026</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last= Berton |first=Benjamin |author-link=Benjamin Berton |year= 2022|title=Dreamworld: The fabulous life of Daniel Treacy and his band Television Personalities|location= Mainz|publisher=Black Dog Publishing |isbn=978-3-9557-5621-5}} * {{cite book |last= Young |first=Ron |author-link= |year= 2006|title=Rough Trade: Labels Unlimitedy|location= London|publisher=Black Dog Publishing |isbn=1-9047-7247-1}} {{refend}}
==External links== *[https://windlessairmusic.tripod.com/televisionpersonalities/ Official site: Treacy's web journal, live gig archive, photos, tour info] *[http://www.televisionpersonalities.co.uk/ A Day in Heaven: An unofficial Television Personalities website] *[https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/may/05/dan-treacy-creation-records Alan McGee article in The Guardian] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100504062021/http://www.narcmedia.com/2010/03/08/television-personalities/ ARC magazine interview]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Treacy, Dan}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century English singers Category:21st-century English singer-songwriters