Biography
Beginning his path as an idiosyncratic post-new wave independent artist, Parthenon Huxley later stepped into Jeff Lynne’s slot within the somewhat questionable Electric Light Orchestra Part II, after leading the power pop trio P. Hux. Across these phases his cleverly perceptive lyrics and inventive melodic approach built a loyal cult audience while attracting the enduring “American Andy Partridge” designation.
Born Rick Miller, he chose the name Parthenon Huxley to reflect his passion for ancient Greek history—fueled by childhood years spent in Greece—paired with the surname of British author and philosopher Aldous Huxley. The North Carolina native’s earliest band, the Blazers, issued their lone album, How to Rock, on Moonlight Records in 1980; these Chapel Hill power poppers are unrelated to the 1990s Latino rock group from Los Angeles. After the Blazers disbanded, Huxley released the 1982 single “Buddha Buddha” as Rick Rock, which became a regional indie hit. The track and two others later appeared on the respected North Carolina compilations Mondo Montage and More Mondo, issued by Dolphin Records in 1983 and 1984. He also toured as rhythm guitarist for Don Dixon, who had co-produced the Rick Rock material with Mitch Easter, and worked at the storied Cat’s Cradle nightclub in Chapel Hill before relocating to Los Angeles in 1987.
Huxley secured a Columbia Records contract and delivered his debut album, Sunny Nights, in 1988. Although the songs themselves were strong, David Kahne’s characteristically glossy late-1980s production blunted their force, and the record failed to sell despite favorable reviews. Aside from occasional compilation contributions, Huxley stayed largely out of sight from 1989 until 1994, when the new song “Bazooka Joe” surfaced on the second volume of the Yellow Pills power pop series. The following year he formed the power pop trio P. Hux with bassist Rob Miller and drummer Gordon Townshend. Their first album, Deluxe, enjoyed strong underground success, yet the follow-up, Purgatory Falls, did not arrive until 2001. An emotional song cycle prompted by the death of his wife, Purgatory Falls stands as Huxley’s most direct and personal statement; it was soon followed by the solo acoustic Live in Your Living Room later that year.
Between the two P. Hux albums, Huxley and Townshend assumed the Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan roles in Electric Light Orchestra Part II, the band launched by ex-ELO members Louis Clark, Kelly Groucutt, and Mik Kaminski, which shortened its name to Orchestra once Lynne reclaimed control of the Electric Light Orchestra trademark. He revisited ELO material with the 2005 solo album Homemade Spaceship: The Music of ELO. Huxley also co-produced E’s two pre-Eels solo albums, 1992’s A Man Called E and 1994’s Broken Toy Shop, along with two albums by power pop singer Kyle Vincent.
Born Rick Miller, he chose the name Parthenon Huxley to reflect his passion for ancient Greek history—fueled by childhood years spent in Greece—paired with the surname of British author and philosopher Aldous Huxley. The North Carolina native’s earliest band, the Blazers, issued their lone album, How to Rock, on Moonlight Records in 1980; these Chapel Hill power poppers are unrelated to the 1990s Latino rock group from Los Angeles. After the Blazers disbanded, Huxley released the 1982 single “Buddha Buddha” as Rick Rock, which became a regional indie hit. The track and two others later appeared on the respected North Carolina compilations Mondo Montage and More Mondo, issued by Dolphin Records in 1983 and 1984. He also toured as rhythm guitarist for Don Dixon, who had co-produced the Rick Rock material with Mitch Easter, and worked at the storied Cat’s Cradle nightclub in Chapel Hill before relocating to Los Angeles in 1987.
Huxley secured a Columbia Records contract and delivered his debut album, Sunny Nights, in 1988. Although the songs themselves were strong, David Kahne’s characteristically glossy late-1980s production blunted their force, and the record failed to sell despite favorable reviews. Aside from occasional compilation contributions, Huxley stayed largely out of sight from 1989 until 1994, when the new song “Bazooka Joe” surfaced on the second volume of the Yellow Pills power pop series. The following year he formed the power pop trio P. Hux with bassist Rob Miller and drummer Gordon Townshend. Their first album, Deluxe, enjoyed strong underground success, yet the follow-up, Purgatory Falls, did not arrive until 2001. An emotional song cycle prompted by the death of his wife, Purgatory Falls stands as Huxley’s most direct and personal statement; it was soon followed by the solo acoustic Live in Your Living Room later that year.
Between the two P. Hux albums, Huxley and Townshend assumed the Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan roles in Electric Light Orchestra Part II, the band launched by ex-ELO members Louis Clark, Kelly Groucutt, and Mik Kaminski, which shortened its name to Orchestra once Lynne reclaimed control of the Electric Light Orchestra trademark. He revisited ELO material with the 2005 solo album Homemade Spaceship: The Music of ELO. Huxley also co-produced E’s two pre-Eels solo albums, 1992’s A Man Called E and 1994’s Broken Toy Shop, along with two albums by power pop singer Kyle Vincent.
Albums
