Editing Frankie Goes to Hollywood (section)

===1980–1982: Formation===
Frankie Goes to Hollywood formed in Liverpool in 1980.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.ztt.com/bio_frankie.html |title= FGTH Biography |publisher= Ztt.com |access-date= 18 April 2014 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080927191040/http://www.ztt.com/bio_frankie.html |archive-date= 27 September 2008 |df= dmy-all }}</ref> The lead singer, [[Holly Johnson]], had previously played in [[Big in Japan (band)|Big in Japan]] and had released some unsuccessful solo singles. He formed the first version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Phil Hurst (drums), Ambrose (bass), Steve Lovell (guitar), but the group soon split.<ref name="Ward-1990">{{Cite journal |last=Ward |first=Mark |date=December 1990 |title=Frankie Goes to Hollywood |url=https://www.zttaat.com/article.php?title=552 |journal=Music Collector}}</ref> The name came from an advertisement announcing [[Frank Sinatra]]'s film debut.<ref name="Brown-1984">{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Joe |date=1984-11-04 |title=Say It Again, Frankie |language=en-US |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1984/11/04/say-it-again-frankie/cd796263-1360-40c6-b1d7-d23c90c72d6d/ |access-date=2021-06-01 |issn=0190-8286 <!-- unsupported parameter |note=#1lib1ref -->}}</ref>

In 1982, Johnson restarted the group with Peter Gill (drums) and the brothers Mark (bass) and Jed O'Toole (guitar). Jed left before 1983, and was replaced by his cousin, Brian Nash.<ref name="Ward-1990" /> Within the band, O'Toole, Nash and Gill constituted a group known as the Lads.<ref name="Lester-2014" /> Frankie Goes to Hollywood played their first gig at a Liverpool pub, Pickwick's, where they recruited the dancer and backing singer [[Paul Rutherford (singer)|Paul Rutherford]].<ref name="Ward-1990" /><ref name="Nasher"/>

Nash said the band admired the Liverpool groups [[Echo & the Bunnymen]], [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]] and [[the Teardrop Explodes]]: "That was music from Liverpool but from our generation. You would see these people walking around town, you'd see [[Ian McCulloch (singer)|Ian McCulloch]] getting on the bus. I never saw any of [[the Beatles]] on the bus."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://brightonsource.co.uk/features/brian-nash-interview/|title=Brian Nash Interview|last=Upchuck|first=Matt|date=19 June 2017|website=Brighton Source|access-date=6 March 2021}}</ref>