Marty Willson-Piper (born 7 May 1958) is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter best known as a former long-time member of the Australian psychedelic rock band The Church. He joined in 1980 after seeing an early gig where they were performing as a three-piece. He was an integral member of the band for 33 years. He was also the guitarist for the English alternative rock band All About Eve from 1991 to 1993 and again from 1999 to 2002. He has also worked with Swedish progressive rock band Anekdoten. Early life Willson-Piper was born in Stockport, Cheshire, on 7 May 1958 and grew up as a teenager in Thingwall. He has a brother and an adopted sister. When he was 3 years old the family moved from Compstall where his parents had a pub called The Commercial. Sometime around 1970, the family moved to Birch Vale in Derbyshire, a small village between New Mills and Hayfield where his parents took on another pub. They later moved back to Thingwall. At 14 he was taught the guitar by his brother who was a member of a cabaret band. Willson-Piper soon started his own band with school friends. After leaving school at 16, Willson-Piper had worked various jobs. He soon travelled to mainland Europe busking outside train stations and working odd jobs such as grape collecting. He moved to Australia in April 1980. Willson-Piper went along to see an early performance of The Church and was asked to join the band a few days before his 22nd birthday in May 1980. The Church On 6 May 1980, Willson-Piper joined The Church on guitar, vocals and bass guitar, alongside Steve Kilbey, Peter Koppes and Nick Ward. Willson-Piper's sound was influenced by guitarists such as Tom Verlaine and Bill Nelson. Willson-Piper contributed to most of the Church's studio releases and was a member almost continuously from 1980 to 2013. The only exception is the 1997 album Pharmakoi/Distance-Crunching Honchos with Echo Units, which only featured Kilbey, Koppes and drummer Tim Powles and was released as by "The Refo:mation". In 2013, Kilbey announced on the band's Facebook page that former Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug had replaced Willson-Piper. Solo career and Noctorum Willson-Piper has maintained a steady solo output since the mid-1980s, releasing six solo studio albums and three live solo albums. Four of his albums are collaborations with long-time friend Dare Mason (who has produced and played