Gary Numan (born Gary Anthony James Webb on March 8, 1958) is an English singer, composer, musician, electronic music pioneer and pilot. He is widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". Numan's signature style combines gloomy themes of depersonalization and alienation accompanied by energetic synthesizer work.

One of the founding fathers of synth pop, Gary Numan’s influence extends far beyond his lone American hit, “Cars,” which still stands as one of the defining new wave singles. That seminal track helped usher in the synth pop era on both sides of the Atlantic, especially his native U.K., where he was a genuine pop star and consistent hitmaker during the early ’80s. Even after new wave had petered out, Numan’s impact continued to make itself felt; his dark, paranoid vision, theatrically i