The mod who never took the scooter off the road

John William Weller was born in Woking, Surrey, but his parents called him Paul. His father drove a taxi and worked as a builder, his mother cleaned part time. He loved the Beatles, the Who and the Small Faces, and after seeing Status Quo in concert in 1972 his direction was set. He formed a first version of the Jam with school friends, and his father became their manager, booking them into local working men's clubs.

In late 1974 he found mod culture, especially after hearing “My Generation” by the Who. He rode a Lambretta, copied Steve Marriott's haircut and dived into 1960s soul and R&B. At his urging the Jam wore mohair suits onstage and he and Bruce Foxton played Rickenbacker guitars. Years later, in a 1991 interview, he said, “You can bury me a mod.”

The Jam emerged at the same time as punk and became the most influential band of the mod revival, with songs about working class life that rooted him firmly in English society. When they broke up at the end of 1982, he formed the Style Council with Mick Talbot and wandered through pop, jazz, soul, hip hop, folk and classical, until the band's popularity declined and it ended in 1989.

The solo career began slowly in the early 1990s and rebuilt his standing across four albums: Paul Weller, Wild Wood, Stanley Road and Heavy Soul. He became known as the Modfather and an influence on Britpop acts such as Oasis, and he has won four Brit Awards, including the 2006 award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. A later song such as “Thinking of You” shows what stayed constant: a plain English voice and a very sharp suit.