[6] In 2004, Classic Rock ranked Fish at number 49 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Frontmen", describing his "theatrical delivery" as "a major factor in Marillion's spectacular rise, and he masterminded some uniquely ornate lyrical concepts.

As well as his love for music, he was also a voracious reader, and his literary inspirations included Jack Kerouac, Truman Capote, Robert Burns and Dylan Thomas (all of whom would later be depicted on the sleeve of Marillion's Clutching at Straws).

[12] While living in Fochabers, Moray[13] he adopted the nickname of Fish, which originated from a landlady who lamented the amount of time he spent in the bath.

"[15] He moved to Church Laneham, Nottinghamshire, in mid-1980 following a successful audition for the Stone Dome Band, and then to Aylesbury at the start of 1981 in the process of joining Marillion.

[3] The band gained popularity over the next couple of years, leading to the release of their top-ten debut album Script for a Jester's Tear in 1983.

In 1988, due to the stress of touring and the detrimental effect it was having on his health, as well as having a falling out with bandmate Steve Rothery,[17] Fish left Marillion to pursue a solo career.

[21] After finishing the Vigil World Tour at Royal Albert Hall on 9 July 1990, Fish was to enter litigation with EMI records resulting in a High Court injunction that stopped him releasing new music for almost a year.

The extensive touring cost him dearly and the decision to go ahead with building a new studio in his home in Haddington Scotland meant that funds were rapidly depleted along with his confidence and his creative energies.

[22] The acquisition of Chris Kimsey as producer could not save the project as he attempted to come to terms with a newly built studio and Fish plagued by bitterness and cynicism toward the industry.

But the album was a turning point for Fish, and fully prepared him for the Suits sessions, material which he had been rehearsing constantly on tour as he struggled to pay bills and musicians.

It proved invaluable and together with his awareness and experience with modern production techniques the material was guaranteed to enter a new direction and to gain a momentum that would usher the solo career into a new era.

He went for the break and opted for the two "Best of's", Yin and Yang, containing re-recorded material from the Marillion era and solo albums, to give Fish the fuel and introduction to countries he had never managed to reach so far with his career.

Released in 1995 these albums allowed him to stay on the road for nearly two years plugging away and hoping for the breakthrough that would give him the space to take a breath and write new material.

The writing sessions were open and new songs and approaches were generated from a healthy friction between Wilson and Fish as they fought for their identities in the material.

Grooves and loops led the rhythmic foundations into what they described as "Progressive Nouveaux", still retaining the drama and tension associated with Fish's previous work, but taking it into a more modern setting with a new edge and aggression.

With Calum Malcolm's mix and Elliot Ness engineering skills provided a technical quality to match the standard of the writing on Sunsets on Empire.

But once again the problem of underfunded promotion and advertising was to foil Fish's plans and a 115 date tour in 22 different countries was set up to attempt to give the album the attention it deserved.

With a combination of tour losses and bad debts from third parties, Fish could no longer survive as an independent artist releasing his albums through Dick Bros.

Together with 23 songwriters from all over the world, Fish rediscovered himself and when he returned with new songs he was excited and eager to get on with the job of redefining his career, and writing the rest of the new album.

He was accompanied on stage by his four former Marillion bandmates from the classic line-up (Mark Kelly, Steve Rothery, Ian Mosley and Pete Trewavas) for one song: "Market Square Heroes".

In a press interview following the event, Fish denied this would lead to a full reunion, claiming that "Hogarth does a great job with the band ... We forged different paths over the 19 years.

Created during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep in touch with his fans and share stories from his career, the show was voted as the Event of the Year by Prog magazine readers in 2021.

[39] In November 2023, Primary Wave Music struck a deal with Fish, to acquire the singer and lyricist’s master royalties and writer’s share for songs he wrote and performed with Marillion.

[40][41] Fish has sometimes been compared to Peter Gabriel, original lead singer of Genesis in the early 1970s, and his voice has even been described as "uncannily close".

[2] Peter Hammill of Van der Graaf Generator was also a major influence on his songwriting and vocal delivery, which is especially notable on the first two Marillion albums.

[48] In June 2008, at the New York Festivals Radio Broadcasting Awards, he and Gary Moore jointly received the Gold World Medal in the Regularly Scheduled Music Programme category for their respective shows on Planet Rock.

In 2004, Fish played Finlay Price in the TV movie Quite Ugly One Morning alongside James Nesbitt, Eddie Marsan and Annette Crosbie.

On 25 July 1987, Fish married his first wife, Tamara Nowy, a German model who appeared in the music videos for "Kayleigh", "Lady Nina", and "A Gentleman's Excuse Me".

[58] In mid-2023, Fish announced plans to permanently relocate to a 35-acre crofting smallholding on the Outer Hebridean island of Berneray (North Uist) with his wife in 2024/5, as he retires from the music industry.

He declined to actively campaign in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum because he believed it would be "hypocritical" as he was planning to leave Scotland for Germany to live with his partner and her young son.