James Dean Bradfield was born on February 21, 1969 in Newport, Gwent, South Wales, UK. He has been married to Mylene Halsall since 2004.

Plays guitar, sings, and writes half the music for the band the Manic Street Preachers Fellow band member, Sean Moore , is his cousin. Has two tatoos, one of a dolphin, another of a heart that says 'Anxiety Is Freedom' on it Voted the best Welsh guitarist in Total Guitar Magazine's poll of the greatest British guitarists. [July 2001] Bandmates in the Manic Street Preachers: Sean Moore and Nicky Wire . His carpenter dad wanted to name him 'Clint Eastwood' Bradfield after his favourite actor, but his parents finally settled for 'James Dean' in honour of the actor. Often dedicates the song "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" from the band's "Everything Must Go" album to Richey Edwards, a founding member of the band who disappeared February 1st, 1995 near the Severn Bridge and is presumed by many to be dead. But strangely Edwards' family and the band have not accepted that explanation and the band continues to pay royalties from their music into an account in Edwards' name. Showed his prowess and stature as a guitarist during what the band has termed their greatest-ever concert, the 2000 millennium concert in Cardiff Stadium in Wales. Shortly after the BBC joined the Manics' concert via satellite feed for "A Design for Life," Bradfield's guitar string broke during the first verse, and a new guitar had to be rushed to the stage, but Bradfield played it off well for the international audience, asking them to "watch my moves guys" and then changing a lyric in the second verse to reflect his "panicked face." But the song was a huge, show-closing hit for both audiences, TV and stadium.