BILLY OCEAN

Billy Ocean is the biggest black recording star Britain has ever produced, one who has sold over 30 million records in his lifetime.

He has collected a several Gold and Platinum records across the world and hit the number one spot worldwide on pop charts including in the USA, Australia, Germany, Holland, and the UK. Billy has achieved extraordinary success as both artist and songwriter.

Born in Trinidad Billy settled in London’s East End when just seven years old. The calypso crazy kid soon got turned on to soul singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke as well as pop groups like The Beatles and Rolling Stones leading him to spend much of his study time in the music room.

Billy got his first break when he signed to GTO records for whom his second single was the Motown-ish ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ which reached No 2 in the UK charts and No 12 in the US. Two top twenty singles followed; ‘Love On Delivery’ and ‘Stop Me’ then ‘Red Light Spells Danger’ became a smash in both the UK and US.

Billy changed record labels and his move to Jive Records provided instant success with the million selling American number one single Caribbean Queen (for which Billy won a Grammy for best R&B Vocal) followed by Loverboy, and then Suddenly became the first of Billy’s killer ballads. The Album from which these singles came from spent a year in the US Charts selling double platinum (triple in Canada) Billy also performed on the American half of Live Aid making 1985 a truly incredible year for him.

1986 wasn’t bad either Opening with ‘When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Gets Going)’ the anthemic theme song to the Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner/Danny Devito movie Jewel of the Nile. Billy then launched the Love Zone album And it went straight to No 2 in the UK charts staying in the top 40 for six months. In the US there was a Number 1 single with ‘There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)’. More Hits were to follow with the now classic ‘Get Outta My Dreams; Get Into My Car’ giving Billy yet another US No 1. More hits followed as Billy also proved himself one of the most hardworking artists on the live stage, Touring the world to ever growing enthusiastic audiences.