Billy Ocean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billy Ocean
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Ocean performing at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia, 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leslie Sebastian Charles |
| Born | 21 January 1950 Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago, British West Indies |
| Origin | Romford, East London, England |
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| Years active | 1969–present |
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Billy Ocean, born Leslie Sebastian Charles, is a famous British singer and songwriter. He was born in Trinidad and Tobago on January 21, 1950. He became very popular between 1976 and 1988. He had many hit songs in the UK and around the world.
His first big hit was "Love Really Hurts Without You" in 1976. This song reached number 2 in the UK. In 1977, "Red Light Spells Danger" also reached number 2. Later, in 1984, he released "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)". This song became a number 1 hit in the U.S. and won him a Grammy Award in 1985.
He had more international hits. "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" was number 1 in the UK in 1985. "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" was a U.S. number 1 in 1986. In 1988, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" also hit number 1 in the U.S.
Billy Ocean has received many awards for his music. In 2002, he got an honorary music degree from the University of Westminster. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBO Awards in 2010. In 2011, he became a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
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Early Life
Billy Ocean was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago. His father, Hainsley Charles, was a musician. When Billy was 10, his family moved to Romford, England. He loved music from a young age. As a teenager, he sang in a London nightclub. He also worked as a tailor.
He started recording music in the early 1970s. He used different names like Les Charles. He joined a band called the Shades of Midnight. He also fronted a studio band called Scorched Earth. The name Billy Ocean came from a football team in his hometown in Trinidad and Tobago. They were called "Oceans 11".
International Music Success
Between 1976 and 1982, Billy Ocean released four albums. These included Billy Ocean (1976) and City Limit (1980). His song "Love Really Hurts Without You" was a big hit during this time. It reached number 2 in the UK.
In the early 1980s, he joined Jive Records. This led to more success. His fifth album, Suddenly, came out in 1984. The song "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" was a huge hit. It became his first number 1 song in the U.S. The album Suddenly also did very well. It sold millions of copies.
"Caribbean Queen" earned Billy Ocean a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The album's title song, "Suddenly", also reached number 4 in the U.S. and UK. Another song, "Loverboy", was a number 2 hit in the U.S. in 1985. Billy Ocean performed at Live Aid in 1985. This was a huge concert to raise money for charity.
His next album, Love Zone (1986), also sold many copies. It included "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going". This song was from the movie The Jewel of the Nile. It was number 1 in the UK. The album also had "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", a U.S. number 1.
In 1987, he was nominated for a Brit Award for Best British Male Artist. He was one of the most popular British R&B singers of the 1980s. His album Tear Down These Walls (1988) had the number 1 song "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car". This album also sold very well.
Later Career
Billy Ocean's album Time to Move On came out in 1993. His Greatest Hits album from 1989 has continued to sell well. In 1997, his album L.I.F.E. – Love Is for Ever reached number 7 in the UK.
In 2002, he received an honorary doctorate in music. This award was from the University of Westminster in London. He still tours and records music in Europe. He also helps students at Tech Music Schools in London.
In 2004, "Caribbean Queen" was re-released digitally for its 20th anniversary. It became popular again. A new version of the song by will.i.am was released in 2005.
His ninth album, Because I Love You, was released in 2009. In 2010, a new collection of his best songs was released. It reached number 17 in the UK charts. In October 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBO Awards. In 2011, Paul McCartney presented him with an honor from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
In 2012, Billy Ocean appeared in the British comedy film Keith Lemon: The Film. In 2016, he performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He toured the UK in 2017. His latest album, One World, was released in 2020.
Personal Life
Billy Ocean lives in Sunningdale, England, with his wife, Judy. They have three children. His son played rugby sevens for Barbados in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
After his mother passed away in 1989, Billy Ocean became vegetarian. He is also a member of the Rastafari movement.
Honours
Billy Ocean was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2020. This was for his great contributions to music.
Discography
Studio albums
- Billy Ocean (1976)
- City Limit (1980)
- Nights (Feel Like Getting Down) (1981)
- Inner Feelings (1982)
- Suddenly (1984)
- Love Zone (1986)
- Tear Down These Walls (1988)
- Time to Move On (1993)
- Because I Love You (2009)
- Here You Are (2013)
- One World (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Billy Ocean para niños
- Lists of UK Singles Chart number ones
- List of Billboard number-one singles
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
- List of Eastern Caribbean people
