Shakin' Stevens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shakin' Stevens
Stevens in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Michael Barratt
Born	(1948-03-04) 4 March 1948 (age 77) Cardiff, Wales
Genres	Rockabilly rock and roll
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Parlophone CBS Records International (division of Columbia Records Epic Polydor

Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known as Shakin' Stevens, is a famous Welsh singer and songwriter. He became the UK's top-selling singles artist during the 1980s.

His music career started in the late 1960s. However, he became very successful in 1980. His most popular songs often sounded like the rock and roll music from the 1950s.

In the UK, Stevens has had 28 songs reach the Top 40. Four of these songs became number one hits: "This Ole House", "Green Door", "Oh Julie", and "Merry Christmas Everyone". "Merry Christmas Everyone" is still a popular song during the Christmas season.

Early Life and First Bands

Michael Barratt, who later became Shakin' Stevens, was the youngest of 11 children. He was born in Cardiff, Wales. His father worked in building and had also been a coal miner.

Michael grew up in Ely, Cardiff. As a teenager in the mid-1960s, he formed his first rock 'n' roll band with school friends. He was the singer and leader of the band. They were first called the Olympics, then the Cossacks, and finally the Denims. They played shows in Cardiff and other parts of South Wales.

At one point, he worked as a milkman. He lived in a flat in Cardiff before he became famous.

Joining The Sunsets

Stevens in 1976

While working as an upholsterer and milkman, Michael Barratt also performed in clubs and pubs on weekends. He joined a band called the Backbeats as their lead singer. A music manager named Paul "Legs" Barrett saw him perform.

Paul suggested they change the band's style to sound like 1950s rock 'n' roll. Michael Barratt agreed to choose a stage name. He picked "Shakin' Stevens" from an old school friend's name.

The band was renamed Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets. They got a big chance to open for the Rolling Stones in December 1969. They signed a record deal and released an album called A Legend. However, they did not become very famous in the UK right away. They had more success in other countries like Germany, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

Some of their early records are now rare and valuable to collectors. The Sunsets band still performs today, sometimes with Stevens' nephew, Levi Barratt, as the singer.

Starring in Elvis! and First Hits

In 1977, after touring for seven years, Shakin' Stevens was noticed by a producer named Jack Good. Jack invited him to try out for a new musical show in London called Elvis!

The show told the story of Elvis's life. Three actors played Elvis at different ages. Stevens got one of the main roles, playing Elvis during his prime years.

The other members of the Sunsets waited for Stevens to return to the band. They thought the show would only run for six months. But the show became very popular and ran for two years. Jack Good made sure the show and Stevens were often shown on British TV and in newspapers.

During the musical's run, Stevens appeared on TV shows like Oh Boy! and Let's Rock. This helped him get his first big hit song, "Hot Dog".

1980s: Becoming a Pop Star

In late 1979, Stevens started working with a new manager, Freya Miller. She advised him to leave the Sunsets and focus on his solo career. This was a very successful decision for him.

In 1981, after some earlier hits, Stevens had his first UK number one song with "This Ole House". He then had 10 more songs reach the top five. Three of these were number one hits: "Green Door", "Oh Julie", and "Merry Christmas Everyone". Songs like "You Drive Me Crazy" and "A Love Worth Waiting For" reached number two.

His 1984 song "Teardrops" featured famous guitarist Hank Marvin. Stevens often had other well-known musicians like Albert Lee and Bonnie Tyler play on his songs.

His album Shaky reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Another album, Give Me Your Heart Tonight, reached number three. These albums included many of his hit songs.

In 1983, his album The Bop Won't Stop featured hits like "A Rockin' Good Way" (with Bonnie Tyler) and "A Love Worth Waiting For".

In November 1984, he released his first Greatest Hits album. It included new songs like "A Letter To You" and "Teardrops". This album reached number eight in the UK.

In the mid-1980s, Stevens worked with producer Dave Edmunds again. They recorded the album Lipstick, Powder and Paint and the Christmas hit "Merry Christmas Everyone". This Christmas song became a number one hit in 1985. Its release was delayed by a year so it wouldn't compete with the charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

Even though he was very popular, Stevens was not asked to perform at the Live Aid concert in 1985. His songs continued to be hits, but their chart positions slowly went down in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

His 1987 album Let's Boogie included the top five hit "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes at Me For". He ended the 1980s with the song "Love Attack".

1990s: A Break from Recording

In the early 1990s, Stevens released songs like "I Might" and "Yes I Do" from his album There Are Two Kinds of Music... Rock 'n' Roll.

After his 1991 album Merry Christmas Everyone and the single "Radio" in 1992, Stevens took a long break from making new music. He started performing live again in 1999 and toured for two years.

2000s: New Albums and Festivals

Stevens performing live

In 2004, he had a very successful CD-DVD album in Denmark and a gold album in South Africa.

In 2005, Stevens' greatest hits album The Collection reached the top 5 in the UK. That same year, he appeared in the music video for Tony Christie and Peter Kay's number one song "Is This the Way to Amarillo".

Stevens won the TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time. After this, his cover of "Trouble" and his own hit "This Ole House" were re-released. They reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

This song was on his 2006 album, Now Listen. This was his first new studio album since 1991. It included his versions of "Got My Mind Set on You" and Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up", along with new songs by Stevens. Now Listen was a top ten album in Denmark.

Shakin' Stevens performed at the 2008's Glastonbury Festival, which is a very big music festival. He was the first act on the main stage.

In 2008, radio host Chris Evans had a special 'Shaky Week' on his Radio 2 show to celebrate Stevens' 60th birthday. Stevens then went on many concerts in the UK and Europe.

2010s: Echoes of Our Times and Live Music

In 2010, Stevens had a health issue and was hospitalized for two months. He fully recovered and in 2011, he went on his 30th Anniversary Tour.

In 2013, Stevens appeared on a TV show called Coming Home. He learned about how the First World War affected his family.

On 17 December 2015, Stevens appeared on Radio X to promote his new Christmas song "Echoes of a Merry Christmas". Money from the song went to The Salvation Army. The original version of the song re-entered the Top 40 chart.

In 2016, Stevens released his 12th studio album, Echoes of Our Times. He toured the UK in 2017 to support the album. The album reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart.

He performed a concert in Sri Lanka in 2018.

In 2019, he recorded a live album with songs from his whole career. It included hits like "This Ole House" and "You Drive Me Crazy". This album was part of a special box set called Fire in the Blood.

2020s: Recent Albums

A large 19-CD collection called Fire in the Blood was released in 2020. It came with a smaller collection called Singled Out. Stevens described this as the "biggest project of my career."

Singled Out reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

In 2023, Stevens released a new album called Re-Set. It followed his Echoes of Our Times album. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 24.

In March 2023, Stevens made a guest appearance in a TV show called The Cleaner. He played a character who was a tribute act to Shakin' Stevens.

Personal Life

Stevens married Carole Dunn in October 1967. They had three children: two sons, Jason and Dean, and a daughter, Paula. They divorced in 2009. Stevens later started a relationship with his manager, Sue Davies.

Stevens lives in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. He is a big fan of the Welsh football team Cardiff City.

Discography

Awards and Recognition

Shakin' Stevens has received several awards for his music.

Variety Club of Great Britain Awards

TVTimes Awards

Brit Awards

Daily Mirror British Rock and Pop Awards

The Ivors Academy This group used to be called the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

See also

In Spanish: Shakin' Stevens para niños