This page uses content from the Billy Ocean biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Billy Ocean (born Leslie Sebastian Charles on 21 January, 1950 in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago), is a UK based popular music performer, who had a string of rhythm and blues tinged international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography
He was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago to Grenadian parents, and moved to England with his family at the age of eight. In his teenage years, he sang regularly in London clubs. He released his first single in 1972 on Spark Records as Les Charles.
By 1976 he had adopted the name Billy Ocean and recorded his debut album, Billy Ocean, with the first single, "Love Really Hurts Without You," charting at number 2 in the UK and number 22 in the U.S. More hits followed, including as â??L.O.D. (Love On Delivery)â??. He also wrote songs for other artists such as LaToya Jackson. In 1982 he hit the U.S. Rhythm and Blues Chart with â??Nights (Feel Like Getting Down).â??
Ocean's period of greatest success began with Suddenly in 1984 and its main single "Caribbean Queen". The song's title and lyrics were changed for different regions, such that the song is also known as "African Queen" or "European Queen". The album's title track also became a hit. His 1986 album Love Zone also sold very well. It included the hit singles "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" (the theme from the film The Jewel of the Nile, this was a number one hit in the UK and a number two in the US); and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (a US number one, although it performed less well in the UK).
Ocean's next album, Tear Down These Walls (1988) featured another US number one single, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car".
His later albums, such as Time to Move On, L.I.F.E. and Showdown, failed to spawn hits, but his 1989 Greatest Hits collection has been a steady seller over the years.
In fact, Billy Ocean's last studio album for Jive was Time to Move On, which he recorded in Chicago with R&B star R. Kelly. It turned out, that R. Kelly had been a long-time admirer of the way Ocean was able to mix the more emotive soul style with a crossover pop vibe. It is evident that the two got on well as writers in the studio.
In 2002, the University of Westminster awarded Ocean an honorary doctorate of music. He continues to tour and record in Europe, working out of his sprawling country estate in Shenfield, Essex.
Trivia
- Hip-hop artist Big Boi of OutKast uses the name 'Billy Ocean' as an alias, a reference to the performer.
- Hip-hop artists Ying Yang Twins say "Skeet so much they call him Billy Ocean" in the song "Salt Shaker".
- Hip-hop artists Little Brother and The Sound Providers mention Billy Ocean in the chorus of the song "Braggin' and Boastin'".
- Hip-hop artist Warren G mentions the name 'Billy Ocean' in the song "Super Soul Sis".
- Hip-hop artist Ill Bill uses 'Billy Ocean' as an alias in a Hiphopgame.com freestyle.
- Hip-hop artist Equipto mentions the name 'Billy Ocean' in the song "Heelz".
- Episode 60 of "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" is titled "Billy Ocean".
Discography
Albums
- Billy Ocean (GTO 1976)
- City Limit (GTO 1980)
- Nights Feel Like Getting Down (GTO 1981)
- Inner Feelings (Epic 1982)
- Suddenly (Jive 1984)
- Love Zone (Jive 1986)
- Tear Down These Walls (Jive 1988)
- Greatest Hits (Jive 1989)
- Time To Move On (Jive 1993)
- L.I.F.E. (Jive 1997)
- Let's Get Back Together (Jive 2003)
- The Ultimate Collection (Jive 2004)
Singles
- 1976 "Love Really Hurts Without You" (#2 UK, #22 US)
- 1976 "Love On Delivery" (#19 UK)
- 1976 "Stop Me (If You've Heard It All Before) (#12 UK)
- 1977 "Red Light Spells Danger" (#2 UK)
- 1979 "American Hearts" (#54 UK)
- 1980 "Are You Ready" / "Stay the Night" (#42 UK, #83 U.S. Dance)
- 1981 "Stay the Night" / "Night (Feel Like Getting Down)" (#4 U.S. Dance)
- 1984 "European Queen (No More Love On the Run)" (#82 UK)
- 1984 "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On the Run)" (#6 UK, #1 two weeks US, #1 U.S. Dance, #1 R&B four weeks)
- 1985 "Loverboy" (#15 UK, #2 US, #1 U.S. Dance)
- 1985 "Suddenly" (#4 UK, #4 US)
- 1985 "Mystery Lady" (#49 UK, #24 US)
- 1986 "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" (#1 UK, #2 US, #31 U.S. Dance)
- 1986 "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (# 12 UK, #1, one week US)
- 1986 "Hold On Brother" (#48 U.S. Dance)
- 1986 "Love Zone" (#49 UK, #10 UK)
- 1986 "Bittersweet" (#44 UK)
- 1986 "Love Is Forever" (#34 UK, #16 US)
- 1988 "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" (#3 UK, #1 U.S. two weeks, #25 U.S. Dance)
- 1988 "Calypso Crazy" (#35 UK)
- 1988 "The Color Of Love" (#65 UK, #17 US)
- 1988 "Stand And Deliver" (#97 UK)
- 1989 "License To Chill" (#81 UK, #32 US)
- 1993 "Pressure" (#55 UK)
References
See also
- List of number-one singles (UK)
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
de:Billy Ocean
es:Billy Ocean
ja:ã??ã?ªã?¼ã?»ã?ªã?¼ã?·ã?£ã?³
nl:Billy Ocean
fi:Billy Ocean
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
68%
25%
95%
11%
31%
76%
