Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean is one of the biggest recording stars Britain has ever produced, with over thirty million record sales, a pile of Gold and Platinum records across the globe and a string of worldwide number ones including in the USA, Australia, Germany, Holland, and the UK. In 2020 Billy was awarded an MBE for services to music. He also holds a Grammy award for best male R&B Vocal Performance, the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement, two Billboard Music awards, the 2010 MOBO lifetime achievement award, and an Honorary Doctorate in music from Westminster University. Billy’s pop and soul anthems are as wildly popular now as they've always been. Hits such as 'Red Light Spells Danger', 'Love Really Hurts Without You', 'When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Goin' and the Grammy Award-winning 'Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)' attracting millions of streams and views. Born in Trinidad, Billy settled in London’s East End at just seven years old, and was soon inspired by soul singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke as well as mainstream pop groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He got his first break when he signed to GTO records, and a first taste of chart success with the Motown-esque 'Love Really Hurts Without You', reaching number two in the UK charts and number twelve in the US. Two top twenty singles 'Love on Delivery' and 'Stop Me...' followed before 'Red Light Spells Danger' became a smash in both the UK and the US. Billy moved to Jive records for the million selling American number one single 'Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)', followed by 'Loverboy,' and 'Suddenly', the latter the first of Billy’s killer ballads. The 'Suddenly' album that spawned these hits spent a year in the US Charts, going double platinum (triple in Canada). Billy also performed on the American leg of Live Aid, rounding off an incredible 1985. 1986 opened with 'When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going', the theme song to the Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny Devito movie 'Jewel of the Nile'. All three stars joined Billy at Brixton Academy for the video. The 'Love Zone' album, subsequently went straight to number two in the UK charts, staying in the top 40 for six months. In the US, there was a number one 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 number one hit. Two more albums followed before Billy took an extended break to spend time with his family. He returned to the stage in 2007, with his daughter Cherie on backing vocals, for live dates in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the Caribbean. The shows were followed by a return to the recording studio with new albums 'Because I Love You' (2008) and 'Here You Are' (2017). Most recently 'One World' (2020), spoke eloquently to a world in crisis amid the Covid19 pandemic. These days Billy's back onstage where he belongs. A recent string of UK festival appearances and headline dates across Europe and the US, will be followed next year with a UK headline tour.