By Vickie Sellers
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Leslie Sebastian Charles MBE (born 21 January 1950), known professionally as Billy Ocean, is a British singer and songwriter. Between 1976 and 1988, he had a series of hit songs in the UK and internationally.
After releasing several recordings under other stage names, he achieved breakthrough success with the 1976 single “Love Really Hurts Without You“. It was the second single released under the stage name Billy Ocean and peaked at no. 2 in the UK and no. 3 in Australia. Later that year, he achieved two additional top 20 singles in the UK. In 1977, his single “Red Light Spells Danger” also peaked at no. 2.
After a period of limited chart success, he released the single “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)” in 1984. In the UK, the song peaked at no. 6. In the U.S., it entered the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 85 but peaked at no. 1 10 weeks later. Ocean won the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the song. It also charted in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and across Europe under three different titles.
Across the next three years, Ocean accumulated a series of international hit singles. Released in 1985, “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” peaked at no. 1 in the UK and no. 2 in the U.S. the following year. In the same year, he achieved an American no. 1 with the single “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)“. In 1988, his single “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” reached no. 1 in the U.S. and no. 3 in the UK.
In recognition of his success and influence, Ocean has received a number of awards. In 2002, he was presented with an honorary doctorate of music by the University of Westminster. In 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBO Awards. The following year, he became a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
TODAY’S ALMANC
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Born
- Ethan Allen (patriot) –
- John Fitch (inventor) –
- Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson (Confederate Army general) –
- Christian Dior (fashion designer) –
- Jack Nicklaus (golfer) –
- Plácido Domingo (tenor) –
- Billy Ocean (singer) –
- Robby Benson (actor) –
- Geena Davis (actress) –
- Hakeem Olajuwon (basketball player) –
- Jacob Smith (actor) –
Died
- Calixa Lavallée (composer) –
- George Orwell (author) –
- Cecil B. DeMille (director) –
- James Beard (chef & food writer) –
- Jack Lord (actor) –
- Peggy Lee (singer) –
- Terry Jones (member of the Monty Python comedy troupe) –
Events
- First American novel, The Power of Sympathy, published in Boston.–
- Louis XVI of France was beheaded–
- New York City’s Sullivan Ordinance made it illegal for women to smoke in public places–
- Kiwanis International founded–
- Song Over the Rainbow, by Arlen and Harburg, copyrighted–
- First commercial extraction of magnesium from seawater began, in Freeport, Texas–
- U.S.S. Nautilus, world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched–
- President Jimmy Carter issued a pardon for Vietnam War draft evaders–
- Pittsburgh Steelers won their third Super Bowl–
- Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame–
Weather
- Sacramento, California, had a high of only 19 degrees F–
- Deadly avalanche occurred at Twin Lakes in Colorado–
- Caesars Head, South Carolina, experienced a cold temperature of -19 degrees F–
- As much as 3.5 inches of snow fell in Tokyo, Japan–
- A 3-day, 81-tornado outbreak in the Southeast United States began–
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