January is a busy and auspicious month in music history:
- Legendary hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash celebrated his 66th birthday on January 1
- Led Zeppelin‘s and Them Crooked Vultures‘ John Paul Jones celebrated his 78th birthday on January 3
- French touch pioneer Thomas Bangalter, best known for his work in Stardust and the multi-Grammy Award-winning duo Daft Punk celebrated his 49th birthday on January
- R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe celebrated his 64th birthday on January 4
- Joy Division and New Order founder Bernard Sumner celebrated his 68th birthday on January 4
- Cocteau Twins‘ co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and producer Robin Guthriecelebrated his 62nd birthday on January 4
- Portishead frontperson Beth Gibbons celebrates her 58th birthday on January 4
- The 65th anniversary of singer, model, actress and Prince protegé Denise Katrina Matthews, a.k.a. Vanity was on January 4
- Blondie co-founder and guitarist Chris Stein celebrated his 74th birthday on January 5
- AC/DC co-founder, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and backing vocalist Malcom Young was born 71 years ago on January 6
- Sister Sledge‘s Kathy Sledge celebrated her 65th birthday today on January 6
- The Doors‘ Robby Krieger celebrated his 78th on January 8
- The legendary David Bowie was born 77 years ago on January 8
- Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page celebrated his 80th birthday on January 9
- Steely Dan co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Donald Fagen celebrates his 76th birthday on January 10
- Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul celebrated her 53rd birthday on January 11
- Rage Against the Machine‘s Zack de la Rocha celebrated his 54th birthday on January 12
- Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon celebrated his 54th birthday on January 12
- The 69th anniversary of Earth Wind and Fire’s Fred White was on January 13
- Nirvana‘s and Foo Fighters‘ Dave Grohl celebrated his 55th birthday on January 14
- LL Cool J celebrated his 56th birthday on January 14
- Slick Rick greatest living emcees to ever do it, celebrated his 59th birthday on January 14.
- The 84th anniversary of New Orleans‘ greatest sons, the legendary singer/songwriter, pianist, composer and producer Allen Toussaint was also on January 14
- Lisa Lisa and The Cult Jam’s frontwoman Lisa “Lisa Lisa” Velez celebrated her 57th birthday on January 15
- Sade, the queen of the Quiet Storm sound celebrated her 65th birthday on January 16
- The 45th anniversary of Aaliyah‘s birth was also on January 16
- The Bangles’ co-founder and frontperson Susanna Hoffs celebrated her 65th birthday on January 17
- The 83rd anniversary of the birth of The Temptations‘ former lead singer David Ruffin was on January 18
- The 75th anniversary of Robert Palmer‘s birth was on January 19
- The 81st anniversary of Janis Joplin‘s brith was on January 19
- The legendary incomparable Dolly Parton celebrated her 78th birthday on January 19
- Kevin Parker, the acclaimed Aussie singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as JOVM mainstay Tame Impala celebrated his 38th birthday on January 20
- The Roots‘ co-founder Questlove celebrated his 53rd birthday on January 20
Leslie Sebastian Charles, best known as Billy Ocean celebrates his 74th birthday today. Between 1976-1988 or so, he had amassed quite a bit of international success, including “Love Really Hurts Without You,” which was a Top 40 hit in the States and a Top 10 hit in the UK; “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run),” which was his first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Black Singles — and the accompanying album Suddenly debuted on the Top 10, peaking at #9 on the Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart. That album was certified double platinum by the RIAA and gold in the UK.
“Caribbean Queen” also received two Grammy Awards, with a win for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. “Loverboy,” which is accompanied by what I think is one of the worst videos ever made, landed at #2 on Billboard, and
“Suddenly” peaked at #4 in the US and UK. The Jewel of the Nile theme song “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” landed at #1 on the UK charts and #2 here in the States.
By the time he received a Brit Award nomination for Best British Male Artist, Billy Ocean was the most popular and most commercially successful British R&B singer/songwriter of the 80s.
As I’ve joked to countless people between about 1982-1986, Billy Ocean was the shit. You heard this man’s songs on the radio all the time — and you dug them immensely.
Happy birthday, brother! May there be many, many more!