Throwback: Happy 75th Birthday, Billy Ocean!

It’s January 2025 y’all! January is a busy month for music birthdays. Let’s get to it. 

• The pioneering and legendary Grandmaster Flash celebrated his 67th birthday on January 1
• Gang of Four co-founder and guitarist Andy Gill was born 68 years ago on January 1
• Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones celebrated his 79th 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 50th –yes, y’all, 50th! — birthday on January 3
• The legendary Stephen Stills, known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills and Nash, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, as well as for being a solo artist, celebrates his 80th birthday on January 3
• Joy Division and New Order founder Bernard Sumner celebrated his 69th birthday on January 4
• Cocteau Twins‘ co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and producer Robin Guthriecelebrated his 63rd birthday on January 4
• Portishead frontperson Beth Gibbons celebrated her 59th birthday on January 4
• R.E.M. s Michael Stipe celebrated his 65th birthday on January 4
• Vanity was born 66 years ago on January 4
• Blondie co-founder and guitarist Chris Stein celebrated 75th birthday on January 5
• Sister Sledge‘s Kathy Sledge celebrated her 66th birthday on January 6
• AC/DC co-founder, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and backing vocalist Malcolm Young was born 72 years ago on January 6
• The Doors‘ Robby Krieger celebrated his 79th birthday on January 8
• The legendary David Bowie was born 78 years ago on January 8
• Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, one of the greatest guitarists to ever play celebrated his 81st birthday on January 9
• Steely Dan co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Donald Fagen celebrated his 77th birthday on January 10
• The legendary Rod Stewart celebrated his 80th — yes, 80th! — birthday on January 10
• Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul celebrated her 54th birthday on January 11
• Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon celebrated his 55th birthday on January 12
• Rage Against the Machine‘s  Zack de la Rocha celebrated his 55th birthday on January 12
• Earth Wind and Fire’s Fred White was born 70 years ago on January 13 
• New Orleans‘ greatest sons, the legendary singer/songwriter, pianist, composer and producer Allen Toussaint was born 87 years ago on January 14
• One of the greatest, most commercially successful emcees ever, LL Cool J celebrates his 57th birthday on January 14
•  Nirvana‘s and Foo Fighters‘ Dave Grohl celebrated his 56th birthday on January 14
• Slick Rick, one of the greatest living emcees to ever do it, celebrated his 60th birthday on January 14
• Lisa Lisa and The Cult Jam’s frontwoman Lisa “Lisa Lisa” Velez celebrates her 58th birthday on January 15
• Sade, the queen of the Quiet Storm sound celebrated her 66th birthday on January 16
• Aaliyah was born 46 years ago on January 16
• The Delfonics‘ William Hart was born on this day 80 years ago
• The Bangles’ co-founder and frontperson Susanna Hoffs celebrated her 66th birthday on January 17
• The Temptations‘ former lead singer David Ruffin was born 84 years ago on January 18
• Janis Joplin, arguably one of the greatest, most influential and most beloved vocalist ever was born 82 years ago on January 19
• Robert Palmer was born 76 years ago on January 19
• The legendary and incomparable Dolly Parton celebrated her 79th birthday on January 19
• The Roots‘ co-founder Questlove celebrated his 54th birthday on January 20
• Kevin Parker, the acclaimed Aussie singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as JOVM mainstay Tame Impala celebrated his 39th birthday on January 20 

Leslie Sebastian Charles, best known as Billy Ocean celebrates his 75th 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!