Throwback: Happy 76th Birthday, BIlly Ocean!

It’s 2026 y’all. May it be a kinder, better year for all of us. January is a busy month for music birthdays. 

• Gang of Four co-founder and guitarist Andy Gill was born 70 years ago on January 1
• The pioneering and legendary Grandmaster Flash celebrated his 68th birthday on January 1
• French touch pioneer Thomas Bangalter, best known for his work in Stardust and the multi-Grammy Award-winning duo Daft Punk celebrated his 51st 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, celebrated his 81st birthday on January 3
• Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones celebrated his 80th — yes, 80th — birthday on January 3
• Denise Katrina Matthews, best known as Vanity was born 67 years ago on January 4
• Joy Division and New Order founder Bernard Sumner celebrated his 70th — yes, y’all, 70th! — birthday on January 4
• Portishead frontperson Beth Gibbons celebrated her 60th — yes, ya’ll, 60th! — birthday on January 4
• Cocteau Twins‘ co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and producer Robin Guthrie celebrated his 64th birthday on January 4
• R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe celebrated his 66th birthday on January 4
• Blondie co-founder and guitarist Chris Stein celebrated his 76th birthday on January 5
• Sister Sledge‘s Kathy Sledge celebrated her 67th birthday on January 6
• AC/DC co-founder, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and backing vocalist Malcolm Young was born 73 years ago on January 6
• The Doors‘ Robby Krieger celebrated his 80th — yes, ya’ll 80th — birthday on January 8
• The legendary David Bowie was born 79 years ago on January 8
• David Johansen, best known as a punk rock pioneer with New York Dolls, for a lengthy solo career and for his lounge singing alter ego Buster Poindexter was born 76 years ago on January 9
• Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, one of the greatest guitarists to ever play celebrated his 82nd birthday on January 9
• Steely Dan co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Donald Fagen celebrated his 78th birthday on January 10 
• The legendary Rod Stewart celebrated his 81st birthday on January 10
• Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul celebrated her 55th — yes, y’all 55th! — birthday on January 11
• Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon celebrated his 56th birthday on January 12
• Rage Against the Machine‘s  Zack de la Rocha celebrated his 56th birthday on January 12
• Earth Wind and Fire’s Fred White was born 71 years ago on January 13
• One of the greatest, most commercially successful emcees ever, LL Cool J celebrated his 58th birthday on January 14
• Dave Grohl celebrated his 57th birthday on January 14
• New Orleans‘ greatest sons, the legendary singer/songwriter, pianist, composer and producer Allen Toussaint was born 88 years ago on January 14 
• Slick Rick, one of the greatest living emcees to ever do it, celebrated his 61st birthday on January 14
• Lisa Lisa and The Cult Jam’s frontwoman Lisa “Lisa Lisa” Velezcelebrated her 60th birthday on January 15
• Aaliyah was born 47 years ago on January 16
• Sade, the queen of the Quiet Storm/smooth jazz sound of the 80s and 90s celebrated her 67h birthday on January 16
• The Smiths‘ Andy Rourke was born 62 years ago on January 17
• Jamaican-born, New York-based dancehall legend Shabba Rankscelebrated his 60th — 60th y’all!– birthday on January 17
• The Bangles’ co-founder and frontperson Susanna Hoffs celebrated her 67th birthday on January 17 
• The Delfonics‘ William Hart was born 81 years ago on January 17 
• The Temptations‘ former lead singer David Ruffin was born 85 years ago on January 18
• Janis Joplin, arguably one of the greatest, most influential and most beloved vocalist ever was born 83 years ago on January 19
• Robert Palmer was born on 77 years ago on January 19
• The legendary and incomparable Dolly Parton celebrated her 80th — yes, y’all, 80th! — birthday on January 19
• Kevin Parker, the acclaimed Aussie singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as the creative mastermind behind the JOVM mainstay Tame Impala celebrated his 40th birthday on January 20
• The Roots‘ co-founder and drummer Questlove celebrated his 55th — yes, y’all, 55th! — birthday on January 20

Leslie Sebastian Charles, best known as Billy Ocean celebrates his 76th 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!

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