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Billy Ocean music biography continued...

at the age of eight, and by his teenaged years, was singing regularly in London clubs. He released his first single in 1974 under the alias Scorched Earth, but by 1976 had changed his name to Billy Ocean and came out with a self-titled debut album that spawned the hit single, "Love Really Hurts Without You," which charted at number 2 in the United Kingdom and number 22 in the United States. More hits followed, such as "L.O.D. (Love On Delivery)". He also wrote songs for other artists such as LaToya Jackson. In 1982 he hit the US Rhythm and Blues Chart with "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)." Ocean's period of greatest success, however, began with 1984's album Suddenly, which spawned the mega-hit "Caribbean Queen". The song won Ocean the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1985 Grammy Awards and peaked on the U.S. charts at #1. As it spread, its title and lyrics were changed for different regions, such that the song also became known as "African Queen" or "European Queen". The album's title track also became a hit peaking at #4 in both the US and the UK. Ocean's 1986 album Love Zone also sold very well, with hit singles "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)." His 1988 album Tear Down These Walls had another number-one single, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car," which cemented Ocean's status as a tremendously popular soul singer with huge crossover pop appeal.



Ocean's later albums, such as Time to Move On, Love is For Ever (also known as L.I.F.E.) and Showdown, failed to spawn hits, but his 1989 Greatest Hits collection has been a steady seller over the years. Ocean's last studio album for Jive Records was Time to Move On, which he recorded in Chicago with R&B star R. Kelly. In October 2007, Ocean commenced his first British tour in over 15 years. In February and March 2008 he toured Australia and the Far East. His new album, Because I Love You was released in February 2009, much to the delight of fans that see his influence on all of today's leading R&B and pop vocalists.