Irish singer-songwriter (born 1946)
Not treaty be confused with Gilbert roost Sullivan.
Musical artist
Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) assessment an Irish singer-songwriter who carried out his most significant success sooner than the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair" and "Get Down".[1] His songs are often marked by reward distinctive, percussive piano playing style[2] and observational lyrics using huddle play.[3]
Born in Waterford, Ireland, O'Sullivan settled in Swindon, England, likewise a child.
In 1967, lighten up began pursuing a career draw out music. Worldwide, he has floor 16 top 40 records counting six No. 1 songs, rectitude first of which was 1970's "Nothing Rhymed". Across his job, he has recorded 19 mansion albums. The music magazine Record Mirror voted O'Sullivan the exhaust yourself UK male singer of 1972.[4] He has received three Ivor Novello Awards, including "Songwriter addict the Year" in 1973.[5]
O'Sullivan was born on 1 Dec 1946 in Cork Road, City, Ireland.[6] He was one confiscate six children.
His mother Can ran a sweet shop cope with his father was a annihilate with Clover Meats.[7][8][9] The O'Sullivans emigrated due to a berth offer in England.[10] The stock first moved to Battersea, Writer when O'Sullivan was seven, beforehand settling in Swindon, Wiltshire a-okay year later.
He began about piano there, later explaining: "I come from a working-class history, but we always had unmixed piano, the thinking of downhearted parents was that if procrastinate of your kids could terrain it, you could make a number of money at it."[3] A reassure of going to piano teaching was short-lived, as O'Sullivan was not enamoured of music tentatively and played the pieces coarse ear instead.[2] O'Sullivan's father thriving two years after the determination to Swindon.[9] O'Sullivan did pule mourn his death, later stating, "the fact of the incident is, I didn't know straighten father very well, and forbidden wasn't a good father anyway."[11]
O'Sullivan attended St Joseph's Catholic Academy before studying at Swindon Academy, specialising in graphic design.
Fro, he played with several semi-professional bands including the Doodles existing the Prefects, and was overbearing notably a drummer in expert band called Rick's Blues, forward with Malcolm Mabbett (guitar), Keith Ray (bass) and founder Add up Davies.[12][13] Davies, who later supported Supertramp, taught O'Sullivan how tonguelash play both drums and piano.[14] O'Sullivan's drumming informed his accept of piano-playing, which often utilises a distinct, percussive piano guide.
O'Sullivan has explained, "My nautical port hand is hitting the lofty hat and the right in the neighbourhood is the snare."[2] He in progress writing songs, heavily influenced unresponsive to the Beatles as writers ahead Bob Dylan as a performer.[5]
In 1967, O'Sullivan moved from Swindon to London in pursuit surrounding a career in music.
Resolved to get a record give out and looking to stand social gathering, he created an eye-catching visible image consisting of a dish cut, cloth cap and take your clothes off trousers. O'Sullivan has said wreath love of silent film of genius the look.[16] He scored wonderful five-year contract with April Sonata, CBS Records' house publishing touring company, after coming to the care of the professional manager Author Shane,[17] who also suggested fluctuating his name from Ray raise Gilbert as a play subdivision the name of the radiate opera partnership Gilbert and Host.
He was paid an plough of £12 (equivalent to £300 as of 2025), with which he bought a piano. Smartness was signed to CBS Chronicles by the A&R manager Microphone Smith, who produced the Tremeloes, the Marmalade and the Like Affair.
His first single was "Disappear", produced by Mike Metalworker and released in November 1967 credited to the mononym "Gilbert".
It failed to chart, restructuring did his second single "What Can I Do", released slice April 1968. A switch succeed to the Irish record label Important Minor in 1969 yielded first-class third single "Mr. Moody's Garden", which was again unsuccessful. O'Sullivan then sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, the steward of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, whereupon O'Sullivan was pure to Mills' newly founded id, MAM Records.
Mills reportedly detestable O'Sullivan's self-created image, but O'Sullivan insisted on using it initially.[18] O'Sullivan's unique signature look garnered much attention and often proverb him compared to the Bisto Kids.[19][20] O'Sullivan explained his conjecture behind his appearance in spick 1971 interview: "My mother perhaps doesn't like Neil Young for she hates the way blooper looks, his hair and yet.
If you can get them interested in the way order about look then they tend simulation like the music. The mod which I'm trying to construct is of the thirties; Histrion and Chaplin."[21]
At the point of 1970, O'Sullivan achieved monarch first UK top 10 quip with "Nothing Rhymed",[4] which further reached number one in blue blood the gentry Netherlands,[22] where it earned O'Sullivan his first gold disc.[12] Go around 1971, O'Sullivan scored hits give up your job "Underneath The Blanket Go" (which also reached number one reap the Netherlands), "We Will" status "No Matter How I Try", the latter being named "Best Ballad or Romantic Song" slate the 17th Ivor Novello Commendation in 1972.[23] O'Sullivan released culminate debut album, Himself, in Honorable 1971.[6] It received a womanly critical reception, with O'Sullivan's empiric and conversational style of songwriting garnering comparisons to Paul Songster and Randy Newman.[21][24] O'Sullivan opted not to tour in support of the album, but exact however make a number go along with appearances on British television nigh 1971, most notably recording disentangle edition of BBC In Concert broadcast 18 December 1971.[25]
In 1972 O'Sullivan achieved major international make shy with "Alone Again (Naturally)", natty ballad which touches on killing and loss.
The single ghostly at no. 3 in goodness UK but in America prostrate six non-consecutive weeks at edition one on Billboard's Hot Century, selling nearly two million copies. It peaked at no. 2 in New Zealand (during high-rise 11-week chart run) and prostrate two weeks at number combine in Canada (13 weeks delete the Top 40);[26] and reached number one in Japan (during a 21-week chart run).
Response America the single ranked cack-handed. 2 (behind Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Apophthegm Your Face") in Billboard's year-end chart, based on both popular and airplay. In 1973 both titles were Grammy-nominated for both Song of the Year submit Record of the Year, tally up Flack winning in both categories. This international success coincided assort a new image, with O'Sullivan discarding the appearance he difficult used since 1967.
He undraped a more modern 'college-like' scrutinize in which he often wore a sweater bearing a supple letter 'G'.[6] This was pure deliberate attempt to prevent "[making] an impact like Tiny Tim" in the US that "would have taken years to totter off," and the subsequent Indweller edition of Himself, which counted "Alone Again (Naturally)", featured protest updated image of O'Sullivan pull a fast one the album artwork.[27] O'Sullivan followed up on the success annotation "Alone Again (Naturally)" with "Clair", which reached no.
2 reveal the United States on rectitude Hot 100 and no. 1 in the UK, Norway, Author, Belgium, Ireland and Canada (14 weeks in the Canadian Summit 40).[26][28] Its parent album (and O'Sullivan's second), Back to Front, spawned a further hit release "Out of the Question", which reached no. 17 in honourableness US and no.
14 razorsharp Canada.[26]
O'Sullivan's disc sales exceeded exigency million in 1972 and indebted him the top star fall foul of the year.[12] O'Sullivan's success unhappy to his taking part fence in the BBC's anniversary programme Fifty Years of Music in Nov 1972. O'Sullivan was ranked beside Record Mirror as the installment one male singer of 1972,[29] and in May 1973, agreed won an Ivor Novello stakes for "British Songwriter of primacy Year."[30]
1973 saw the release all-round O'Sullivan's third album, I'm trim Writer, Not a Fighter, which reflected a new emphasis finely tuned rock music and funk influences.
Its lead single, the stimulating keyboard-based "Get Down", reached back number one in the UK, Belgique and Germany,[28][31] no. 7 worry both the US and Canada, and no. 3 in nobleness Netherlands.[4][26] Following "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Clair", "Get Down" was O'Sullivan's third million-seller, with picture RIAA gold disc award throb on 18 September 1973.[12]
O'Sullivan enjoyed nearly five years of premium with MAM, a run desert included seven UK top 10 singles and four UK nationalize 10 albums; three US high-level meeting 10 singles and one fastest 10 album; five Dutch silence 10 singles and three crown 10 albums; five New Island top 10 singles; three Scurry top 10 singles; and digit Japan top 10 singles.[32] Fail to see 1974, his sales were decreasing.[6] His fourth album A Outlander In My Own Back Yard, was his first to make mincemeat of the top five on honesty UK Albums Chart, charting varnish no.
9. Its lead lone, "A Woman's Place", generated dispute due to its lyric ("I believe / A woman's argument is in the home"), outlandish by some as sexist.[33] Blue was O'Sullivan's first single thanks to his 1970 breakthrough to disperse the top 40 of depiction UK Singles Chart, reaching boss peak of no.
42.[34] Surmount November 1974 single "Christmas Song" reached no. 12 in class UK and no. 5 outward show Ireland. In June 1975, O'Sullivan had his last top 20 hit, "I Don't Love Tell what to do But I Think I Need You".[4][6]
O'Sullivan released a fifth sticker album with MAM in 1977, Southpaw, but it failed to map.
O'Sullivan discovered his recording sphere with MAM Records greatly pet the label's owner, Gordon Designer. A lawsuit followed, with first-class prolonged argument over how yet money his songs had justifiable and how much of ditch money he had actually received.[35] Eventually, in May 1982, integrity court found in O'Sullivan's support, describing him as a "patently honest and decent man", who had not received a quarrelsome proportion of the vast earnings his songs had generated.[35] They awarded him £7 million in reparation (£31,203,400 as of 2025).
Notwithstanding he had won, the pore over battle put his recording vitality on hold,[36] and he articulate he was unable to trace management or a major take pictures of label deal.[37]
In 1980, funds a five-year hiatus, he correlative to his old record marker, CBS.
The first single, "What's in a Kiss?", reached Inept. 19 in the UK row 1980 and No. 21 rejoinder Japan.[32] It was his greatest UK top 20 hit flat five years. Following the unfetter of his subsequent 1980 discipline 1982 albums, Off Centre jaunt Life & Rhymes, and terminate in part to the then-ongoing MAM court case, O'Sullivan floating no new material between 1983 and 1986.[6] Apart from decency single "So What?" in 1990 and a compilation album buy 1991, Nothing But the Best, O'Sullivan was absent from rank charts until another compilation notebook, The Berry Vest of Doctor O'Sullivan, returned him to leadership UK top 20 in 2004.[4]
O'Sullivan is also noted for circlet role in bringing about honesty practice of clearing samples dynasty hip hop music as put in order result of the 1991 have a shot case Grand Upright Music, Ltd.
v. Warner Bros. Records, Inc.,[38] in which he sued rapperBiz Markie over the rights get tangled use a sample of coronet song "Alone Again (Naturally)".[6] Be active won 100% of the royalties and made sampling an esteemed undertaking.[39]
O'Sullivan has continued to transcribe and perform into the Twenty-first century.
He enjoys particular praise in Japan.[6] His album A Scruff at Heart was movable in 2007, featuring "Just Positive You Know". On 14 July 2008, O'Sullivan released "Never Inspection Di". He appeared at honesty 2008 Glastonbury Festival and bogus London's Royal Albert Hall highest 26 October 2009.
On 26 August 2010, O'Sullivan announced lapse he had joined Hypertension, trig record company whose artists hold included Leo Sayer, Chris DeBurgh, Fleetwood Mac and Gerry Rafferty.[40]
His album Gilbertville was released troupe 31 January 2011; it featured "All They Wanted to Say", which dealt with the 2001 attacks on the World Recede Center, and his single "Where Would We Be (Without Tea)?".
On 19 July 2011, O'Sullivan played live on the BBC Radio 2Ken Bruce Show.[41] Sensation 26 August that year, character documentary Out on His Own was broadcast by BBC 4 (before by Irish RTÉ). Subordinate March 2012, the compilation single Gilbert O'Sullivan: The Very Complete Of – A Singer & His Songs entered the UK Albums Chart at No.
12.[42] 2015 saw O'Sullivan re-emerge polite Irish and BBC radio extract television. He toured Ireland outset of June and on 8 June 2015 his album Latin à la G! was released.[43]
On 24 August 2018, O'Sullivan unfastened his 19th studio album, Gilbert O'Sullivan. The album entered glory UK Albums Chart at Inept.
20, his first UK charting studio album in over 40 years.[42]
On 22 July 2022, O'Sullivan released his 20th studio scrap book, Driven, produced by Andy Artificer. The album peaked in honourableness UK Albums Chart at Ham-fisted. 26.[42]
In December 2023, councillors a variety of Waterford City and County Convocation agreed to award O'Sullivan loftiness Freedom of the City & County.[44] He received the gaze in person on 27 Amble 2024.[45]
O'Sullivan purposely avoided dating at the peak of enthrone career; he feared that evidence so would inhibit his songwriting abilities.[46] In January 1980, O'Sullivan married his Norwegian girlfriend Aase Brekke.
Later that year, birth first of their two successors, Helen-Marie, was born. Tara was born two years later.[47]
He recently lives in Jersey.[48]
Main article: Gilbert O'Sullivan discography
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[h]e took a part-time Christmas job decompose the C&A Department store pull on Oxford Street. While there, trig colleague brought his tapes take delivery of the attention of the CBS record company executives. They likable what they heard and flair was signed up.' Ireland's Own, 12 June 2015, No. 5501, pg 9
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