MUSIC Billy Ocean to play in Castlebar

Caribbean King returns to Castlebar


Much-loved Caribbean crooner Billy Ocean will sing in the summer this May when he returns to the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, for what is sure to be another roof-raiser.
One of the biggest black recording stars Britain has ever produced, Billy has sold over 30 million records in his lifetime. He has collected a pile of Gold and Platinum records across the world and hit the number one spot in the US, Australia, Germany, Holland and the UK.
Born on the south Caribbean island of Trinidad, Billy arrived in London’s East End when he was just seven years old. Calypso crazy, he soon got turned on to soul singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, as well as pop groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, leading him to spend much of his study time in the music room.
Billy got his first break when he signed to GTO records, for whom his second single was the Motown-sounding ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’, which reached No 2 in the UK charts and No 12 in the US.
Two top 20 singles followed – ‘Love on Delivery’ and ‘Stop Me’ – then ‘Red Light Spells Danger’ became a smash in both the UK and the US.
Billy changed record labels, and his move to Jive Records provided instant success, with the timeless ‘Caribbean Queen’ achieving enormous success and netting Billy a Grammy for best R&B Vocal. That single was followed by ‘Loverboy’ and ‘Suddenly’, which became the first of Billy’s killer ballads. The album from which these singles were drawn (also called ‘Suddenly’) was in the US Charts for a full year, selling double platinum (triple in Canada). Billy also performed on the American half of Live Aid, making 1985 a truly incredible year for him.
1986 wasn’t bad either, opening with ‘When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)’, the theme song to Jewel of the Nile, which starred Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny De Vito. More hits were to follow, with the now-classic ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car’, giving Billy yet another US No 1 hit.
After huge worldwide success and with a young family at home, Billy decided to take a break to spend some well-earned time with them.
It was not until 2007 that the world was once again treated to the warmth of his Caribbean voice and his feel-good music. That year Billy started touring again, with dates in the UK and Europe, USA, Canada and his beloved Caribbean. Billy was back on the road with his band again in 2010, and this time the tour included Ireland and a riveting, soulful performance at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar, along with the release of ‘The Very Best of Billy Ocean’.
This year, almost exactly two years later, he returns to the Royal. Anyone who witnessed his last performance knows that Billy Ocean has still got it – the hair may be grey, and his face may have gained a few lines, but he has more energy than many half his age. And a smile that, like the singer, just keeps on giving.

Billy Ocean will play in the Royal Theatre on Sunday, May 6. Tickets (from €33.20) are available at 0818 300 000 or 094 9023111 and from www.ticketmaster.ie.