Billy Ocean – Suddenly

Billy Ocean (born Leslie Sebastian Charles; 21 January 1950) is a Trinidadian-born English recording artist who had a string of R&B international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was the most popular British R&B singer-songwriter of the early to mid-1980s.After scoring his first four UK Top 20 successes, seven years passed before he accumulated a series of transatlantic successes, including three U.S. number ones.

In 1985, Ocean won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his worldwide hit, “Caribbean Queen”, and in 1987 was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist.

In 2002, the University of Westminster, London, awarded Ocean an honorary doctorate of music. In 2010, Ocean was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBO Awards. On 29 July 2011, Ocean became a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, presented to him by Sir Paul McCartney.He is a member of the Rastafari movement.

Biography

Early life and stardom

Ocean was born as Leslie Charles in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago, to Hainsley Charles, a Grenadian musician and his wife Violet.

He moved to Romford, Essex, England, with his family at the age of seven.He was exposed to music at an early age from his musician father, and, growing up, Ocean realized he was in line to follow his father’s ambitions.

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