Gilbert O'Sullivan

Gilbert O'Sullivan (born Raymond Edward O'Sullivan 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits such as "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair" and "Get Down".

His songs are often marked by his distinctive, percussive piano playing style and observational lyrics using word play.

Born in Waterford, Ireland, O'Sullivan settled in Swindon, England, as a child.

Raymond Edward O'Sullivan was born on 1 December 1946 in Cork Road, Waterford, Ireland.

He was one of six children.

His mother May ran a sweet shop and his father was a butcher with Clover Meats.

The O'Sullivans emigrated due to a job offer in England.

The family first moved to Battersea, London when Raymond was seven, before settling in Swindon, Wiltshire a year later.

Raymond began playing piano here, later explaining: "I come from a working-class background, but we always had a piano, the thinking of my parents was that if one of your kids could play it, you could make some money at it."

A period of going to piano lessons was short-lived, as O'Sullivan was not enamoured of music theory and played the pieces by ear instead.

Raymond's father died two years after the move to Swindon.

Raymond attended St Joseph's Catholic College before studying at Swindon College, specialising in graphic design.

Here, he played with several semi-professional bands including the Doodles, the Prefects and was most notably a drummer in a band called Rick's Blues, along with Malcolm Mabbett (guitar), Keith Ray (bass), and founder Rick Davies.

Davies, who later founded Supertramp, taught O'Sullivan how to play both drums and piano.

O'Sullivan's drumming informed his style of piano-playing, which often utilises a distinct, percussive piano pattern.

O'Sullivan has explained, "My left hand is hitting the high hat and the right hand is the snare."

He started writing songs, heavily influenced by the Beatles as writers and Bob Dylan as a performer.

In 1967, he began pursuing a career in music.

In 1967, O'Sullivan moved from Swindon to London in pursuit of a career in music.

Determined to get a record deal and looking to stand out, he created an eye-catching visual image consisting of a bowl cut, cloth cap and short trousers.

O'Sullivan has said his love of silent film inspired the look.

He scored a five-year contract with April Music, CBS Records' house publishing company, after coming to the attention of the professional manager Stephen Shane, who also suggested changing his name from Ray to Gilbert as a play on the name of the light opera partnership Gilbert and Sullivan.

He was paid an advance of £12 (equivalent to £0 as of 2024), with which he bought a piano.

He was signed to CBS Records by the A&R manager Mike Smith, who produced the Tremeloes, the Marmalade and the Love Affair.

His first single was "Disappear", produced by Mike Smith and released in November 1967 credited to the mononym 'Gilbert'.

It failed to chart, as did his second single "What Can I Do", released in April 1968.

A switch to the Irish record label Major Minor in 1969 yielded a third single "Mr. Moody's Garden", again unsuccessful.

O'Sullivan then sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, the manager of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, whereupon O'Sullivan was signed to Mills' newly founded label, MAM Records.

Mills reportedly hated O'Sullivan's self-created image, but O'Sullivan insisted on using it initially.

O'Sullivan's unique signature look garnered much attention, and often saw him compared to the Bisto Kids.

Worldwide, he has charted 16 top 40 records including six No. 1 songs, the first of which was 1970's "Nothing Rhymed".

Across his career, he has recorded 19 studio albums.

At the end of 1970, O'Sullivan achieved his first UK top 10 hit with "Nothing Rhymed", which also reached number one in the Netherlands, where it earned O'Sullivan his first gold disc.

O'Sullivan explained his thinking behind his appearance in a 1971 interview: "My mother probably doesn't like Neil Young because she hates the way he looks, his hair and everything. If you can get them interested in the way you look then they tend to like the music. The thing which I'm trying to create is of the thirties; Keaton and Chaplin."

Over 1971, O'Sullivan scored hits with "Underneath The Blanket Go" (which also reached number one in the Netherlands), "We Will" and "No Matter How I Try", the latter being named "Best Ballad or Romantic Song" at the 17th Ivor Novello Awards in 1972.

O'Sullivan released his debut album, Himself, in August 1971.

It received a warm critical reception, with O'Sullivan's observational and conversational style of songwriting garnering comparisons to Paul McCartney and Randy Newman.

O'Sullivan opted not to tour in promotion of the album, but did however make a number of appearances on British television during 1971, most notably recording an edition of BBC In Concert broadcast 18 December 1971.

The music magazine Record Mirror voted O'Sullivan the top UK male singer of 1972.

He has received three Ivor Novello Awards, including "Songwriter of the Year" in 1973.