PLACE OF BIRTH: Waterford, Co. Waterford, Republic of Ireland
FAMILY: Gilbert married with Aase in 1980 and they have two daughters, Tara,1985 and Helen-Marie ,1981. Gilbert has three brothers Kevin, John, Terry and two sisters Marie and Deirdre.
TALL: 5ft 10in
EYES: COLOUR eyes Blue.
OTHERS: Favourite drink Assam tea (strong) but only out of a china cup, never from a mug. He hates teabags with a vengeance
CURIOUS: He was friend of Supertramp member Rick Davies
Gilbert started out as a drummer and later on moved to keyboards, In fact, his still says that he plays keyboards "percussively"! His college (Swindon Art School) bands were named: The Prefects, The Doodles and Rick's Blues. Rick Davies became the keyboard player for Supertramp.
In 1958, at the age of eleven, the family was off to England. Gilbert recalls hearing the news with mixed feelings. He had lived all his life in Waterford and love the surrounding countryside. "My Dad worked in the slaughterhouse of a meat factory in Waterford. My Mum ran a sweet shop. Home was a council house in the Cork Road. The Swindon job came up because Dad's firm also had a factory there. Dad asked for the move because the money would be a lot better in Swindon." Raymond attended St. Joseph's Comprehensive in Swindon and he went on to the Swindon Art College. Prior to college he spent hours pounding at the family piano which finally forces his Mom to relocate it to the wood shed. It is there that Gilbert's songwriting begins. While at college he's a band member (drums, guitar & vocals) of The Doodles, The Prefects and Rick's Blues. "When I was at art school I formed a group, and I used to write songs and send the demo tapes to people like Tony Hatch," Gilbert said.
After graduating he went to work in a London department store; one of his co-workers was under contract with CBS, and soon O'Sullivan was signed to the label as well. Two CBS singles "Disappear/You" and "What Can I Do?/You" were released to little attention. In 1967, The Tremeloes record "You" for their "Here Comes The Tremeloes" LP. In 1968, they record another O'Sullivan composition, "Come On Home". The CBS release is heard by BBC's John Peel who gives Ray a live airing on his "Top Gear" Radio Show in May where he performs 3 songs. Disappointed with CBS, he moves on to Phil Solomon's Major Minor label, the Single "I Wish I Could Cry/Mr. Moody's Garden" is released with the adopted name of Gilbert listed on the 45. This also fails.
Seeking a manager, he sends a demo tape and photo of himself dress in a grey flannel suit, a Bisto Kid hat, football socks, little boy's school tie and clod hop boots to Gordon Mills. Mills had already launched Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck to international stardom. Mills was impressed by the demo tape and relaunches the songwriter on his new MAM label under the name Gilbert O'Sullivan. The debut "Nothing Rhymed" had some clever lyrics and a strong melody. It reached the UK Top 10 in late 1970. Gilbert had successfully combined a flair for Beatlesque popcraft with an old-fashioned music-hall sensibility and he was on his way! Michael Watts in the October 9th,1970 issue of Melody Maker wrote "Gilbert O'Sullivan seems to be the only genuinely interesting and original "new" single talent to have appeared in Britian in the seventies."
The wit and craft of Gilbert's music coupled with his unusual image (at the peak of the hippie movement) produce subsequent hits including "We Will" and "No Matter How I Try". In 1971, Himself his debut LP is issued. The debut LP proves that his hit-making potential was undeniable and his ability to pen a memorable melody recalled the urbane charm of Paul McCartney. A year later, he finally broke through to the American market with the ballad "Alone Again (Naturally)," which topped the U.S. pop charts and sold over a million copies. Around this time, he quickly jettisoned his so-called "Bisto Kid" image in favor of a series of embossed letter "G" sweaters. In late 1972, Gilbert scored his first British number one with "Clair." The song, written about Mills’ daughter, stalls at Number Two in the States. His second offering, Back To Front, reached number 1 in the UK and his appeal stretched across the board, embracing teen and adult audiences. For a time, he seemed likely to rival and even excel Elton John as Britain's most successful singer/songwriter export.
1973 proved to be a productive and exhausting year for Gilbert. In April, he is named "Songwriter of the Year" at the 18th annual Ivor Novello Awards. On May 25th he begins his 18 city UK Tour at London's Royal Festival Hall. In September, his first and only United States Tour commences, "Get Down," and "Ooh Baby" become top selling singles and his third LP I'm A Writer Not A Fighter is released. He opens the official fan club and finishes the year with sold-out shows in at the London Palladium.
In May of '74, "Get Down" wins the Ivor Novello Award for the "Best Song of the Year." In September he opens for The Carpenters at the Hollywood Bowl. He returns to Europe and spends the rest of the month on his 16 date European tour, which takes him to Italy, Spain, Germany and other countries. In October, his fourth LP, A Stranger In My Own Backyard is released and hits UK#9. In November he plays a one-week stay at the London Palladium. Although singles like "A Christmas Song" and "Happiness Is Me and You" continued to chart, they sold increasingly fewer copies, and after the 1974 album his overseas popularity essentially ceased altogether.
During March 1975, Gilbert embarks on his British Tour which takes him to dates in Ireland, Scotland and England. In May, the single "I Don't Love You But I think I Like You/That's A Fact" is released which is his final Top 20 hit. November starts a serious media campaign for the release of the MAM Greatest Hits album, which reached UK#13). Gilbert embarks on a national radio tour to promote the LP. "Matrimony" is pulled from the lp as a single along with "You Don’t Have To Tell Me." Gilbert’s Greatest Hits TV program for ITV is broadcast on Boxing Day (12/26). In 1977, leaving MAM after a well-publicized dispute with Gordon Mills, this last effort, the self-produced, Southpaw fails to find an audience, and O'Sullivan disappears from the charts. In 1978, he performs on the BBC-TV show "Sight & Sound" concert series.
In 1980, he returns to CBS Records with the Gus Dugeon-produced "Off Centre" which contains the global hit "What's In A Kiss." After releasing the Graham Gouldman-produced Life and Rhymes in 1982, he moves to Ireland. Regrettably, Gilbert's court appearances constituted his highest public profile during this period. In 1982 he took Mills to court, ultimately winning back the master tapes to his recordings as well as the copyrights to his songs. Finally, a new LP Frobisher Drive is released five years later and only in Germany. In the Key of G followed in 1989, and although none of these records made an impact on the charts they did appeal to the singer's fiercely devoted fan audience. Thanks to the use of "Alone Again (Naturally)" in Masion Ikkoku, the highly successful Japanese animated TV series, Gilbert find himself with a new legion of Japanese fans. In fact, O'Sullivan's next three releases (1992's Rare Tracks, The Little Album and 1993's Live in Japan, respectively) were initially issued only in Japan, and he performed live there regularly. In 1991, O'Sullivan was again in court and again victorious thanks to a judge's landmark ruling that rapper Biz Markie's unauthorized sample from "Alone Again (Naturally)" was in fact theft.
Gilbert remained a prolific talent throughout the decade to follow, with subsequent LPs including 1993's Sounds of the Loop, 1994's By Larry, 1995's Every Song Has Its Play and 1997's Singer Sowing Machine. He was presented twice by BBC Radio in 1991 and again in 1993. In 1995, he took part in the annual Glastonbury Music Festival and his performance was aired by BBC Radio Two. At the close of the decade, he also embarked on concerts tours of Holland, the UK and Japan.
The dawn of the new millennium finds Gilbert's music as popular as ever as witnessed by numerous movie soundtracks, The Alley McBeal Show, and Group 58. Gilbert also continues to write and record songs and perform in public. In June 2000, "Irlish" was released in Japan where he also embarked on a fall tour and visited Australia for the first time. 2001 was also a very busy year with the release of "Irlish" in Ireland followed by a well-attended series of homeland concerts in March, the release of a new compilation cd and new song "Taking A Chance of Love" in Japan, the April radio broadcast of the Olympia Theatre Concert from Dublin and a radio & TV promo tour of Japan. In September, his own record label, BYGUM Records and his own official website were unveiled. The Fall also saw the release of "Irlish" in the UK. Q Magazine said "Ex-short trousered person continues low-key comeback." As well as "...the signs are that Gilbert O'Sullivan is on the upswing again." Irlish is the combination ofthe words Ir-ish and Eng-lish. Gilbert said "I feel I am an English-style of lyricist. I'm very much an English songwriter and an Irish person." In the Spring of 2002 Gilbert embarked on a five-city tour of the UK which started in Newcastle and ended at Ronnie Scott's in London. He performed over 25 songs including "Disappear" and "Mr. Moody's Garden." Japan released another greatest hits collection called "Twin Best" with 36 songs. A video of the new single "Two's Company (Three is Allowed)" was produced with Comedian Harry Hill portraying Gilbert in the famous G Sweater. He was also featured in the April 13th, Sunday edition of the Daily Mail Magazine. On June 12th, he appeared on the BBC Radio 2 broadcast:Steve Wright In the Afternoon." He spent the rest of the year writing and recording his latest cd. 2002 also marked the 30th anniversary of the release of "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Clair."
Today, Gilbert lives on the Isle Of Jersey in the Channel Islands with his wife Aase, and his two daughters. His brother Kevin is in charge of the daily operations including publicity and other business matters.
I..m Gilbert fan since i was a little child, i love his music, it..s magical, perfect and deep. In that times i saw him as a God, even he was my first teen love¡¡¡. Gilbert..s music was close to me in the more important moments of my life. I keep all years as a precious dream in my mind always. But the love i feel for Gilbert..s music continue.
Some years ago one of my more dear wishes comes true, i write Gilbert and he answer me, for me was a God gift. And i was blessed more times when Gilbert contact by e-mail with me. Thanks for be wonderful Gilbert¡¡¡, and also i want send a big kiss to Brian ( Gilbert webmaster )for be so nice with me.
I always will keep Gilbert in my heart as a very special part of my life.
Soy auxiliar de enfermeria, ( es un trabajo que me encanta, ya que me siento de maravilla cuando puedo ayudar a los demás ) Y estoy estudiando f.p de farmacia.
Soy una persona perseverante, seria y responsable, pero tambien con gran sentido del humor. Tengo pareja estable desde hace años.
En mi tiempo libre soy artista plástica, modelo, pin up, pintora, fotógrafa, dibujante de cómics, poetisa, actriz, cantante, dibujante, guionista, directora, diseñadora de webs y joyería...
Mi alias como modelo y artista plástica es "Dyablessa". Algunos me conoceréis como tambien “La Psiónica”, sobretodo en los foros de juegos de rol.
Mis aficines son: Viajar y hacer excursiones, el arte, la medicina, psiquiatria, la microbiología, los temas forenses, la musica, los juegos de rol, las peliculas de terror, practicar raffting y tenis, los temas esotericos, ir de compras, el mundo de la cosmética, el karaoke, algunos juegos de Pc ( Los Sims 2, Neverwinter Nights, Spellforce ),ir de tapas...Mis grandes pasiones son los animales, los amo con toda mi alma¡¡¡ y estar con mis seres queridos todo el tiempo que pueda.
I..m from Zaragoza, Spain.
My real job nurse 1 level (I choose this job as nurse 1 level because i love help others.) and i..m study pharmacy.
I..m persevering, serious and responsible person, but i..m joker and i have got great sense of humor. I have got boyfriend since years ago.
In my free time i..m artist plastic and professional model, pin up model, Painter, photographer, plastic artist, comics drawer, poet, actress, scriptwriter, singer, director and other artistic things... Also web designer and Jewerly designer.
My alias for model and artist it..s “Dyablessa” . Perhaps some of you, remember me as “The Psionic” specially en forum role games.
My hobbies are: music , travel, art , medical themes, microbiology, psychiatry, forensic themes, rol games, terror films , raffting and tennis, esoteric themes, sing in karaoke, go to look shops, the world of the cosmetic, some Pc games ( The Sims 2, Neverwinter Nights, Spellforce ), go to eat "tapas" typical spanish...The more i love are the animals, i love them with all my heart¡¡¡ and be with people i love ( family and friends )
Who I'd like to meet:
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Hola !! estamos de nuevo de gira por España ! No te lo pierdes !!! "Gira Fiasco total'" !!!
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un abrazo
Piero
8 de octubre 2009 Le Robot Rockz «Mary’s place » - BARCELONA (España) 9 de octubre 2009 Sala Serjos – MONZOn – HUESCA (España) 11 de octubre 2009 Pequeño Café del Rock – ZARAGOZA (España) 14 de noviembre 2009 Faktoria d’arts – TERRASSA –BARCELONA (España) 8 de diciembre 2009 Ninkasi Kao – LYON (France) 15 de enero 2010 Le Brin de Zinc – BARBERAZ – CHAMBERY (France)
Hola !! ¿ Que tal ? Estaremos en Monzon y Zaragoza este finde ! Te esperamos ! Los dos conciertos son gratis !!! Hasta pronto ! Abrazos Piero. 8 de octubre 2009 Le Robot Rockz «Mary’s place » - BARCELONA (España) 9 de octubre 2009 Sala Serjos – MONZOn – HUESCA (España) 11 de octubre 2009 Pequeño Café del Rock – ZARAGOZA (España) 13 de noviembre 2009 Atmosphère – VOIRON –GRENOBLE (France) 8 de diciembre 2009 Ninkasi Kao – LYON (France) 15 de enero 2010 Le Brin de Zinc – BARBERAZ – CHAMBERY (France) Infos en MYSPACE LIGA QUINTANA
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