‘I hope you’re going to walk away thinking, ‘That Billy Ocean is all right’

Billy Ocean played before a sellout crowd at Royal Albert Concert Hall in 2018 (courtesy billyocean.com)

Leslie Sebastian Charles wasn’t born to be a star. The third of six children raised in humble surroundings in Trinidad, and later London, it took a few fortunate turns to set him on the path of a musical career.

It all turned into Billy Ocean, one of the biggest names in pop music in the 1980s, with seven top-10 hits, including three No. 1s, from 1984-88.

It’s a career that has endured for Ocean, 74, who brings the Billy Ocean Band to Chinook Winds Casino and Resort in Lincoln City for an 8 p.m. Saturday concert. Singles such as “Caribbean Queen,” “Loverboy,” “Suddenly,” “Get Outta My Dreams, and Into My Car” and “Love Zone” continue to get play over the air waves around the world. Since 2006, Ocean and his current band have entertained audiences across the globe and are still in high demand.

Three times nominated for a Grammy, he won one in 1985 for best male R&B vocal performance for “Caribbean Queen.”

Billy Ocean had seven top-10 singles, including three climbing to No. 1 on the U.S. charts, from 1984-88 (courtesy billyocean.com)

Billy, who has lived in Berkshire, England, with wife Judy since 1978, ranks as the biggest selling black British artist of all time, with 30 million record sales through nearly five decades. He released his 10th album in 2020 at age 70, his first studio album in a decade, titled “One World.”

Ocean has received many honors in recent years, including an honorary doctorate of music by the University of Westminster in England; the Ivor Novello Award, presented annually in London for songwriting and composing achievement; a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBA Awards, an annual British music award for achievement in “music of black origin,” and appointment as member of the Order of the British Empire.

On Wednesday I hooked up with Billy via Zoom from Phoenix, where he was kicking off a 19-date North American tour the following night, followed by the date at Chinook Winds. He was cheerful, engaging and, despite a few technical issues, he proved to be what I would call an excellent interview.

KE: How are things in sunny Arizona?

BO: Good! But it is very hot here.

KE: Yes, it’s supposed to be 105 degrees today. I hope you have good air conditioning in your room.

BO: That’s what I’m counting on. Coming from the UK, we are not accustomed to this. I use it when I need to, but I never sleep with it. They say it affects the vocal cords. I don’t take chances.

KE: Your current tour has 19 dates covering a month’s time coming up. Where do you find your energy?

BO: (Laughs) An old man like me, I don’t know. It’s just enjoyment. Doing what you have to do, really. If I’m not doing this, what would I be doing?

KE: You look in great shape. How do you do it?

BO: I exercise. This morning when I got up, I did some stretches. When I am finished (with the interview) I am going to have a steam and a sauna, then do a couple of lengths in the swimming pool. I keep myself in shape. I don’t overdo it, because I’m 74 years old and there’s a limit to what I can do. Being on stage requires an amazing amount of energy — more than people think.

KE: You have maintained your residence in Berkshire for a long time, haven’t you?

BO: No need to move. It’s comfortable there. My kids went to school there. My neighbors are there. It’s cool. Moving for the sake of moving, what’s the point?

KE: By my count, you and Judy have been married for 46 years.

BO: I don’t count. I have been courting her since I was 15 and she was 13. Really and truly, I don’t know how long we have been married. I haven’t got a clue. I don’t think that is important. The important thing is being together.

KE: What’s the secret to your success in marriage?

BO: I think she loves me for my money; I love her for whatever. (Laughs) Only joking. Listen, the Bible says the man and woman should stay together. The people who can do it, God bless them. What is the formula? I don’t really know. I know there is a religious aspect to it. If you are blessed to stay together this long, then good luck to you. Good luck to me.

KE: You guys have three children, including Cherie, who is assisting you on this tour. Any grandchildren?

BO: Four grandchildren. Cherie does everything. She helps me, especially in this technological age. I haven’t got a clue about all the technology. It leaves me confused. I just wonder about the senior citizen of today, the elderly folks who have to transform to this new age. In England, all the banks are closing down. Everything is on-line. How do we make out?

KE: You lived in Trinidad until you were 10, when your family moved to London. Your father Hainsley Charles was a musician. Was he a singer or did he play an instrument?

BO: He played guitar and wrote calypsos. When I was young, he would take me with him. He was like the village entertainer. He didn’t have national success, but he had local success.

KE: Was he the one who got you interested in music?

BO: Yeah. You mimic your dad. Whatever they’re doing, you do, even sometimes when they are bad. I’m lucky enough that he was a musician. I learned a lot from him. When I was four or five, one of my mother’s friends bought me a blue ukulele. That’s the sort of blessing I got when I was little. When I was 10 or 11 or 12, I was trying to put words together supposedly writing a song.

KE: I read where your parents hoped you’d become an engineer.

BO: (Laughs) I was not academically qualified, and there was no way I would have been. I had trouble with academics. My whole thought growing up was music. I used to sit in class, watch the teacher do what he’s doing and I couldn’t wait to get home to pick up my instruments. Everything that I could tap on, that was an instrument. I looked forward to going home to them and enjoying myself. I never really did well in school. I’m sorry; I wish I did.

Legendary pop artist Billy Ocean plays Chinook Winds Casino and Resort Saturday night in Lincoln City (courtesy billyocean.com)

KE: What were your influences in music?

BO: Coming from the Caribbean, it was calypso first. Each island has its own version. Going to England, having that as my foundation musically, I had The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks. Then later on, American music started coming to England in a big way. First it was Motown, but my apprenticeship in music was varied. That’s why I’m a pop artist, because I listened to all these different music (performers)— jazz music, calypso, even music that I didn’t understand. Anything that had a rhythm got me interested.

When I was 16 or 17, this woman was refurbishing her house. She was getting rid of a piano. I borrowed money from the man who owned the business, 23 pounds, bought the piano and put it in my little council flat, meaning housing provided by the government. I put it upstairs and started to play. And one day I wrote “Love Really Hurts Without You,” which was my first success for records in England. I thought that would be my one lonely hit record. But by the grace of God, it wasn’t. I had quite a few after that.

KE: That single reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 22 in the U.S. in 1976, the year after you became Billy Ocean. Urban legend has it that your stage name comes from a local soccer team in your hometown in Trinidad called “Oceans 11.” True or false?

BO: (Laughs) It was subconscious. Around that time, there were quite a few artists who left the producers and went out to work for themselves. I thought, “I’m going to get my own name together.” I was beginning to understand what writing was all about. I was thinking, “Just in case things work out, let me get my own name.” Ocean came first. And then, I messed around with the Christian name, and Billy was the one that I landed on. “Billy Ocean — that sounds good.”

I kept it for a while until I wrote “Love Really Hurts Without You.” One day after work I went home and sat at my piano. By then, Motown music was coming to England. Lovely, simple songs, lovely melodies. And my left hand went, “Boom be doom boom.” And my right hand went, “Chink, chink.” And the chorus came. (He launches into song:) “Baby, Love Really Hurts Without You. And it’s breaking my heart, and what can I do?” And I understood what I was doing. The criteria was, my song was being recorded by me. I was given the opportunity to hear something that I created in the studio. Next thing I know, the song is No. 2 on the charts. That was the beginning of Billy Ocean.

KE: Is it true that during your early years as an artist that you also worked as a tailor?

BO: For a few years, I worked in the ladies rag trade, making cotton dresses. My interest was still in music. My mother said to me, “If you’re interested in music, you really ought to get a trade.” Henceforth, I took a course in tailoring. I eventually worked on Savile Row in London. It’s where you get suits and anything of high quality. I still wasn’t happy. Once I had that under my belt, I went to work nights at the Ford Motor Company for two or three years. That allowed me to be able to pursue my musical dreams during the day.

One day, I thought, “I’ve had enough of this.” Fortunately enough, I did a lot of sessions for producers for free. Therefore, I was used quite a lot. (At Ford) I was getting 90 pounds (a week), which was quite far more than what I was getting as an entertainer. One producer said, “Come work with me; be part of my thing. I’ll give you 20 pounds a week.” To me, that 20 pounds was (like) 200 pounds. It gave me the opportunity to learn to write songs. And I learned the administrative side of the business. The things I was interested in, I picked up quickly.

KE: In the ‘80s, you came to the United States, which seemed to open opportunities.

BO: By then, I wanted to come to America and work with American musicians and work in American studios. I got to go to New York to record. It was like a dream come true. I was staying on Lexington Avenue. We wrote “Caribbean Queen” in a studio there. I’ll never forget those moments, because it transformed my life totally.

KE: That song reached No. 1 and won you a Grammy in 1985.

BO: That was a big deal. It was like the cream on the top.

KE: That year you were part of one of the biggest concerts ever, “Live Aid,” which was viewed through satellite link-ups and TV broadcasts by an estimated 1.9 billion people in 150 nations. Shows were held simultaneously in London and in Philadelphia. Since you were on tour in the U.S., you performed in Philly, where 89,000 people were in the audience at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

BO: Ironic, wasn’t it, considering I lived about 20 minutes from Wembley Stadium?

It was great — one of the best things of my life. And it was one of the most purposeful shows I ever did. What could I have done better than supporting Bob Geldof in his charity to raise money and food for the starving Ethiopians? While I was there, there were so many artists I grew up idolizing. I was like the young boy with all the big stars out there. I was nervous. It’s the biggest audience I’ve ever worked for. There were a lot of people out there. It was a great day.

KE: You were white hot for the next few years, releasing two more No. 1 singles — “There’ll be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car.” Two songs made it to No. 2 in the U.S. — “Loverboy” and “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going,” the latter the theme song for the movie “The Jewel of the Nile.” Then in the ‘90s, things slowed down and you got away from the music industry for a few years.

BO: Success is a beautiful thing, but I was alone (on the tours). I didn’t have a band. I had to do everything by myself. At times, I found myself feeling lonely. My kids were beginning to grow up. I just felt like I would like to take a step back and spend some time with them. I have been back on the road since 2006. That’s when I came back in. But going away was the best thing I ever did. Had I continued, I would not be enjoying the success I am having now. I needed that break.

KE: And the core of your group then is still together today?

BO: Same people, same personnel. I’m with people I’m comfortable with. It’s the Billy Ocean Band.

KE: In 2018, you played to a sold-out house at the Royal Albert Concert Hall in London. Did that give you chills?

BO: (Laughs). Yeah, it was a full house. And I am doing it again in ’25. I believe it’s already sold out for that show, too. I must be doing something right.

KE: Are you still a Rastafarian?

BO: I am very much so, maybe more so than I was. Rasta is an important thing for me. Rasta is Christianity. It’s also a discipline. I don’t eat meat, any flesh. I am a total vegetarian. I try to follow the doctorate. I say my prayers, etc. I try to be a good boy.

KE: You have written and sung a lot about love through the years. Why is that?

BO: Because love is the sustaining thing in this life. Love is the anchor of everything. Love is the most important thing in our lives; greater than money, greater than anything. The Lord said love thy neighbor. Everything is built upon love. Whatever you have, nothing is as important as love. I love writing about love.

KE: You have had a lot of love heaped back at you, from the audiences you continue to attract to the awards you have received.

BO: All my dreams came true. They materialized. So many different things I have picked up. A doctorate from the University of Westminster. I am Dr. Billy Ocean (laughs). For somebody who started life without a lot, by the grace of God, I did pretty well, I think.

KE: You have a major tour of the UK already scheduled for next year. It doesn’t seem as if you plan to retire any time soon.

BO: I am going to keep going. I am putting a lot of food on people’s tables. That is quite important, especially in this age. There are a lot of musicians who are out of work because of advanced technology. I am glad I am contributing to sustaining that art form, that gift that is given by the Lord.

KE: What kind of a show can your fans expect at Chinook Winds on Saturday night?

BO: You’re going to get the hits. You’re going to get fun and enjoyment. And I hope you’re going to walk away thinking, “Yeah, that Billy Ocean is all right.”

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