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Gilbert O'Sullivan
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Gilbert O'Sullivan, really Raymond Edward O'Sullivan, is an Irish singer-songwriter, born on 1 December 1946 in Waterford. As a child he moved with his family to Swindon in England, where he studied graphic design and played in amateur bands. In 1967 he moved to London to become a musician. To stand out he devised a striking look with a pudding-basin haircut, a cap and short trousers, inspired by his love of silent film. His first singles had no success.
Music and breakthrough
The breakthrough came at the end of 1970 with Nothing Rhymed, a hit in England and the Netherlands. In 1972 came international stardom with Alone Again (Naturally), a ballad about loss and suicide that spent six weeks at number one in America. Clair and Get Down followed, from the album I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter from 1973. In 1972 Record Mirror named him England's best male singer, and in 1973 he received an Ivor Novello Award. His record contract with the label MAM later led to a lawsuit, which he won in 1982.
Influence
His music stands out for his pounding piano playing and his lyrical jokes and observations. His name is also linked with the music rights of hip hop. In 1991 he won a lawsuit against the rapper Biz Markie, who had sampled a piece of Alone Again (Naturally) without permission. Since then hip hop makers have had to have samples cleared.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1971Himself
- 1972Back to Front
- 1973I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter
- 1974A Stranger in My Own Back Yard
- 1977Southpaw
- 1980Off Centre
- 1982Life & Rhymes
- 1987Frobisher Drive
- 1989In the Key of G.
- 1992The Little Album
- 1994By Larry
- 1995Every Song Has It's Play
- 1996Sounds of the Loop
- 1997Singer Sowing Machine
- 2000Irlish
- 2003Piano Foreplay
- 2004The Other Side of Gilbert O'Sullivan
- 2006A Scruff at Heart
- 2011Gilbertville
- 2015Latin ala G!
- 2018Gilbert O’Sullivan
- 2022Driven
- 2024Songbook