BRITISH soul icon Billy Ocean is to perform in Southampton next spring.

The news comes as he celebrates the success of his latest album ‘Here You Are: The Best Of Billy Ocean’ which has soared to number 4, becoming his highest charting album since 1989.

The ‘Caribbean Queen’ star is Britain’s biggest selling black artist of all time, with a string of multiplatinum hits. Currently on an international tour, Billy Ocean has announced a huge run of UK headline dates for 2017 including Mayflower Theatre on Saturday 15 April 2017 where he will be performing all of his greatest hits from the new album and favourite tracks.

The 2CD set features a personal collection of Billy’s interpretations of songs which helped the young Leslie Charles become the Billy Ocean we all know today, alongside a career spanning celebration of his biggest hits.

Billy said: “I’m humbled by the success of this album and I am grateful that people continue to find joy in my music. I have so many people to thank, but I owe this one to my fans.”

Here You Are: The Best Of Billy Ocean is available now on Amazon , iTunes and in stores.

Billy Ocean is the biggest black recording star Britain has ever produced, one who has sold over 30 million records in his lifetime.

The singer-songwriter came to prominence with the Motown-ish Love Really Hurts Without You, which reached No. 2 in the UK charts and No. 12 in the US. Two top twenty singles followed; Love on Delivery and Stop Me, then Red Light Spells Danger became a smash in both the UK and the US.

Then came Caribbean Queen (winning him a Grammy for best R&B Vocal), followed by Loverboy, and Suddenly, which became the first of Billy’s killer ballads.

1986 brought us When the Going gets Tough (the tough gets going), the theme song to the Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner/Danny Devito movie Jewel of the Nile.

And the classic Get Outta My Dreams; Get Into My Car followed.

After huge worldwide success and with a young family at home, Billy decided to take a break to spend some well earned time with them. In 2007, with the kids all grown up, he went back out to perform his hits again, this time with his daughter Cherie on backing vocals, with live dates in the UK and Europe, USA, Canada, and the Caribbean. The tour was a great success and culminated in his getting the bug once more for writing and recording.

Tickets for Billy Ocean (Saturday 15 April 2017) are on sale from Mayflower Theatre Box Office now tel: 02380 711811 or online at mayflower.org.uk. Ovation Restaurant bookings: 02380 711833

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