English singer Philip Oakey was born 67 years ago in Hinckley, Leicestershire. He is also a songwriter and record producer and is best known as the lead singer of the synth-pop group ‘Human League’ plus his unique, different fashion/hair styles and looks.
As a kid, Philip attended primary then secondary school and at the age of 18 left to start working. In 1977, he joined the band ‘The Future’, after he was asked to become its lead singer. The group was much into synthesisers and recorded some demo tapes but were unaccepted by several companies. That same year, the band’s name was changed to ‘Human League’ and their debut album was released in 1979, followed by a second one the year after.
Lack of success caused friction between the group members and two of them left, leaving Oakey having to deal with financial ruin. However, things took a positive turn when he saw 2 teenage girls dancing in a discotheque, all well groomed and dressed in style, and decided to engage them as part of ‘Human League’. Another 2 guys joined the band and the new group went on to release 2 Top 10 hit singles plus an album which reached number 1 on the UK charts, also featuring the band’s number one international hit single ‘Don’t you want Me’, enabling the group to become world famous.
For the rest of the 80s, 2 more albums were issued, one of which included the US number one hit single ‘Human’. From the beginning of the 90s to date, the group had 4 more albums.
Apart from ‘Human League’, Philip collaborated with many other artists and in particular had an international hit named ‘Together in Electric Dreams’ co-produced with Giorgio Moroder and used as soundtrack for the movie ‘Electric Dreams’. Oakey also appeared in a couple of films and a TV programme.
Oakey and the ‘Human League’ continue touring the world on a regular basis and are mainly focused on giving live performances.
During his career so far, Philip received a BRIT Award and a Q Award.
*Image: no infringement intended. Source: efemeridesdelamusica.blogspot.com