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Biography
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Shakin Stevens
Although despite being ignored in recent years as a has been in the music scene he is still regarded as one of Britain's most popular performers, Shakin Stevens born Michael Barrett in on the 4th March 1948 in Ely Cardiff started his music career long before he had his first UK hit single. Shakin Stevens is second to Tom Jones in being Wales most successful singer thus Tom Jones had cracked the US in his time Shaky rarely appeared. His started out life singing backing vocals in a band with one of his hero’s Rocking Louie in a band called The Backbeats it was 1959 when they started out. Later in the 1960’s he would be in a band called The Rebels who would change there name to Shakin Stevens and the Sunsets. There first album A Legend was released in 1970 produced by Dave Edmunds throughout the early 1970’s he toured with Bill Hayley and even recorded his first solo hit Lonesome Town in 1974 a small minor hit in Holland. Holland was also a big success for Shakin Stevens and the Sunsets where they were more popular there than he was in the UK. He also recorded Hank Mizzels Jungle Rock but never charted like none of his 70’s hit singles He had turned professional in 1970 and in 1977 he decided to go solo and this is where he landed a part in Elvis Musical playing one of his all time hero’s. He signed
for track records but dissapointing he would find manager Freya Miller and sign a record deal with Epic records and despite signing with them in 1978 it took 2 years before he had his first hit single, songs like Endless Sleep and Shooting Gallery failed to chart. In 1980 his first chart hit Hot Dog a cover of the Buck Owen’s hit reached No 24 his follow up Hey Mae just entered outside the top 75 and in 1981 he was the 2nd biggest artist behined Adam Ant his songs. This Ole House and Green Door became No 1 hits up to November 1987 he had achieved 25 chart hits, including Oh Julie No 1, Merry Christmas Everybody No 1, Shirley No 6, A Love Worth Waiting For No 2, Turning Away No 15 and many other timeless classics. Oh Julie was his self penned hit which became a US hit for Barry Manillow and not many hits were Shaky penned but one other notable Shaky written song was Teardrops No 5 featuring the wonderful Hank Marvin on guitar. He was also hugely successful in Europe and around the globe but as far as the US was concerned he only had one hit in Cry Just a Little Bit US No 57 UK No 3. He also became one artist to appear on Top of the Pops show 50 times and many other TV appearances included Swop Shop, and GMTV. He was made with music to suit the teenage fans but a few of his songs can be catagorized as Adult standards, in which by the end of 1980’s early 1990’s his music was heading that way with songs like How Many Tears Can You Hide and Radio but other hits like I Might and The Best Christmas Of Them All kept him in the Top 20 but it wasn’t enough as most hits became Top 40 or Top 75 hits and yes he even had a No 75 hit with My Cutie Cutie. Radio aslo became his first ever video to be played on MTV but in European countries like Germany he had all ready appeared with the hit Oh Julie. His greatest hits album also failed to reach top 40. At the point of the 1990’s Shaky disappeard from the UK scene leaving fans down hearted as he released some German only hits I Can Help a Billy Swan classic and the Rock and Roll Hit mix 1999. He also had to sort a court settlement with his former band the Sunsets in 1993. The end of the 1990’s and the sun did a campaign to bring back Shaky but nothing came about until and 1999 when he was back touring and he went into the studio in 2000 to work on new music since then no new music has come about but releases of old music has been captured on CD
Shaky has also been caught in picture with some music stars from each decade in lauch of the new music bible Guiness British hit singles it will also be 50 years this year that the first charts started and we had out first No 1 and a good sight is Shaky with a member of Steps and Will Young. Moving into 2003 and what can we say a year of more releases from the man (sadly no new stuff) but he performed in Vienna which was a sell out he pulled more fans then that of Shaggy and Mel C and they was playing same day so anymore Shaky concerts for later there sure to sell out like hot cakes. 2005 was the comeback year for Shaky with Collectable release No 1 in Denmark then he went on Hit Me Baby One More Time show and won and had the release of Pink's Trouble out as a double a side with This Old House. It got to no 20 in the UK and he released a CD/DVD titled The Collection and re-release of his christmas album. A successful tour followed in late 2005 and 2006 looks set to release a new studio album
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