In the mid-’80s, Paul Young capitalized on the blue-eyed-soul trend with his chart-topping rendition of “Every Time You Go Away,” a lovelorn ballad that showed off his lovely, understated croon. However, the Luton, Bedfordshire, England, native had had his first brush with fame in 1978, when his group Streetband charted with a quirky novelty song called “Toast.” A stint in the soulful New Wave band Q-Tips followed before Young went solo and scored with a series of covers, including the languid UK No. 1 “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” and the synth-dappled “Love of the Common People.” He continued to embrace his soulful side, landing hits with the classics “Oh Girl” and “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” while expanding his pop-culture footprint: He dabbled in reality TV, appearing on several cooking shows, and also played in the band Los Pacaminos, which favored a Tex-Mex-inspired style.
Hometown
Luton, Bedfordshire, England
Genre
Pop
Paul Young: Member of
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