Chris de Burgh (GB)

About

Also known as: CHRIS DE BRUGH, Chis De Burgh, Chris De Burg, Chris De Burge, Chris DeBurgh, Chris The Burg, Christopher John Davison

Few artists have had a career as geographically lopsided as Chris de Burgh. Born in Argentina to a British diplomat father, he built a devoted following across Norway, Brazil, Germany and Ireland long before the UK or US paid much attention. His 1970s records, starting with the folk fantasy debut Far Beyond These Castle Walls and continuing through Spanish Train and Other Stories, kept flopping at home while sitting on top of charts in South America and Europe. "A Spaceman Came Travelling" from that second album became a perennial Christmas favourite, and "Flying" spent 17 weeks at the top in Brazil. The big breakthrough came in 1986 when the lush ballad "The Lady in Red" hit number one in the UK and number three in the US, turning him into a genuine global name overnight. The accompanying album Into the Light reached number two in the UK, and his follow up Flying Colours debuted at number one there too. He has shifted over 45 million albums worldwide across a catalogue that spans soft rock, pop and storytelling folk, and he has maintained a loyal audience around the world ever since.