Limahl

Best-known as the lead singer of synth pop one-hit wonders Kajagoogoo, Limahl was born December 19, 1958, in Wigan, Lancashire, England; his stage name was an anagram of his real last name (Chris Hamill). He actually began his career as an actor, taking small parts in theater productions and television shows beginning in the late '70s. He first attempted to break into the music business as a solo act under his own name, and briefly joined several groups before successfully auditioning for Kajagoogoo in 1982. Kajagoogoo's first single, "Too Shy," topped the British charts in early 1983, and reached the Top Five in America; however, the follow-ups failed to duplicate its success. Frustrated with their bubblegum image, the remainder of the band parted ways with Limahl around the end of 1983 and he embarked on a solo career. The move produced immediate dividends when Limahl was chosen to sing the Giorgio Moroder-penned theme song for the 1984 fantasy film The Never Ending Story; it became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching the Top Five in the U.K., and was quickly added to Limahl's debut solo album, Don't Suppose. Sticking with a winning formula, Limahl worked more heavily with Moroder on his 1986 follow-up LP, Colour All My Days; however, no hits on the order of "The Never Ending Story" were forthcoming. It took him until 1992 to release another album, and that — Love Is Blind — was only issued in Germany and Japan. After a period as an '80s nostalgia act, Limahl joined the musical revue What a Feeling! in the fall of 2000, and toured the U.K. performing renditions of '80s pop hits until the following summer.