John Waite

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John Waite

Background information
Birth name John Charles Waite
Born July 4, 1952 (1952-07-04) (age 55)
Origin Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Genre(s) Rock, Pop
Occupation(s) singer
Instrument(s) vocals, bass guitar
Years active 1975 - present
Label(s) Chrysalis Records
EMI
Epic Records
Gold Circle Records
Rounder Records
No Brakes Records
Imago Records
Associated acts The Babys
Bad English

John Waite (born John Charles Waite, 4 July 1952, Lancaster, Lancashire, England) is a rock singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist for the bands The Babys and Bad English, and as a solo artist.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Waite first came to attention as the lead singer and bassist of The Babys, a British group which had moderate chart success and a solid following for their concert tours. Over the course of five years, the Babys produced five albums ending with the final album On the Edge in October 1980, after which the group broke up.

Waite subsequently launched his solo career with his 1982 debut album Ignition, which produced the hit single "Change", written by Holly Knight and later included on the Vision Quest soundtrack.

His next album, No Brakes, resulted in international attention due to the hit single "Missing You" which went to No. 1 on the American charts. Two more singles followed, including "Tears" which was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.

The next album Mask of Smiles followed in 1985, and another single "If Anybody Had a Heart" was released from the soundtrack of the 1986 film About Last Night..., starring Demi Moore. Waite would have another soundtrack appearance in 1990 from Days of Thunder with "Deal for Life", written by Martin Page and Bernie Taupin.

In 1988, Waite joined former Babys bandmates Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips along with Neal Schon from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo, to form the supergroup Bad English. In 1989, the Bad English ballad "When I See You Smile" (penned by Diane Warren) became a number one song in the United States. Bad English would release two albums before tensions amongst the members led to the band's dissolution by 1992.

Waite returned to solo work and since 1995 has produced five solo albums including his latest album Downtown... Journey of a Heart. He still tours, including in 2003 with Ringo Starr's All Starr Band, and as an opening act for Journey in 2005.

In 2006, "Missing You" was released as a duet with Alison Krauss and reached the Top 40 on the Country Charts in the United States. Waite appeared with Krauss on the Tonight Show on February 5, 2007 to perform "Missing You."

A longtime resident of New York City, Waite currently resides in Santa Monica, California.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Year Album US 200 UK
1982 Ignition 68 15
1984 No Brakes 10 1
1985 Mask of Smiles 36 —
1987 Rovers Return 77 8
1992 The Essential — —
1995 Temple Bar — 35
1997 When You Were Mine 187 25
2001 Figure in a Landscape 96 —
Live & Rare Tracks — —
2004 The Hard Way — —
2006 Downtown: Journey of a Heart 110 5

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100
US MNSR
US AC
1982 "Change" - 16 - Ignition
1984 "Missing You" 1 12 7 No Brakes
"Tears" 37 8 -
1985 "Restless Heart" 59 28 -
"Change" (reissue) 54 - - Vision Quest Soundtrack
"Every Step of the Way" 25 4 - Mask of Smiles
"Welcome to Paradise" 85 - -
1986 "If Anybody Had a Heart" 76 24 - About Last Night (Soundtrack)
1987 "These Times are Hard for Lovers" 53 6 - Rover's Return
"Don't Lose Any Sleep" 81 - -
1995 "How Did I Get By Without You?" 89 - 20 Temple Bar
2005 "New York City Girl" - - 23 The Hard Way
2006 "Missing You" (with Alison Krauss)A - - - Downtown: Journey of a Heart

[edit] See also

[edit] External links