One of the great British blue-eyed soul singers of his era, Paul Young came to fame during the heyday of new wave and MTV and sustained his career in the decades that followed by returning to his R&B roots.

With a soulful and raspy voice that resonates with authenticity, Paul Young first gained widespread recognition in the 1980s. His breakthrough album, "No Parlez" (1983), catapulted him to international stardom with chart-topping singles like "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" and "Come Back and Stay." These songs, infused with a blend of pop and soul, have become iconic classics.

During the mid-'80s, this vibrant sound was part of the New Music zeitgeist, turning Young into a transatlantic star. His fame started in his native England with his 1983 debut No Parlez and its 1985 successor, The Secret of Association, both reaching number one on the U.K. charts; between the two albums, his star shone so brightly that Bob Geldof chose him to sing the opening verse of Band Aid's 1984 holiday single "Do They Know It's Christmas." In the U.S., he cracked the Top 40 with 198Come Back and Stay," but The Secret of Association became his biggest record there, thanks to "Everytime You Go Away." As the '80s gave way to the '90s, Young still visited the upper reaches of the charts, landing a number eight American hit in 1990 with a version of the Chi-Lites' "Oh Girl" and going to number four in the U.K. with "Senza Una Donna (Without a Woman)," a collaboration with Zucchero, in 1991.