Chris de Burgh
An Irish balladeer who transformed from art-rock storyteller into a global pop phenomenon with 'The Lady in Red'.
Born 1948 (age 78)·Irish singer·Birthday: October 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris de Burgh's career is a tale of two distinct acts. The Irish-Argentine singer began in the 1970s as a thoughtful, narrative-driven art-rock troubadour, crafting epic story-songs like 'Spanish Train' and the ethereal Christmas favourite 'A Spaceman Came Travelling'. His early albums cultivated a loyal, album-oriented following across Europe and South America. Then, in 1986, he unleashed 'The Lady in Red', a sweeping, romantic ballad that became an inescapable global smash. Overnight, the cult artist became a mainstream star, though the shift sometimes overshadowed his deeper catalogue. De Burgh has never been a critical darling, but his connection with audiences is undeniable; he can sell out arenas in Norway and Brazil while being a relative niche interest elsewhere. He continues to tour relentlessly, a polished performer whose setlists deftly bridge his progressive beginnings and his pop pinnacle.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His 1986 single 'The Lady in Red' reached number one in 25 countries, selling over 8 million copies worldwide.
- Has sold over 45 million albums globally, with massive popularity in territories like Norway and Brazil.
- His 1975 song 'A Spaceman Came Travelling' has become a perennial modern Christmas standard.
- Mounted numerous successful world tours, often playing to sold-out stadiums in his key markets.
Did You Know?
He was born in Argentina where his father was a British diplomat and surgeon.
He attended Marlborough College, the same prestigious British boarding school as his daughter, actress Rosanna Davison.
He owns a 13th-century castle, Bargy Castle, in County Wexford, Ireland.
He is a distant relative of the novelist Charles Dickens.
“I'm a romantic. I believe in love, I believe in destiny, I believe in fate.”
