Hazel O'Connor
A punk-inspired new wave force, she gave voice to a generation's alienation with anthems from the cult film 'Breaking Glass'.
Born 1955 (age 71)·English singer-songwriter and actress·Birthday: May 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Hazel O'Connor erupted onto the UK scene not just as a singer, but as a fully-formed cinematic character. Her role as Kate, a punk singer navigating a exploitative music industry in the 1980 film 'Breaking Glass', was electrifyingly authentic. The film's soundtrack, featuring her raw, passionate vocals on songs like 'Eighth Day' and 'Will You?', became a smash, turning her into an instant star. Her shaved head and intense stage presence challenged pop norms. While the peak of her commercial fame was brief, her influence as a fierce, independent artist endured. She continued to write, perform, and act with unwavering creative integrity, cultivating a dedicated fanbase drawn to her powerful songwriting and unvarnished emotional delivery.
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.
Hazel was born in 1955, 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 Hazel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Hazel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred in and provided the hit soundtrack for the influential 1980 film 'Breaking Glass'.
- Achieved three UK Top 10 hit singles in 1980, including 'Eighth Day' and 'Will You?'.
- Released the platinum-selling album 'Breaking Glass', which spent weeks atop the UK charts.
- Maintained a decades-long career as a touring and recording artist after her initial pop fame.
Did You Know?
She initially trained as a painter at the Art College in Coventry.
Her song 'Will You?' was later covered by the German metal band Helloween.
She performed a memorable rendition of 'Eighth Day' on the iconic BBC music show 'Top of the Pops'.
“I didn't want to be a pop star. I wanted to be an actress who sang.”
