Leon Lai
A moody pop craftsman who soundtracked the bittersweet realities of love and life for a generation of British listeners.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Hong Kong singer and actor·Birthday: December 11·Generation X
Biography
Born in Glasgow in 1964, Justin Currie co-founded Del Amitri while still a teenager, a band that would become a defining voice of British guitar pop in the late 80s and 90s. With Currie's wry, literate songwriting and weary baritone at its core, the group moved from jangly indie beginnings to polished, heartland rock that connected deeply on both sides of the Atlantic. Hits like 'Nothing Ever Happens' and 'Always The Last To Know' captured a specific strain of romantic disappointment and social observation, delivered with a melodic grace that belied their often cynical lyrics. After the band's initial hiatus, Currie embarked on a solo career, releasing albums that further honed his talent for crafting beautifully melancholic character studies, proving his voice remained as potent and relevant outside the group that made him famous.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Leon was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Leon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Leon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
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
1971Started school
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
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Del Amitri to international success with their 1992 album 'Change Everything', which reached the UK Top 10 and spawned several hit singles.
- Wrote and sang the band's biggest US hit, 'Roll To Me', which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995.
- Released a series of critically praised solo albums, beginning with 'What Is Love For' in 2007.
- Co-wrote the song 'Driving with the Brakes On' for Del Amitri, which became a live favourite and enduring fan anthem.
Did You Know?
He worked as a hospital porter in Glasgow before Del Amitri achieved mainstream success.
He is an outspoken supporter of Scottish independence.
He has cited country music legend George Jones as a major vocal influence.
The name 'Del Amitri' was chosen from a character in a novel he was reading at the time.
“I'm not interested in writing songs about being happy. I'm interested in writing songs about the struggle to be happy.”
