Gilbert O'Sullivan (born Raymond Edward O'Sullivan; 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer songwriter, best known for his early 1970s hits "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair", and "Get Down".
Worldwide he has charted 16 top-40 records, including six No. 1 songs, the first of which was 1970's "Nothing Rhymed". Across his career, he has recorded 19 studio albums, up to his UK top 20 self-titled record in 2018. Speaking in 2009 he said, "I write pop songs. That's all I want to do. I have no interest in just touring, and living in the past." The music magazine Record Mirror voted him the top UK male singer of 1972. He has received three Ivor Novello Awards, including “Songwriter of the Year” in 1973.
In 1967, O'Sullivan was signed to a five-year contract with April Music, CBS Records' house publishing company, after coming to the attention of the professional manager Stephen Shane, who also suggested changing his name from Ray to Gilbert as a play on the name of the operetta composers Gilbert and Sullivan. His songs at the time were avant-garde, and even drew the interest of Vivian Stanshall and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, who were interested in recording a couple of them. He was paid an advance of £12 (equivalent to £200 as of 2019), with which he bought a piano. He was signed to CBS Records by the A&R manager Mike Smith (the Tremeloes and the Love Affair).
After two unsuccessful singles with CBS, "Disappear" and "What Can I Do?", and one with the Irish record label Major Minor, "Mr. Moody's Garden", all released under the name "Gilbert", O'Sullivan sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, the manager of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, whereupon O'Sullivan was signed to Mills' label, MAM Records. O'Sullivan's self-created eye-catching visual image comprised a pudding basin haircut, cloth cap and short trousers. Mills reportedly hated the image, but O'Sullivan insisted on using it initially,[citation needed] until he assumed a more modern 'college-like' look in which he often wore a sweater bearing a large letter 'G'.

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