Once discovered by songwriters
Doug Flett and Guy Fletcher, Chris De Burgh signed to A&M in 1974, setting his sights on the soft end of the Rock market with Far Beyond These Castle Walls, Spanish Train And Other Stories (both 1975) At The End Of A Perfect Day (1977) and Crusader (1979). His international successes included 1980's
Eastern Wind- Norway's second biggest selling album after The Beatles' Abbey Road. In
Great Britain where he was known mostly for 'A Spaceman Came Travelling' (1976) and lobbying A&M to drop the Sex Pistols, De Burgh did not bother the charts until 1982's The Getaway and the single 'Don't Pay The Ferryman'. His
Man On The Line (1984) sold even better, but it was 1986's Into The Light- prefaced by 'The Lady In Red'- which sent De Burgh stellar, reaching UK No 2 and US No 25.
His next albums Flying Colours(1988), Power Of Ten (1992) and This Way Up (1994) scaled similar heights, but De Burgh's wholesome image slipped amid publicity over his alleged adultery, with compilation Beautiful Dreams (1995) failing outside the UK Top 30. Chris De Burgh was among the artists invited to perform at a concert in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales at Althorp on 27 June 1998.