Christopher Hamill or to use his popular stage name, Limahl is a British solo artist best known for fronting 80s pop group Kajagoogoo and singing the eponymous single to the award-winning movie The Neverending Story. Born in Wigan, England, Limahl harboured aspirations of becoming an actor in his youth, but soon switched to music and never looked back. Limahl’s synth-pop brand took off and was synonymous with the new wave era of the 80s. He became one of the decade’s leading UK singers. He began his musical journey with a punk band called Vox Deus before becoming a member of Crossword and Brooks, but it was an advertisement in music magazine Melody Maker that would define his destiny.
The four members of a group called Art Nouveau were looking for a ‘front man who could sing and look good’, and posted an announcement in the famous publication. Limahl answered, attended the audition and subsequently joined the band as the lead singer. After some deliberation, the band was renamed Kajagoogoo. The band released Too Shy in January 1983 and had huge success, going in at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and top five on the US Billboard Hot 100. Following their hugely successful break out the band spent a total of 47 weeks in the UK Singles Charts, with various hits including Ooh To be Ah, Hang On Now, Big Apple, The Lion’s Mouth and Turn Your Back On Me.
The band had 2 top 40 albums with White Feathers and Islands, the first of which peaked at number 5 in the UK album charts and stayed in the charts for 20 weeks. Although Limahl and the band split over musical differences later in the year, the charismatic singer bounced back with the theme song to The Neverending Story, which made the UK top five in 1984. Limahl continued to be involved with the music industry, releasing a number of CDs and performing gigs, before reuniting with Kajagoogoo in 2008, releasing new material and touring extensively. The 80s pop singer has performed at major UK venues, synthing his dynamic pop vocals with his energetic and fun live show. His charming persona and rebellious attitude continue to see him and his group grow their fan base worldwide.
