Omar Lye-Fook
| Omar Lye-Fook | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Omar Lye-Fook |
| Born |
14 October 1968 London, England |
| Genres | Neo soul, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, Keyboards, Bass, Drums |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Kongo, Talkin' Loud, RCA, Naïve, Blunt Music, Freestyle Records |
Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE (born 14 October 1968 in London), known professionally as Omar, is a British soul singer, songwriter and musician. Omar grew up in Canterbury, Kent. He learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. He also spent two years at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and the Guildhall School of Music in London. His most well-known song was his debut single "There's Nothing Like This". It reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart on re-release in 1991.AllMusic noted that he is described by some as the father of British neo soul.
Following his first two single releases, "Mr Postman" (1985) and "You and Me" (1988) featuring backing vocals from Caron Wheeler, Omar released his debut album, There's Nothing Like This in 1990. Initially released on his father's record label, Kongo Records, it entered the UK Albums Chart, peaking at #54. Signing to his first major record label, Talkin' Loud, saw the re-release of his debut album, which climbed to #19 in the UK Albums Chart. This was followed in 1992 by his second album, Music, which proved less successful than the first, peaking at #37.
A new signing to RCA Records led to Omar undertaking collaborations with other musicians, including Lamont Dozier, David Frank (The System), the former Heatwave bassist Derrick Bramble, Leon Ware and Stevie Wonder. In 1996, Omar contributed "Water to Drink" to the AIDS benefit album, Red Hot + Rio, produced by the Red Hot Organization.
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