A giant from the world of slick 80s soul music is to make an appearance on the Isle of Man later this year.

Rhythm and blues singer Alexander O’Neal is to perform a concert with his full touring band on the Gaiety Theatre stage on Sunday, September 15, from 7.30pm.

The music of US singer Alexander O’Neal has defined the sound of American rhythm and blues ever since his first chart success, during the early 1980s.

Releasing his self-titled debut solo album in 1985, following a spell as a singer with Prince’s short-lived group ’The Time’, he became an instant chart success on both sides of the Atlantic with his first single, ’Saturday Love’.

His most successful album to date, ’Hearsay’, released in 1987, was certified as triple platinum and featured the singles ’Fake’, ’Never Knew Love Like This’ and his most famous song ’Criticize’.

Following a 40-year career, and a recent spate of colourful celebrity reality appearances on television, he is currently on tour, promoting his hard-hitting autobiography and his latest album, a re-recording of Hearsay, entitled ’Hearsay 30’, created alongside the Manchester funk group Mamma Freedom, which came out in 2017.

Tickets for the Alexander O’Neal concert, which went on sale yesterday (Wednesday), are priced at £36, and are available from the Welcome Centre and the Villa Gaiety box office, on 600555, or online from villagiaety.com