• June 25, 1945
• Labi Siffre was born Claudius Afolabi Siffre in Hammersmith, London, to a British mother of mixed Barbadian and Belgian descent and a Nigerian father.
• He attended St Benedict's School, a Catholic independent day school in Ealing, West London. Despite this Catholic education, Siffre has stated that he has always been an atheist.
• Siffre started in the 1960s as a session musician and poet. He was inspired by jazz and blues legends like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday, and the poetic touch of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
• Siffre released his self-titled debut album in 1970, beginning a prolific period where he released six LPs between 1970-1975. His distinctive voice and thoughtful lyrics quickly earned him recognition.
• His first hit single was "It Must Be Love" in 1971, which reached #14 on the UK chart. This song was later covered by Madness and became an even bigger hit.
• After a hiatus in the early 1980s, Siffre returned with the anti-apartheid anthem "(Something Inside) So Strong" in 1987, which reached #4 in the UK.
• Siffre's music has been sampled by several high-profile artists, most notably Eminem, who used the bass and guitar riff from Siffre's song "I Got The..." for his 1999 hit "My Name Is." Siffre only allowed the sample after demanding that some offensive lyrics be changed.
• Siffre is openly gay and is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. He met his partner, Peter Lloyd, back in 1964, and they made it official in 2005 when same-sex civil partnerships became legal in the UK. They were together until Lloyd passed away in 2013.
• Siffre officially retired from music after his 1998 album, The Last Songs, to become Peter Lloyd's caregiver. Lloyd suffered a stroke in 1998 that left him paralyzed on his left side.
• Alongside his music career, Siffre has published several poetry collections, including Ni--er (1993), which explores themes of race, identity, and social justice.

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