Ivor Neville Kamen – born April 15, 1962 in Harlow, Essex, England – is better known as singer and model Nick Kamen. He became one of the most popular ‘faces’ of the 1980s when he appeared in a 1985 British television advert for Levi’s 501 jeans. He was able to use his modeling fame as a springboard to pop stardom. Beginning his career as a model, his first high-profile job was on the cover of The Face in 1984. When his Levi’s commercial – which featured Kamen stripping off his jeans in a laundromat – became a sensation, it turned Kamen into a celebrity. Because of his new celebrity, record labels came calling. Kamen signed with WEA and released his first single, “Each Time You Break My Heart” (written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray) in 1986. The single was in instant success, entering the Top 10 in many countries including the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, and others. His second single, “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever” (a cover of the Four Tops song) was released in early 1987 and made the Top 20 in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Italy, where it hit Number 1. His self-titled debut album was released in 1987 and made the Top 40 in the UK, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Italy. While Kamen remained a paparazzi target, his record sales were not as impressive as his first two singles and debut album. He released the album Us in 1988, followed later that year by the album Loving You. He made a surprise return to the upper regions of the charts in 1990 with the single “I Promised Myself” and the album Move Until We Fly. His fifth album, Whatever, Whenever, was released in 1992, but when it failed to chart, Kamen and his record company parted ways. In 2020, UK-based label Cherry Pop/Cherry Red released the comprehensive six CD set The Complete Collection, which featured all five albums plus a plethora of bonus tracks including non-album recordings, remixes, and more. Sadly, during a resurgence of interest in his music, Nick Kamen died on May 4, 2021, following a long battle with bone marrow cancer.
