Roland Orzabal Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 8 in |
Weight | 75 kg |
Date of Birth | August 22, 1961 |
Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Girlfriend | Emily Rath |
Roland Orzabal is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is best known as the co-founder of the English pop-rock band Tears for Fears, for which he has worked as the main songwriter and joint vocalist. With the band, he has published the albums The Hurting (1983), Songs from the Big Chair (1985), The Seeds of Love (1989), Elemental (1993), Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995), and Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004). He has been fairly successful working in collaboration with other artists as well and had even released a solo album in 2001 titled Tomcats Screaming Outside.
Born Name
Raoul Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana
Nick Name
Roland
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
Residence
England, United Kingdom
Nationality
Education
Roland had attended the Culverhay School (now known as the Bath Community Academy), a secondary school in Bath, England.
Occupation
Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer
Family
- Father – George Orzabal de la Quintana (Owner of an Entertainment Business)
- Mother – Margaret Orzabal de la Quintana (née Menzies) (Dancer)
- Siblings – Julian Orzabal (Younger Brother), Carlos Orzabal (Older Brother)
- Others – Raúl Mariano Orzabal de la Quintana (Paternal Grandfather), Alexander George Menzies (Maternal Grandfather), Sybille Mary Ellis Wynn (Maternal Grandmother)
Genre
New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-Pop, Electronica, Drum and Bass, Dark Wave, Gothic Rock, Progressive Pop, Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Rock, Spanish Folk
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
Labels
- Mercury Records
- Eagle Records
- Epic Records
- Gold Circle Films
- Phonogram Incorporated
- Fontana Records
- Cherry Red Records
- New Door
- Gut Records
- XIII Bis Records
- Edel Records
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Roland has dated –
- Caroline Johnston (1982–2017) – Roland got married to his childhood acquaintance Caroline Johnston in 1982. They had 2 sons together named Raoul Orzabal (b. 1991) and Pascal Orzabal (b. 1994). The couple was together until Caroline’s sudden death from natural causes in June 2017.
- Emily Rath (2019-Present) – Roland got engaged to photographer and writer Emily Rath in 2019.
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (Hispanic and White)
He is of Argentinian (Spanish (Andalusian, Castilian, Extremaduran, Leonese), Basque, Galician), Italian, and distant Portuguese descent on his father’s side, and English and Scottish descent on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Mildly stocky frame
- Neck-length, center-parted, frizzy, curly hair
- Clean-shaven look
Roland Orzabal Facts
- When Roland was 3 years old, his father had suffered a nervous breakdown which had left him semi-bedridden for the majority of Roland’s childhood. His father had then decided to run an entertainment business resulting in different entertainers often hanging around in his home. This unorthodox upbringing has inspired several of his songs.
- His name was changed to Roland within a week of his birth by his mother as she had wanted him to fit in growing up in England. She had later left his father and taken him and his brothers to live with an aunt in Bath.
- In 1985, his relationship with his father was parodied in a cartoon that was published in the British tabloid The Sun.
- In 2014, he had written a novel titled S*x, Drugs & Opera. It had revolved around the struggles of a middle-aged pop star who is trying to rejuvenate his career.
Featured Image by Roland Orzabal / Instagram
Roland’s eyes are dark brown.