hiː wʌz stˈɪl ɐ tˈiːneɪdʒɚ wɛn hiː ɡˈeɪnd fˈeɪm fɔːɹ hɪz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv hˈɪt, "bˈiːts sˌoʊ lˈoʊnli", fɹʌm hɪz deɪbjˈuː ˈælbəm, pˈɪktʃɚz fɔːɹ plˈɛʒɚ.
He was still a teenager when he gained fame for his 1985 hit, "Beat's So Lonely", from his debut album, Pictures for Pleasure.