Happy Birthday John Waite

As a solo artist and as the lead singer of the Babys and Bad English, John Waite was a fixture of album-oriented rock radio stations during the '70s and '80s. Waite had a talent for power ballads and driving arena rock, occasionally touching on new wave-styled power pop as well. Though he didn't consistently have hits, several of his songs -- including "Missing You," the Babys' "Isn't It Time," and Bad English's "When I See You Smile" -- became radio staples.

John Waite formed the Babys in London, England in 1976 with Wally Stocker (guitar), Mike Corby (vocals, keyboards), and Tony Brock (drums). Initially conceived as a teen pop band, the Babys earned a record contract based on the strength of a video demo they constructed with producer Mike Mansfield. Chrysalis pushed the band heavily, resulting in "Isn't It Time" becoming a hit in the U.S. and U.K. in 1977. As their career progressed, the Babys began to experiment with synthesized, new wave-inspired power pop, which resulted in a handful of minor hits. Jonathan Cain became the band's keyboardist in 1978, and he and Waite developed a close relationship. When Cain left the Babys to join Journey in 1981, the group disbanded.