Beloved '80s Rock Star Roland Gift Turns 64 Today

On May 28, 1961, rock legend Roland Gift was born in Birmingham, England. The singer is best known as the founder and lead vocalist of Fine Young Cannibals, whose soft rock hits topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice in the '80s.

Before Fine Young Cannibals, Gift was the saxophonist and part-time vocalist for a ska band called Akrylykz, who gained serious popularity in the United Kingdom when they toured with ska-pop band The Beat in 1980.

Gift's role in Akrylykz evolved from saxophonist to stand-in frontman, and he soon gathered the attention of The Beat's founders Andy Cox and David Steele. When both groups ultimately disbanded a few months later, Cox and Steele invited Gift to join their new outfit: Fine Young Cannibals.

Their self-titled debut album was an immediate success, spawning two hit singles in "Johnny Come Home" and a pop-rock cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds". The songs both went to No. 8 in the United Kingdom and broke into the Top 10 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart.

Just two years later, Fine Young Cannibals released their first global hit, "She Drives Me Crazy". The song blended Gift's alternative/ska background with a more mainstream classic rock sound, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and also reaching No. 1 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The song was released as the lead single from their second studio album, The Raw & The Cooked, which would ultimately be their last. The record went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, driven by the enduring popularity of "She Drives Me Crazy".

The album's second single, "Good Thing", also topped the Hot 100-though it was less successful overseas. This huge success was a turning point for Fine Young Cannibals, thrusting them onto the international stage for the first time. Unfortunately, they would be unable to replicate this success in years to come, formally disbanding in 1992.

Roland Gift has continued to release music as a solo artist, performing at countless festivals and giving several televised performances over the years. "She Drives Me Crazy" continues to be his best-performing track, defining a whole generation of rock fans and driving the genre forward in fun, exciting ways.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 7:40 AM.