Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
Morris Albert | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Maurício Alberto Kaisermann |
| Born | 7 September 1951 São Paulo, Brazil |
| Genres | Pop, soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | RCA Records |
Maurício Alberto Kaisermann (born 7 September 1951),[1] better known by his stage name Morris Albert, is a Brazilian singer and songwriter best known for his 1974 single "Feelings".
Albert was born into an Austrian immigrant family. At the beginning of his musical career, he was a member of several bands as a singer and guitarist[2] After the success of the first single "Feel the Sunshine", he recorded his debut album in 1974 under the title Feelings, which reached No. 1 in his homeland and stayed on the charts for half a year. The single "Feelings" was a soft rock hit song and made Albert a one-hit wonder. The ballad reached the top ten U.S. Billboard charts in the summer of 1975 and sold more than 1 million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on 13 November 1975.[3] "Feelings" made Albert sell more than 160 million records (including singles, albums and compilations) worldwide.[4] Also in 1975 Albert successfully recorded the single “Leave me” in the United States.[5] He won 43 gold and 17 platinum albums.[6] In 1978 in the United States, he recorded another hit, "She's My Girl", among several other of his compositions.[7]
Albert has four children, three daughters and a son, from three relationships. As of 2004, he was living in Italy.[8]
"Feelings" was based on a melody composed by French songwriter Loulou Gasté. Albert originally claimed the melody as his own, but was later successfully sued by Gasté in 1988, for stealing of intellectual property.[9] Morris was defended by William Sheffield in Gasté's lawsuit.[10] Gasté received approximately US$500,000 for the plagiarism lawsuit over his melody in the 1957 French movie soundtrack of Le feu aux poudres.[11]
Sources:[30]
