Chris de Burgh – Lady In Red (Live At The BRITs 1987)

Chris de Burgh performs ‘Lady In Red’ live at The BRIT Awards 1987.

“The Lady in Red” – Single by Chris de Burgh from the album Into the Light
B-side: “Borderline”/”The Ecstasy of Flight (I Love the Night)”
Released: 20 June 1986
Songwriter: Chris de Burgh
Producer: Paul Hardiman
Charted: No.3 in US and No.1 in UK

The song was written in reference to his wife, Diane, who used to come and watch him perform at his parents’ hotel. It was released on the album Into the Light. On the British TV series This Is Your Life, de Burgh said that the song was inspired by the memory of when he first saw Diane, and how men so often cannot even remember what their wives were wearing when they first met.

The real life love story of this song took a hit in the mid-’90s when de Burgh revealed that he had an affair with the 19 year old nanny he employed while his wife was recovering from a horseback riding accident. After some public contrition, with de Burgh saying “I don’t want to gamble with my marriage and my family,” he and Diane remained together.