Claudius Afolabi Siffre is a British singer-songwriter and poet. He was born on June 25th, 1945. The openly gay singer built a small cult following with works that dealt squarely with homophobia and racism, as he is a Person of Color. Siffre released a number of albums in the 70’s and had his first hit in 1971 with “It Must Be Love,” which charted even higher when it was later covered by Madness in 1981.
Career
After leaving school, Siffre worked as a taxi driver and a deliveryman before deciding to concentrate more on music. As he continued to join and play in bands, he once played jazz guitar at Annie Ross’s jazz club in Soho, London, in the 1960’s as part of a Hammond organ, guitar, drums house band, as well as knowing how to play keyboard/Piano.
Siffre came out of self-imposed retirement from music in 1985, when he saw a television film from apartheid South Africa showing a white soldier shooting at black children. He wrote “(Something Inside) So strong” (NO.4,1987) Which he also performed on Top of the Pops, and released four more albums between 1988 and 1998.
In 2023, Siffre’s 1972 ballad “Crying Laughing Loving Lying” was used in the soundtrack of The Holdovers, an Oscar-nominated film, “Introducing Siffre to a new generation.” His music was also used in the 2020’s on the soundtracks of Better. Call soul, Hacks, sentimental value, and other popular television and film soundtracks.
In 2025 to 2026, a remastered version of Siffre’s 1971 single “Bless The Telephone” went viral online, further spurring the Siffre revival. Siffre also has a large social media following. In February 2026, Siffre released “Far Away,” the lead single from his album Unfinished Business, his first album in 27 years, which is set to be released late in the year.
Early Life and Education
Claudius Afolabi Siffre was born in Hammersmith, London, in 1945 as the fourth of five brothers to a British mother of white British and ofro-barbadian descent and a British Nigerian father. Siffre was brought up in Baywater and Hampstead and educated at a catholic independent day school, St Benedict’s School, in Ealing, West London. Siffre studied music in the 1960’s at the Eric Glider school of music in Wardour Street, Soho, London. Glider is remembered with gratitude in Siffre’s poem “Education, Education, Education.”
Personal Life
Siffre met his partner, Peter Lloyd, in July 1964, and then pursued a life together for 48 years. They entered into a civil partnership in 2005, as soon as it was legally possible in the UK from the mid-1990’s until Lloyd died in 2013, he and Siffre and van Baardwijk in the village of Clumbu, near Crikhowell, South Wales. Siffre and Van Baardwijk married in December 2014. Van Baardwijk died in 2016. Now Siffre lives in Spain.
In 2014, Siffre appeared on the BBC Radio 4 series Real Lives, championing the life of British author Arthur Ransome. Siffre said that Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons books had taught him responsibility for his own actions and also a morality that has influenced and shaped him throughout his life.
All in all, Labi Siffre is an inspiration to many, as he also changed the way LGBTQ+ was seen. While he didn’t hide his identity or conform to stereotypes, bringing queer love and vulnerability into mainstream soul music. Labi has grown increasingly throughout his music career from when he 1st got popular, and drew in more oldies-loving people. His music continues to be honored for its old-fashioned!