The man who sold more singles than anyone else in the UK during the 1980s keeps most of his personal life off the public record. Shakin’ Stevens — born Michael Barratt on 4 March 1948 in Cardiff, Wales — dominated the charts with rockabilly hits, yet questions about his family, net worth, and current residence remain largely unanswered.
Real name: Michael Barratt ·
Born: 4 March 1948 ·
UK biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s: Yes ·
Top 10 UK singles: 11
Quick snapshot
- Real name: Michael Barratt (Smooth Radio (UK radio station))
- Born 4 March 1948 in Cardiff, Wales (Smooth Radio (UK radio station))
- UK’s biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
- Released new album ‘Re-Set’ in 2024 (Birmingham Journal (regional UK news site))
- Net worth: wide variation ($20M to $150M) (Celebrity Net Worth (celebrity wealth tracking site))
- Current partner: not publicly confirmed (Celebrity Net Worth (celebrity wealth tracking site))
- Family details (children, grandchildren) not verified (Celebrity Net Worth (celebrity wealth tracking site))
- Current residence: no reliable source (Celebrity Net Worth (celebrity wealth tracking site))
- 1948: Born in Cardiff (Smooth Radio (UK radio station))
- Late 1960s: Forms Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets (Celebrity Net Worth (celebrity wealth tracking site))
- 2002: Driving offence, fined £400 (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
- 2009: Court appearance for assault charge (Irish Examiner (Irish newspaper))
- New album ‘Re-Set’ released in 2024, single ‘It All Comes Round’ (Birmingham Journal (regional UK news site))
- Ongoing royalty income from ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ (Birmingham Journal (regional UK news site))
- No announced tour dates as of 2025 (Birmingham Journal (regional UK news site))
Seven facts about the man behind the stage name—one pattern: the public record is solid on his early life but dissolves quickly when it comes to his private finances and family.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Real name | Michael Barratt |
| Birth date | 4 March 1948 |
| Birthplace | Cardiff, Wales |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter |
| Children | Unknown |
| Net worth | Unknown |
| Current partner | Unknown |
This table captures the split in the public record: career facts are confirmed, personal details are not.
What is Shakin’ Stevens’ real name?
His stage name is a deliberate creation, but the man behind it has a straightforward identity. He was born Michael Barratt on 4 March 1948 in Cardiff, Wales, the youngest of 11 children in a working-class family, according to Smooth Radio (UK radio station). He began performing in Cardiff clubs and pubs while working as an upholsterer and milkman, before forming Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets in the late 1960s, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth (celebrity wealth tracking site).
The implication: the name change was a career move, but the early biography is well-documented and consistent across sources.
What happened to Shakin Stevens?
What were the accusations against Shakin’ Stevens?
- In 2009, he appeared in court under his real name, Michael Barratt, on charges of common assault and criminal damage against a freelance photographer (Irish Examiner (Irish newspaper)).
- The incident occurred in December 2008 (The Irish Times (Irish newspaper)).
- Earlier, in 2002, he was charged with driving while over the alcohol limit and banned from driving for two years, fined £400 (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
These are the only publicly known legal matters involving Shakin’ Stevens. No further allegations have surfaced in reliable sources, and the 2009 case did not lead to a widely reported conviction — the outcome remains unclear.
The pattern: the legal record is thin and mostly historical, with no recent incidents.
Where is Shakin Stevens living now?
No reliable public source has confirmed his current residence. Various online pages claim different locations, but none meet the standards of a verifiable news outlet or official record. This is one of the largest gaps in the public record about the singer.
What is Shakin Stevens doing now?
- Released a new album called ‘Re-Set’ in 2024, with the single ‘It All Comes Round’ (Birmingham Journal (regional UK news site)).
- Continues to earn royalties from his catalog, especially ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’, which remains a staple of holiday playlists.
The pattern: after a quiet period, he returned to the studio in 2024, but his public profile remains low compared to his 1980s peak.
Who is Shakin Stevens’ partner now?
Who was Shakin’ Stevens’ first wife?
He was married to a woman named Carole for about 42 years before a divorce reported in 2009, according to Smooth Radio (UK radio station). No further details about the marriage or divorce are publicly available.
Did Shakin Stevens have any children?
Smooth Radio reports that he had three children with Carole, but their names and ages have not been confirmed by any official source. No public records or interviews provide verified details about his children.
The trade-off: the public knows that a family existed, but the members remain private — deliberately so, or simply unrecorded.
He was the UK’s biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s.
— Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)
Shakin’ Stevens began his early performing career in Cardiff clubs and pubs while working jobs including upholsterer and milkman.
— Smooth Radio (UK radio station)
For UK music fans and nostalgia seekers, the takeaway is clear: Shakin’ Stevens left a towering musical legacy in the 1980s, but the details of his personal life remain locked away. The verified biography is short — real name, birth date, career peak, and a few legal incidents — while the rest of the story is filled with speculation and gaps. If you’re looking for a complete picture, you’ll have to accept that some parts may never be filled in.
Related reading: Billy Ocean Biography 2024: Facts, Net Worth, and Famous Songs
thecityceleb.com, explore.st-aug.edu, networthlist.org, kahawatungu.com, link.mlga.ek.gov.ng, nichesss.com, en.wikipedia.org
Frequently asked questions
Is Shakin Stevens a millionaire?
Most net-worth estimates place him in the multi-millionaire range, but exact figures vary wildly — from $20 million to over $150 million according to different sources. None are independently verified.
How much does Shakin Stevens get for Merry Christmas everyone?
Royalty rates for ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ are not publicly disclosed. However, as a perennial holiday hit, it likely generates significant annual income from radio play, streaming, and licensing.
Who is Shakin Stevens’ daughter?
No reliable source has named or confirmed any daughter of Shakin’ Stevens. The public record only mentions that he had three children with his wife Carole.
Who are Shakin’ Stevens’ grandchildren?
No information about grandchildren is available in any verified source.
Was Shakin Stevens a nice person?
There is no authoritative public consensus on his personality. Colleagues and fans generally recall him positively, but the 2009 assault charge suggests occasional conflict.
Shakin’ Stevens’ height?
His height is not listed in any major biography or official source.
Shakin’ Stevens’ songs?
His biggest hits include ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’, ‘This Ole House’, ‘Green Door’, ‘Oh Julie’, and ‘You Drive Me Crazy’. He had 11 Top 10 UK singles.
Arthur Oliver Howard Fletcher is a staff writer for NationalReport.uk, covering UK national news, politics, the economy and public services. He works under Editor-in-Chief Andreas Christodoulou and UK Managing Editor Rebecca Morgan, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.