Happy Birthday: Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987). The album included the singles "If You Let Me Stay", "Sign Your Name", "Dance Little Sister", and "Wishing Well".

Sananda Francesco Maitreya was born Terence Trent Howard in Manhattan in 1962. His mother is Frances Howard, a gospel singer, teacher and counselor. Frances Howard married Bishop James Benjamin Darby, who became his stepfather and raised him. He took this stepfather's last name and later added the apostrophe.

Maitreya trained as a boxer in Orlando and in 1980 won the Florida Golden Gloves lightweight championship. He received an offer to attend boxing school in the United States Army, but went to college instead. After enrolling at the University of Central Florida, he quit a year later and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was posted at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and then served in the 3rd Armored Division, near Frankfurt, Germany. He was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged by the Army in April 1983 after going absent without leave. While in Germany, he worked as a band leader with the band the Touch, releasing an album called Love on Time (1984). It was re-issued in 1989 as Early Works after his worldwide success as a solo artist. In 1986, he left Germany for London, where he briefly played with the Bojangles, who became his backing group on his 1988 tour. In London, he signed a recording contract with CBS Records.