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Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12
January 1974) is an English singer-songwriter and actress, best known as
one of the five members of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was
nicknamed "Sporty Spice". Performing as Melanie C as a solo artist, she
released four albums, earned nominations for a BRIT and ECHO Awards and
charted at the top of Billboard Dance Chart in the United States in late
2000.
Chisholm holds the position for most United Kingdom number-one singles by
a female co-writer. She is also third after Lennon and McCartney for the
most UK number-one singles by a British co-writer and is the only female
to reach the UK number-one as part of a quintet, quartet, duo and as a
solo artist.
Chisholm was born on 12 January 1974 at Whiston Hospital, Whiston,
Merseyside. Raised originally in Rainhill and then Widnes, she attended
Fairfield High School where she studied singing and dancing. After leaving
school at age 15, Chisholm studied for a diploma course in dance, singing,
drama and musical theatre at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in
Sidcup, Kent. During college, she replied to an advert in The Stage by
Chris and Bob Herbert, who were looking to form a new girl group, later to
become the Spice Girls. She left college just short of completing her
three-year course and gained teaching qualifications in Tap and Modern
Theatre Dance with the ISTD. In 1994, she joined the Spice Girls.
In 1994 she joined the Spice Girls (then still called Touch) after the
original fifth Touch member, Lianne Morgan had to leave the group. In 1996
Chisholm, along with Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and
Victoria Beckham (at that time Victoria Adams), shot to fame with the
release of "Wannabe". The debut album, Spice, shot to number one all over
the globe, including the U.S. Because Mel C usually wore a tracksuit with
her hair in a ponytail and sporting the attitude of a tomboy, she was
called Sporty Spice. They went on to become one of the best-selling girl
groups of all time, selling more than sixty million records worldwide.
They had nine UK number-one singles and two number-one albums. After a
third album release, Forever (UK #2), the members went their separate
ways, and Chisholm developed a solo career.
Chisholm took her first steps in establishing a solo career in late 1998
by singing with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams on the song "When You're
Gone". Her Debut album Northern Star was released in 1999. A track from
this album ("Ga Ga") was included on the Big Daddy soundtrack before her
own album's release. Singles "Goin' Down" and "Northern Star" were met
with promising success, but the third single "Never Be the Same Again",
featuring TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, became her first UK number-one
single as a solo artist, also a number-one single in the Netherlands, a
Top Five hit in Germany and #2 in Australia. Capitalising on her new found
success, Chisholm released a fourth single from Northern Star, a dance
remix of "I Turn to You", and earned herself a second number-one single in
both the UK and the Netherlands. "I Turn to You" reached #2 in Germany,
#11 in Australia and eventually climbed to the top of the Billboard dance
chart in the United States. Northern Star was re-released with the single
versions of "Never Be the Same Again" and "I Turn to You", and eventually
peaked at number four on the United Kingdom album chart and number six in
Germany.
"If That Were Me" was chosen as the fifth and final single from Northern
Star and proceeds were donated to a charity for the homeless; it peaked at
number eighteen in the UK. Northern Star is certified three times platinum
in the United Kingdom for shipping 900,000 copies, platinum in Germany for
selling over 500,000 copies, gold in Brazil for selling 100,000 copies,
and gold in Australia for selling over 35,000 copies. Chisholm then went
on her Northern Star World Tour, performing in countries such as Canada,
Germany, Russia, Spain, Turkey, USA, Estonia, Bahrain, Israel, Republic of
Ireland and the United Kingdom.
From May 2001-November 2002 Chisholm toured for her album.
Chisholm released her second studio album, Reason, in March 2003. The
album included production from a series of collaborators including Gregg
Alexander (New Radicals, Ronan Keating), Marius De Vries (Madonna), Dr
Robert of The Blow Monkeys, David Arnold (Björk) and Matt Rowe, co-writer
of the Spice Girls' "Wannabe". The lead single from Reason was "Here It
Comes Again", which peaked at number seven in the UK, with the album
entering the UK album chart a week later at number five, but quickly fell
off the chart. The album also entered at number 12 in Germany and #21 in
Switzerland.
Other singles from the album were "On the Horizon" (UK number fourteen,
written with Gregg Alexander), "Let's Love" in Japan (where the song
accompanied a Toyota commercial), "Yeh Yeh Yeh" in mainland Europe and,
finally, a UK double A-side of "Melt"/"Yeh Yeh Yeh", which achieved a
disappointing UK chart position of number twenty-seven. After a series of
disappointments and the relative failure of "Melt"/"Yeh Yeh Yeh", Chisholm
parted ways with her label, Virgin Records. Reason has been certified gold
in the United Kingdom.
Chisholm spent much of 2004 working on new material and setting up her own
record company, Red Girl Records. Without major label backing, her
activities are decided on and funded by herself, alongside her business
partner and manager, Nancy Phillips. In April 2005, Chisholm released her
third album, Beautiful Intentions. The Adam Argyle-penned "Next Best
Superstar" was chosen as the lead single and was released simultaneously
in the UK, Europe, and Australia. The single peaked at respectable number
ten in the UK and reached the top of the Germany radio airplay chart for
several weeks. A second single, "Better Alone", was released but later
restricted to purchase from the iTunes Store (for digital download) and
from her official online shop. Chisholm released "Better Alone" in 2006 in
Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some other European countries. The third
single from her third album was "First Day of My Life", a previously
unheard Chisholm recording written by Guy Chambers and Enrique Iglesias.
"First Day of My Life" topped the charts in several European countries,
including Spain, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and
Portugal. The single became one of the biggest hits of 2005 in parts of
Europe, reaching number one position in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and
Germany for two weeks (Chisholms first #1 single here), but it was never
released in the UK. Beautiful Intentions has been certified gold in
Germany, Austria, Switzerland and platinum in Portugal, where it spent
nine weeks at number one.
In early 2007 Chisholm released her fourth album, This Time. It features
writing collaborations with Adam Argyle, Peter-John Vettese, Guy Chambers
and Cathy Dennis (amongst others). The first single released from the
project was the international hit "The Moment You Believe", primarily
released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where it became a top twenty
hit. The single also peaked at number 1 in Spain for two weeks and was a
big hit in several other European countries. In the UK, Chisholm released
the track "I Want Candy", which peaked at number twenty-four and featured
on the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The single peaked at
number nine in Italy and Denmark. The second single from the album This
Time was "Carolyna", released in June in the UK and across Europe.
Although it underperformed in the UK, it became a top five radio hit in
Germany, Austria and Switzerland and a top twenty hit in Italy. In October
2007 in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Austria Chisholm released the
single "This Time". A new version of the song was recorded for the
release. It features a B-side track called "We Love To Entertain You",
which was used for 2007's Pro7 Starforce campaign in Germany.
In November 2007, Chisholm reunited with the Spice Girls for a Greatest
Hits album release and a three-months world tour. When the tour reached
its first two-day break, Chisholm performed an acoustic solo set at The
Mint in Los Angeles on 6 December, another one in The Grand Ballroom in
New York City and a third solo performance in Toronto Canada. On the last
show of the tour, Chisholm did her famous "Sporty Spice" backflip as a
surprise to the fans, as well as the other Spice Girls. In February 2008
Chisholm returned to her solo career. She released her fourth album "This
Time" in Canada on 8 April 2008, followed by a full Canadian tour in May
2008. The first single was "Carolyna". "Understand" was released as a
second single in Canada on 25 July. The video was filmed largely in
Toronto, but several live clips were included from her various Canadian
performances as well.
In May 2009, Chisholm announces the release of a DVD with the concert at
the Hard Rock Cafe in Manchester of 2008, in aid of the Caron Keating
Fundation. The DVD also includes two new songs: Blue Skies All the Way and
Paris Burning.
The Mirror reported in July 2009 that Melanie is to release a new album in
2010, with "Big Rock Numbers" and "No Gooey Baby Stuff".
In December 2009 she joined BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball on a special
New Year's Eve radio programme featuring the Great British Songbook of the
90s, make it the part of BBC Special Christmas Season 2009.
In the early to mid 1990s Chisholm made several appearances in television
commercials and music videos while trying to peursue her music career,
when her girl group The Spice Girls she made regular television
appearances as well as playing herself in many television commercials. In
1997 Chisholm's feature film debut came in Spiceworld The Movie playing
herself alongside her bandmates, In 2000 Chisholm played herself (Sporty
Spice) in an episode of The Norm Show while promoting her girl band's
third studio album Forever.
Throughout her solo music career Chisholm continued to make occasional
television appearances in Hollyoaks, Keith Lemon's World Tour, Bo Selecta
and Beverly Hills, 90210. In 2009 after having her first child Chisholm
signed to star in the starring role of Mrs Johnstone in the play Blood
Brothers by Willy Russell in the London west end, she will continue
appearing in the show until April/May 2010, she revealed in an interview
with Nylon Magazine in December 2009 that she is interested in pursuing a
serious acting career in film.
Chisholm has been linked with such stars as football player Jason McAteer,
and singers Robbie Williams and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony
Kiedis. Their song "Emit Remmus" is about Kiedis' relationship with
Chisholm.
Chisholm is friends with ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, who also
played guitar on her first solo album Northern Star. Her favourite singers
include Madonna and Stevie Wonder; her favourite film is Toy Story.
Chisholm is the passionate supporter of Liverpool F.C. and she named her
label Red Girl Records after LFC.
She has been dating property developer Thomas Starr since 2002. They
currently share a £1 million country home at Catbrook, Monmouthshire. In
August 2008 it was announced that Chisholm and Starr were expecting their
first child together. On 22 February 2009, Chisholm gave birth to a baby
girl. The baby weighed 8 lbs 3oz and was named Scarlet Starr. Chisholm is
the last of the Spice Girls to become a mother.
Chisholm has been open about her battles with clinical depression and an
eating disorder, which she has experienced sporadically throughout her
life.
The singer is noted for her tattoos. Most of them are along eastern lines
– among them a lotus flower, a phoenix and a dragon, and Tibetan symbols
for love and happiness. She has 11 tattoos on her body with the last done
in 2007 at Hanky Panky's in Amsterdam. |
