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Emma Bunton Profile |
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Birth Date: January 21, 1976
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Birth Place: Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK
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Birth Name: Emma Lee Bunton
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Height: 5'2"
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Biography |
Emma Bunton may well have been called "Baby" as far back
as January 21, 1976, when she was born in Barnet, North
London. While growing up in nearby Finchley, Emma showed her
desire to perform early on. Winning a beauty contest at age
three, she yearned to be a dancer and an actress.
She told her mother Pauline that she wanted to be a singer,
after seeing Olivia Newton-John in Grease. Later, in the
'80s, Emma looked up to Madonna as a role model (like most
of the other Spice Girls).
After grade school, Emma attended Sylvia Young Theatre
School, an early training ground for showbiz-track Britons.
But with her working-class background -- father Trevor is a
milkman -- she couldn't afford to attend for long, and had
to switch to a regular high school. The disappointment drove
the aspiring singer to tears: "The shock to my system was
scary," Emma later admitted. However, after a mere three
weeks, the theatre school called, offering her a
scholarship, and she returned.
In 1992, Bunton took a two-year drama course at Barnet
Technical College. Meanwhile, she made inroads as a model
and actress, appearing in a number of commercials, ads and
magazines, as well as being cast as a troubled youth on the
BBC hit soap opera, Eastenders (after several auditions).
In 1994, Bunton answered an ad in The Stage trade paper
looking for young female singers to form a new all-girl pop
group. The band, originally called "Touch," was the
brainchild of Chris Herbert, who auditioned thousands of
girls before selecting the final five members. Emma made the
cut, along with Geri Halliwell, Victoria Adams (now
Beckham), Melanie Brown, and Melanie Chisholm.
Herbert conceived of a two-year plan to train the band,
hiring a vocal coach, booking a rehearsal studio and
arranging recording sessions; after less than a year,
however, the Spice Girls grew impatient. Halliwell led
Bunton and the rest away from their original management
when, in 1995, the quintet was signed by Virgin Records and
hired manager Simon Fuller.
The Spice Girls released their first single the following
year, and their debut album, Spice, ended up selling more
than 20 million copies. Touring and international adoration
-- even if it was mostly female adolescent adoration -- soon
followed.
But there was a snag: Two years later, the headstrong
Halliwell lead the Spice Girls to new management once again,
and soon after quit the group herself, embarking on a solo
career. This was trouble for the remaining Spice Girls. They
were sued by an Italian company over Halliwell's split, and
Bunton later had to testify that she never thought Halliwell
would leave the group.
Meanwhile, the quintet-turned-quartet put out another album
(the ominously-named Forever). While the Spice Girls
remained together on paper, each pursued a solo career, and
Bunton was no exception. First she took a break from music,
focusing instead on being a television presenter. Leading up
to Y2K festivities, she spoke on behalf of a safe-drinking
campaign, warning Londoners about the dangers of lighting
fireworks while drunk.
In 2001, Emma Bunton was back with a single, "What Took You
So Long?" and a new album, A Girl Like Me. While not a smash
hit, it was a personal triumph. Bunton had a hand in writing
all the new songs, something she had wanted to do for some
time. "I decided to make a solo album a couple of years ago
and started writing lyrics a long time before that," she
says.
In the meantime, Bunton enjoys reading, taking in a movie or
two, and going to the gym. And she still likes to find time
for family, going so far as to buy her mother a new house
(her parents are now divorced) with her Spice Girls profits.
So, despite the monumental ups and downs, Emma Bunton has
still come out ahead: That's truly girl power. |
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Other
Information |
Dated singer Lee Brennan [1997]
Has her name "Baby Spice" tattooed on her behind.
Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful
People in the World along with the four other Spice Girls.
[1997]
Winner of the 1997 MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance
Video, "Wannabe".
Started her own solo work. Her first single, "What I Am",
recorded in collaboration with the UK dance band, Tin Tin
Out, was out in November, 1999. [1999]
She revealed an interest to play a role in EastEnders -
maybe the "Who Shot Phil?" storyline.
Is, to the day, 20 years younger than Geena Davis.
Ranked as #70 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005"
special supplement. (2005)
She has a Blue Belt in Karate |
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