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Katie Melua Profile |
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Birth Date: September 16, 1984
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Birth Place: Georgia
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Birth Name: Ketevan Melua
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Height: 5'2"
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Biography |
Katie Melua is a
British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She was
born in the country of Georgia, but moved to Northern
Ireland at the age of eight and then relocated to England at
the age of 14. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record
label, under the management of songwriter Mike Batt, and
made her musical debut in 2003. In 2006, she was the United
Kingdom's biggest-selling female artist and Europe's highest
selling European female artist.
In November 2003, at the age of 19, Melua released her first
album, Call off the Search, which reached the top of the
United Kingdom album charts and sold 1.8 million copies in
its first five months of release. Her second album, Piece by
Piece, was released in September 2005 and to date has gone
platinum four times.
Ketevan Melua was born in Kutaisi, Georgia, which then was
part of the Soviet Union, in 1984. She spent her first years
with her grandparents in the capital Tbilisi before moving,
with her parents and brother, to the town of Batumi, Ajaria
where her father worked as a heart specialist. During this
time Melua sometimes had to carry buckets of water up five
flights of stairs to her family's flat. Melua later cited
this experience as the reason why she shuns certain
materialistic aspects of fame and fortune.
In 1993, in the aftermath of the Georgian Civil War, the
family moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where her father
took up a position at the prestigious Royal Victoria
Hospital. Whilst living in Belfast, Melua attended Roman
Catholic schools, St. Catherine's Primary School and
Dominican College, Fortwilliam, while her younger brother
attended Protestant schools. The family moved again to
Redhill, Surrey, in 1998, although Melua recently moved out
of the family home in favour of an apartment in the
Paddington area of London, where she has transformed the
spare bedroom into a recording studio. As a result of her
diverse upbringing at an early age, Melua can speak three
languages: Georgian, Russian and English.
Melua met Luke Pritchard, lead singer of The Kooks, when
they were both studying at the BRIT School where they began
dating. Melua and Pritchard rarely speak of the
relationship, but what is known is that the couple dated for
three years and discussed marriage. However, as Melua became
more successful, the relationship came into difficulties and
they split up in March 2005.
Melua is known to have smoked cannabis for recreation and
for musical inspiration. However, in 2004, Melua announced
that she had stopped taking the substance for the latter
reason because it "dented her creativity". |
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Other
Information |
She performed a duet with Jamie Cullum at this years Brit
Awards which took place on the 17th February 2004.
Was spotted by her now-manager Mike Batt while she was
studying music at the BRIT Performing Arts & Technology
School in Croydon, Surrey, England. A classmate was Amy
Winehouse.
Took part in the Band Aid 20 re-recording of "Do They Know
It's Christmas?". [14 November 2004]
Attended St. Mary's Convent in Portstewart, Northern
Ireland.
Her favorite songs are "Jammin'" by Bob Marley, "Porcelain"
by Moby, "Suddenly I See" by K.T. Tunstall, "Jesus To A
Child" by George Michael, "Life On Mars" by David Bowie, "I
Want To Break Free"by Queen, "Where Do The Children Play" by
Cat Stevens, "Under The Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers and
"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" by Ella Fitzgerald.
(Source: BBC Radio 2 "Tracks of My Years").
She can speak three languages, Georgian, Russian and
English.
A tulip is named after her.
After spending her childhood in Batumi, Georgia, she moved
to Belfast, Northern Ireland with her family at the age of
9.
Her first album "Call off the Search" reached #1 in the UK
charts in November 2003, her second "Piece by Piece" topped
the charts in the UK, Poland and the Netherlands in 2005.
A fan of the music of Kate Bush. |
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since October 16, 2007