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Melanie Brown Profile |
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Birth Date: May 29, 1975
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Birth Place: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
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Birth Name: Melanie Janine Brown
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Height: 5'5"
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Biography |
Melanie Janine Brown (born May 29, 1975 in Leeds) (aka Mel
B) is an English pop singer and songwriter turned actress
and television personality best known as one of the members
of the girl band the Spice Girls, one of the most successful
female groups of all time. She was given the nickname "Scary
Spice" by the British media because of her outrageous,
"in-your-face" attitude, 'loud' Leeds accent, throaty laugh,
manner of dress (which often consisted of leopard-print
outfits) and her voluminously curly hair.
Brown started her music career in a band known as Touch. The
group left the original management team and eventually
teamed up with music manager Simon Fuller. Here, she and the
other girls were launched on the world as the Spice Girls.
After worldwide success in the group she embarked on a solo
music career in 1998. Her first solo album, with Virgin
Records, was a success, including a No.1 hit. In 2005 she
released a second solo album which did not attract much
attention.
Brown is of mixed race parentage, born to a white English
mother Andrea and a black Nevisian father Martin. She has a
younger sister named Danielle. She studied performing arts
at the now famous Intake High School in her home city of
Leeds, before entering the entertainment industry. For a
time she worked as a dancer in Blackpool. Brown saw an
advertisement for an audition in a newspaper and she showed
up and was accepted in the all-girl group which became the
Spice Girls.
At the height of the Spice Girls' success, Brown was invited
to work with Missy Elliott on the single I Want You Back, a
song for the soundtrack of the film Why Do Fools Fall in
Love. It was recorded in just one afternoon, due to Brown's
busy Spice Girls schedule. The video featured Brown's then
husband Jimmy Gulzar, who appeared chained and submissive to
his wife. Upon its British release in September 1998, I Want
You Back sold 80,000 copies in its first week alone, giving
Brown her first and only solo #1 in her home country. This
was confirmed on the day that the Spice Girls played their
last world tour concert at Wembley Stadium in front of
52,000 fans. Ultimately the single sold 218,000 copies and
became the 82nd Bestselling British Single of 1998.
At the suggestion of her then-husband Jimmy Gulzar, Brown
covered Cameo's 1986 hit Word Up as her next solo release.
The track was notable for being produced by Timbaland. The
track was already released on the soundtrack to Austin
Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. This resulted in its
flopping in the UK (peaking at #14), making it the lowest
charting Spice Girls related single of the 90s. The European
video was a surreal animation, directed by Jimmy. A further
video was shot which featured the mini me character from
Austin Powers. The track was not included on Brown's UK
version of her debut solo album, and speaking at the time of
her album release she stated that she "didn't really like
'Word Up'".
Following the disappointing performance of Word Up , Brown
stopped releasing records for a while, but worked quietly on
tracks for her debut solo album and the third Spice Girls
album. Turning to television work, she hosted Pure Naughty,
a weekly BBC2 magazine show focusing on black music. She
also hosted the MOBO Awards on two occasions, in 1998 with
Bill Bellamy and in 1999 with Wyclef Jean, and took part in
a BBC funded short film entitled Fish.
During her time as a Spice Girl, Mel B should be noted for
having at least one solo line in every Spice Girl's song.
Other members such as Geri (Two Become One and subsquent
songs after departure) and Victoria (Wannabe, Say you'll be
there amongst others) do not perform solo lines in every
song.
As a way of dealing with the problems of her marriage, Brown
continued working on her debut solo album. She worked with
producers such as Sisqo, Teddy Riley, and Jimmy Jam and
Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Prince), with whom she was also
working on the Spice Girls' third album, Forever.
In September 2000, she said that she heard the first single
release from the album, Tell Me. The track debuted at #4 in
the UK charts with about 40,000 copies sold in its first
week. It finally sold approximately 100,000 copies, making
it the 158th "best seller" of 2000. The album, Hot, was
released one month later on October 3, was not a success and
garnered mediocre reviews. It sold a disappointing 7,419
copies in its first week and charted at a weak #28, before
quickly falling out of the charts.
Following the release of Feels So Good, rumours began that
if her next single flopped she would be dropped by her
record company, Virgin Records. In May, Brown performed a
small set at the London G-A-Y Astoria club, her only solo
gig until 2004. A third single was released in June 2001,
Lullaby, a pop number dedicated to her daughter. It was
accompanied by a very simple video shot in Morocco and
featured Brown with Phoenix Chi. The media criticised Brown
for using her child in the music video and single artwork,
labelling her Desperate Spice and insinuating that she was
exploiting her child as a marketing tool. The single entered
and peaked at a disappointing #13, and Virgin duly dumped
Brown from their label.
During the promotion of the LA State Of Mind project, Brown
hinted in an interview that a reunion of the Spice Girls
could be forthcoming for a Greatest Hits album. Rumours
started circulating that the band might reunite for the
upcoming Live 8 concert on July 2, 2005 in London's Hyde
Park. The girls were all approached by Sir Bob Geldof who
was seriously interested in reuniting the band, but Brown
was the only one who refused due to "other commitments".
It was known afterwards that Brown's "commitment" she
couldn't postpone was the current writing of a new sitcom,
as yet unsold.
She starred as a detective in a the teen-thriller Telling
Lies which was expected to be released in fall of 2006.
Tabloids began reporting in late 2005 that Brown is
carefully considering a come-back in 2008 with new music,
more movie roles and TV projects. Brown has confirmed she
has several projects in the works and has told fans to
"watch this space".
Brown has recently filmed a small role in a Short Film Love
thy neighbour opposite Alex Dimitriades.
In May 2007, Brown gave her first interview in a number of
years to Extra reporter Terri Seymour.
Brown will appear on the 5th installment of Dancing with the
Stars as reported by realityblurred.com
Recently, Brown reunited with the Spice Girls and plan to
tour in the future.
Following her rise to fame, Brown had a long relationship
with Icelandic Fjolnir Thorgeirsson, and a short
relationship with Australian singer Peter Andre. While on
the Spiceworld Tour, Brown began a romantic relationship
with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar. They married on the 13th
September 1998, following which Brown was professionally
known as 'Melanie G'. Their only child together, daughter
Phoenix Chi, was born on February 19, 1999. Marriage
problems ensued, including allegations of abusive and
inattentive behaviour by Gulzar, and the marriage collapsed
by the end of 1999. In 2000 Brown filed for divorce, which
was finalized later that year. The custody battle for her
daughter was highly publicised; Brown won custody, but had
to pay a large alimony settlement of £1.25M to her
ex-husband. Brown's next serious relationship was with
British actor Max Beesley, from whom she split in 2002. In
2003 she moved to Los Angeles, CA with her daughter Phoenix
Chi, stating that she plans to reside there permanently.
In 2006, Brown became the subject of many tabloid stories,
on the basis of her relationship with Hollywood actor Eddie
Murphy. Unconfirmed stories quickly came that the pair had
tattoos of each others' names, were planning a wedding, and
had introduced each other to their respective families. On
October 17, 2006 AOL claimed that Brown was in fact having a
baby by Murphy.
Brown was quoted as saying: "We're in love and get on really
well. All the children have met and get on too - it's like a
great big happy family. I can't wait to spend Christmas with
him and I can't wait to have this baby."
In early December 2006, news came that Brown and Murphy were
no longer a couple, and Murphy told a journalist of the
Dutch TV show RTL Boulevard at the Dreamgirls film premiere
that the parentage of Brown's unborn baby cannot be proven
until a paternity test has been performed. As Murphy told a
reporter, "I don't know whose child that is until it comes
out and has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions,
sir." Brown maintained her certainty in the press that
Murphy was indeed the father.
Brown gave birth to a baby girl, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, on
April 3, 2007, which incidentally is also Murphy's birthday.
Murphy was listed as the father on the birth certificate
despite the ongoing paternity battle. On June 22, 2007,
People magazine reported the results of a court-ordered DNA
test, confirming through Brown's publicist that Murphy was
indeed the father of Brown's baby.
In April 2007, Brown's friend Christa Parker revealed in
British magazine Closer that she and Brown had had a sexual
relationship, and also that Brown had a two year
relationship with a film executive named Christine. At the
time Brown said, "people can call me lesbian, bisexual or
heterosexual, but I know who's in my bed and that's it - I
have huge libido and a great sex life." Parker said that
Brown was still in love with Eddie Murphy and would welcome
him back. More recently, Brown has began dating movie
producer Stephen Belafonte. Brown indicated her feelings
about Murphy, stating: "The less said about the Beverly
Hills Cock the better." |
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Other
Information |
Daughter, with Jimmy Gulzar, Phoenix Chi was born. [19
February 1999]
Winner of the 1997 MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance
Video, "Wannabe".
Winner of the 1997 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Group.
After a struggling solo career, Virgin Records and Melanie B
parted company in July 2001. The Spice Girl says she wants
to concentrate on her television career
Made her London West End theatre debut in Eve Ensler's "The
Vagina Monologues" in February 2002.
Her younger sister is Danielle Brown
Has had 9 UK number one singles as part of The Spice Girls.
Has had a solo number one single: "I Want You Back"
featuring 'Missy "Misdemeanor' Elliott' .
Also had four other solo UK top 20 hits: "Tell Me" (#4),
"Feels So Good" (#5), "Lullaby" (#13) & "Word Up" (#14).
Has a bestselling autobiography called "Catch A Fire".
She was born to an English mother and a Nevisian father.
Gave birth to her second daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown,
on April 3 2007 in Santa Monica, California. The baby's
father is Eddie Murphy.
Former pupil of Intake High School (Leeds, West Yorkshire,
England, UK). |
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