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Sharleen Spiteri Profile |
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Birth Date: November 7, 1967
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Birth Place: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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Birth Name: Sharleen Eugene Spiteri
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Height: 5'5"
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Biography |
Sharleen Spiteri was born November 7, 1967. Her birthplace
was suburban Glasgow, but she was raised in the Scottish
countryside, in the small town of Balloch, on the banks of
the Loch Lomond.
Her surroundings provided her with consistent outdoor
adventuring, and the fractured wrist, finger, and four
broken noses she suffered throughout her childhood are a
testament to her affinity for mountaineering (a pastime she
continues to indulge in to this day).
Sharleen was raised in a musical family: her father, a
merchant seaman, played the violin, and her mother sang. The
Spiteri household was filled with the sounds of classic rock
and soul, two influences that would come to bear on
Sharleen's own musical style.
Sharleen's plans to attend the Glasgow School of Art were
thwarted when she took on a Saturday job as a hairdresser.
She found that she was quite good with a pair of scissors --
brilliant, in fact -- and at age 17 she moved to Glasgow to
work full-time. Sharleen's career as a hairdresser took off
instantly; working for the international chain Irvine Rusk,
it wasn't long before she was whisked around the globe to
work at magazine photo sessions.
Working in fashion led to moving in fashionable circles, and
it was thus that Sharleen met Johnny McElhone. McElhone was
a former member of the Scottish pop group Altered Images,
and in the midst of creating a new band. Sharleen had just
bought her first guitar -- having been inspired by The Clash
-- and asked to audition. McElhone was impressed with her
voice, other band members were signed up, and Texas was
born.
Sharleen and McElhone's first songwriting collaboration was
on the single "I Don't Want A Lover," which proved an
instant hit. The track hit the top ten in the UK and led to
a 1988 deal with Phonogram records. The ensuing album,
Southside, went on to reach the No. 3 spot on the British
music charts and sell 1.5 million copies. Two years later,
their follow-up album, Mother's Heaven, was released. It
didn't enjoy the same reception as its predecessor, selling
only 750,000 copies.
Texas' 1994 third album, Rick's Road, did even worse.
Despite being held by many fans as the group's best album,
Rick's Road was a commercial disaster, prompting Sharleen
and the rest of the band to take a songwriting hiatus.
Texas reunited in 1996 to begin work on a fourth album,
White on Blonde. While the recordings remained predominantly
oriented around the same rock/soul/blues sound that had
characterized the three previous releases, contributions by
Mark Stent (who mixed Massive Attack's Protection), Mark Rae
(founder of Manchester music label Grand Central) and
production team Rae and Christian served to infuse the album
with a lighter dance feel. The formula proved a success, and
White on Blonde went on to reach the No. 1 mark on the UK
charts not just once, but twice.
The single "Say What You Want" was particularly successful
in Europe and North America, and Sharleen did a second
version of the song in 1998, in collaboration with Wu-Tang
Clan members RZA and Method Man.
Texas released their fifth album, The Hush, in 1999, and
their Greatest Hits in 2000. In 2001, a revamped version of
their first hit, "I Don't Want a Lover," was released, and
the band decided it was time for a break again.
This is not to say that Sharleen is at a loss for things to
do. Her management business, Near Back, keeps her occupied,
and makes her one of the highest paid company directors in
Scotland. In the summer of 2001, she collaborated with Roger
Sanchez on his album, First Contact. And after having
rejected the lead in Moulin Rouge (which Nicole Kidman went
on to fill) and being forced out of a role in Three Blind
Mice due to scheduling conflicts, Sharleen has yet to make
her acting debut. |
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Other
Information |
Lead singer of the Scottish band Texas, which had its first
hit, "I Don't Want a Lover" in 1989.
9th September 2002: Gave birth to daughter, Misty Kyd Heath.
The name of her band was inspired by a movie. After watching
the movie Paris, Texas (1984), she helped form the band
called Texas. The slide guitar sound of Ry Cooder on the
film soundtrack influenced the band musically.
Is a close friend of actor Ewan McGregor.
Co-founded Glasgow based radio station, "Beat 106" in 1998
with footballer Ally McCoist and TV presenter Carol Smillie.
They sold the station 8 months later to the Capital Radio
Group for £32 million.
She was a finalist to star in Moulin Rouge! (2001). The part
eventually went to Nicole Kidman.
Is of Maltese descent. Spiteri is a common surname in Malta. |
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