Information AboutBeverley Knight |
Beverley Knight . Retrieved March 20 , 2006 . Knight is best known for her hit singles " Greatest Day ", " Shoulda Woulda Coulda " and " Come As You Are ". In 2006 Knight solidified her transmission into the mainstream by starring in BBC One music TV show, '' Just The Two Of Us '', a role she reprised in 2007. After releasing a successful Compilation Album in 2006, Knight went on to tour the U.K. with reformed Boyband Take That . She has also hosted the Radio 2 show ''Beverley's Gospel Nights'', which explores the origins and impact of Gospel Music . To date the show has run for three seasons and has featured interviews with stars such as Destiny's Child and Shirley Caesar . Knight is an ambassador for many charities such as Christian Aid and has travelled to areas affected by disease and poverty to help raise awareness. She is an active campaigner for anti-Aids organisations such as the Stop AIDS Campaign and The Terrence Higgins Trust and is also a vocal campaigner against homophobic lyrics in urban music. After more than a decade in the industry, Beverley Knight was made an , 2006 . BIOGRAPHY 1973–1993: Childhood Knight attended Woodfield Infants and Junior School and Highfields Science Specialist School In Wolverhampton. Knight was born of ''. Retrieved March 20 , 2006 . Knight continued singing in her local church throughout her childhood, and her musical education was continued at home where she was often exposed to Gospel music. Due to her parents' religious beliefs, secular music was largely frowned upon but artists such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin played a big part in her childhood. Knight began writing her own songs – with varying degrees of success – at the age of thirteen. It was not until she turned seventeen, though, that she began to take her craft seriously. Beverley began performing the songs that she had written on stage in local clubs in her hometown. At the age of nineteen, Beverley was heard singing jingles on her local radio station by a record company executive and was offered a recording contract. She was adamant that her education should come first and that she should have something to fall back on, and so went to university to study Religious Theology and Philosophy: "so I told them that they’d have to wait".Nathanson, Anna. Interview . ''3G Magazine''. Retrieved March 20 , 2006 . 1994–2000: Early success In late 1994, Beverley Knight signed a record deal with Dome Records – a small, independent label that was home to artists such as , 2006 . by critics when it was released in November 1995. Knight went on to win two Black Music Awards in 1996 ("Best R&B Artist" and "Best Producer" for 2B3) and was named Best R&B Act by ''Blues and Soul Magazine'', beating a host of American stars. However, the commercial success of the album failed to match its critical success and the album peaked on the UK album chart at number one-hundred-and-forty-five. Several singles were released from the project, the biggest being " Flavour Of The Old School ", which peaked at number thirty-three in March 1996 when it was re-released. In February 1997, Beverley left Dome Records after disagreements concerning her musical direction and instead signed a new four-album deal with . Retrieved May 6 , 2006 . It contained five top forty hits – the biggest of which were " Greatest Day ", peaking at number fourteen, and " Made It Back 99 " featuring US rap star Redman , which peaked at number nineteen. The commercial success of ''Prodigal Sista'' marked a big step forward in Beverley’s career and was reflected in the widespread critical acclaim of the project. ''. October 9 , 1999 . 2001–2005: Mainstream breakthrough Throughout 2001 Beverley returned to the recording studio to write and record her third studio album. She was accompanied by a different array of writers and producers from Britain and the . Retrieved May 6 , 2006 . The critical response to ''. Retrieved March 24 , 2006 . After touring Britain in 2002, Knight set about creating her fourth album and entered the studio in the summer of 2003. In an attempt to appeal to a larger mainstream audience, she enlisted the help of pop producers such as . Retrieved May 6 , 2006 . The themes running throughout the album, which were influenced by the events she had witnessed over the previous two years, marked a milestone in Knight’s career as a Lyricist . The main essence of the project was centred on Beverley’s relationship with Tyrone Jamison – a gay man whom she described as her "soul mate" and who died of an AIDS related disease in 2003. Throughout the album, lyrics on tracks such as "Remember Me" ("One day we will be reunited, least I hope that is our destiny, so while you chill in the arms of angels, remember me, remember me") and "No One Ever Loves In Vain" clearly point to Beverley’s close relationship with Tyrone and rank as her most personal work to date. Compared to the praise of her previous albums, the critical response to '', 2006 . 2006–present: Consolidating success In February 2006 Knight consolidated her move into the mainstream audience by appearing on BBC1 music show, ''. December 12 , 2005 . In March 2006 Beverley released her fifth album, a compilation set featuring the majority of her top forty UK singles entitled ''. Retrieved May 6 , 2006 . became her second highest charting of her career when it entered the UK albums chart at number ten and rose to number nine a month later. It was preceded by the single "Piece of my Heart" – a cover of the Erma Franklin classic made famous by Janis Joplin and entered the singles chart at number sixteen, spending eleven weeks inside the UK top 75 singles chart and becoming her longest-running chart single to date. In October 2006, Knight recorded her fifth studio album, '' Music City Soul '', in Nashville . Completed in less than five days, the album was released on 7 May 2007 and features collaborations with musicians such as Ronnie Wood and Scotty Moore . It has spawned three singles thus far, " No Man's Land ", released on 16 April , 2007 , " After You ", released on 2 July , 2007 and " The Queen Of Starting Over ", released on 15 October , 2007 . CREATIVITY & INFLUENCES Growing up in a Pentecostal environment of Jamaican descent, music – especially Gospel Music – became a staple part of Knight’s childhood. She entered the gospel choir of her local church at the age of just four years old and eventually became the musical director before she left in her late teens. Her musical education continued at home where her family would often sing together around the Piano and listen to music from their favourite gospel and soul artists such as Sam Cooke . In 2005, Knight revisited her childhood when she hosted ''Beverley’s Gospel Nights'', a BBC Radio 2 series exploring Gospel Music . Featuring interviews with artists such as Shirley Caesar , Percy Sledge and Destiny’s Child stars Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams , the six-part series explored the roots of Gospel Music and the impact it had upon the black community. Such was the success of the show that a second six-part series was commissioned and began in March 2006 and featured new interviews with artists such as Candi Staton , David McAlmont and Marvin Winans. Knight's interview technique and her ability to get her guests to open up and discuss issues in their personal lives such as Domestic Violence and Depression received favourable reviews and led the Radio Times to comment "Knight's passion for the music is obvious - but so is her warmth, which makes her a rarity among interviewers."Anderson, Jane. ''The Radio Times ''. March 27 , 2006 . Retrieved May 6 , 2006 . The first artist to make an impact upon Knight was one of the true founders of contemporary Gospel and Soul Music , Sam Cooke . Despite his untimely death in 1963, his music endured and became a staple part of Knight's childhood: Indeed the impact Sam Cooke can be seen throughout Knight’s career as she has often performed and recorded Cooke classics, the most notable of which is " A Change Is Gonna Come ". The track, which came to exemplify the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, has featured in many of Knight’s live performances (usually with the aid of the London Community Gospel Choir ) and she even recorded a studio version with musician Jools Holland , which featured on his ''Small World, Big Band Volume 2'' album. In addition to Cooke, another major presence in Knight’s childhood that has moulded her career is Lady Soul herself, Aretha Franklin . Besides leading a tribute to Franklin at the BBC 's ''Music of the Millennium'' concert in 1999 (which also featured Spice Girl Melanie B and singer Jocelyn Brown ), Knight has recorded several of Franklin’s records, most notably "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and " Think ", both of which have been released as B-side s. But it’s the Queen of Soul’s vocal delivery that has most had an impact upon Knight: Heavily influenced by the likes of Franklin and Cooke, Knight has also recorded songs from of other legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder ("Love's in Need of Love Today", which featured on the Warchild album ''Hope'') and Curtis Mayfield ("Hard Times", which appeared on Courtney Pine ’s ''Back in the Day'' album). But this influence has also manifested itself on stage where Knight often incorporates songs by her soul heroines such as Nina Simone ("Feelin’ Good"), Chaka Khan ("I Feel For You" and "Sweet Thing") and Billie Holliday ("God Bless the Child") into her live performances. In addition to the pioneering soul and gospel artists of the mid-twentieth century, modern artists such as '' and '' Who I Am '' album sleeves, can be seen throughout her back catalogue with songs such as " Get Up! ", "Hurricane Jane" and "Supersonic" being compared to Prince due to their mix of Funk and soul. Throughout her childhood, Knight’s musical exposure developed as she got older. Gospel led to soul, which led to or R&B or strictly black music. I find that London is a bit more segregated. In Wolverhampton , black people weren't so segregated and I think that had a massive impact on my musical influences." This diversity is illustrated best by Knight’s forth studio album, '' Affirmation ''. After working with Guy Chambers , the album had a more mainstream flavour compared to her previous albums and was led by the rock guitar driven single " Come As You Are ". Although the song became her highest charting single to date, Knight was largely criticised by urban radio and media for moving too far away from her urban sound. Nevertheless the song illustrated Knight’s determined effort not to become boxed in and "ghettoised". ACHIEVEMENTS Accolades In 2006 it was announced that Knight was to be awarded an . Retrieved March 5 , 2007 . In September 2005 Knight was presented with an . Retrieved March 5 , 2007 . Professor Craig Mahoney from the University announced “we are delighted to bestow on Beverley the award of an honorary degree of doctor of music in recognition of her outstanding contribution to music and the local community, and in recognition of her extensive charity work.” Awards and nominations DISCOGRAPHY See Also: Beverley Knight discography TOUR HISTORY
FURTHER READING
An interview with Knight by Andrew Losowsky, published in December 2002 and featured in '' The Big Issue ''. The interview touches on Knight's career, Religion , Morality and global Poverty .
In depth article written by Knight detailing her close relationship with friend Tyrone Jamison, who died of an AIDS related illness in 2003. The article, featured in '' The Independent '' newspaper, was published on June 20 2004 .
An interview with conducted by the BBC in November 2004, where Knight discusses Live Aid and her participation in the re-recording of Band Aid 's '' Do They Know It's Christmas? ''
An interview with Knight conducted by Pascal Wyse for '' The Guardian '' newspaper and published on March 17 2006 . The interview features in depth disccussions about Knight's musical education and the artists that have shaped her outlook. NOTES AND REFERENCES ^ Please note: subcription needed to validate source but full copy of article can be found here. EXTERNAL LINKS Beverley Knight:
Associated charities:
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