Noughties Singer-Songwriters

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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1988) Big-voiced London-born singer-songwriter Adele (born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) rose from posting a demo on Myspace to a Grammy award in just a couple of years. Her debut LP 19, released in 2008, reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 10 in the US after an appearance on Saturday Night Live; her 2008 single ‘Chasing Pavements’ was also a big hit. Her blend of white soul and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1970) Damon Gough’s charming Badly Drawn Boy alter ego found initial (if cult) success on the roster of the UK’s DIY Twisted Nerve label. A folk singer with allusions of grandeur, Gough sidestepped the tag of troubadour by soundtracking the About A Boy film (2002) and steadily learning to incorporate string sections and orchestras into his sound. He leapt from alternative oddball to daytime radio staple with ease, losing ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1973) Irish singer-songwriter Rice finally broke into the mainstream in 2002 after years of busking around Europe. His debut album O charted at UK No. 8; the mellow, Irish folk-inspired tracks proved a hit with the public. His second effort, the equally obscurely titled 9, fared better, making No. 4 in the UK while also reaching No. 22 in the Billboard 200. His honest, melancholy acoustic songs have set ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1976) Mainstream in every sense of the word, be-hatted Canadian Powter has really made a career from the success of one, admittedly enormous, single. ‘Bad Day’ (2005) was initially supposed to soundtrack a Coca Cola advert, but was subsequently a test for American Idol entrants – as big a fast-track to recognition as is possible. A traditional piano singer-songwriter, it remains to be seen if Powter can maintain the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1968) Born near Manchester, the Dylanesque Gray toiled throughout the 1990s, while seemingly only Irish audiences listened. But mainstream success would not escape a songwriter with Gray’s talent, and soon chart hit after chart hit (‘Please Forgive Me’, ‘Babylon’) snatched mass radio airplay, bolstered by a middle-aged fan base and anyone who liked a tune they could whistle underpinned by danceable rhythms, a winning formula perfected in his home ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1981) The daughter of a French poet mother, this singer was born Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong on Christmas Day. She waited on the sidelines while her musician brother, Rollo Armstrong (of the band Faithless), achieved pop success in the mid-1990s. But encouraged after providing vocals for some of his tracks, her own songwriting came to the fore. When 1998’s serene ‘Thank You’ was sampled in part by ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1984) Aimée Ann Duffy’s 2008 debut album Rockferry was the UK’s top seller of the year, an astounding achievement for the singer-songwriter given she grew up with Welsh as her first language. Her retro soul-pop, exemplified by derivative but catchy hit single ‘Mercy’, drew comparisons with Dusty Springfield, while a Grammy award in 2009 confirmed she appealed to Americans too. A similar success in 2010 would potentially confirm her ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Mad World’, 2003 Gary Jules had recorded as a solo artist since 1998, but in 2001 he collaborated with Michael Andrews to cover Tears For Fears’ ‘Mad World’. The sombre remake was featured in 2003’s hit film Donnie Darko, and the appeal of the film, coupled with the song’s popularity and Jules’ strange choice of cover, made ‘Mad World’ 2003’s UK Christmas No. 1 single. Never quite hitting a nerve the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1975) The acoustic musings of Jack Johnson have a laid-back feel that betray a lifetime dedicated to surfing and skateboarding. Indeed, until an accident Johnson was a professional surfer himself, but subsequently became a musician. Unsurprisingly, this Hawaii-born surfer was a hit in Australia before the rest of the world, but his third album In Between Dreams (2005) saw him achieve a No. 1 placing in the UK charts, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1974) A former member of the British army, Blunt (real name James Blount) served until 2003 (once at the Queen Mother’s funeral) and took songs he had written on duty in Kosovo into the studio. The piano balladry of ‘You’re Beautiful’ (2005) received so much airplay in the UK it moved up the charts (a rare occurrence), then remained at No. 1 for six weeks. Back To Bedlam was ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1986) London-based singer-songwriter Jamie T (Jamie Alexander Treays) fared favourably with critics since his debut in January 2007 when his frenetic, garage-cum-indie debut Panic Prevention reached No. 4 in the UK. He released second album Kings & Queens nearly three years later, which did even better. His dry and witty observational lyrics on tracks like ‘Sheila’ and ‘Calm Down Dearest’ has made him one of the most popular artists ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1988) English singer-songwriter Jessie J (real name Jessica Cornish) began her career writing songs for Miley Cyrus and Chris Brown. Her debut single ‘Do It Like A Dude’ peaked at No. 2 in the UK in 2010; while her first album Who You Are (2011) spawned six Top 10 hits, including the title track ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ and ‘Who’s Laughing Now’. Her style embraces contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1981) Timberlake, once liberated from the confines of former band *NSYNC, managed to appeal to critics and fans alike after the release of his Michael Jackson-influenced Justified album in 2002, and in particular the stunningly modern single ‘Like I Love You’. Helped in no small part by the crisp work of The Neptunes’ production team, the single signposted a pop icon in the making. 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds preceded an acting ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1984) Ketevan Melua had a roving childhood that took in Ajaria, Georgia (where she was born) and Belfast, and her music falls somewhere between the categories of jazz, blues and radio-friendly pop. Debut single ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’ (2003) found Melua in mournful mood. 2005’s Piece By Piece, was equally sombre, while third studio album Pictures in 2007 was the last to be made in collaboration with Mike ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Guitar, singer-songwriter, b. 1969) Hailing from the UK’s ‘West Country’, P.J. Harvey is now eight albums into her career. Trading in a primeval, highly feminine strain of blues rock, Polly Jean Harvey has moved from stripped-down rock to sophisticated acoustic ballads before a stomping brand of indie that is incendiary when caught live. She has influenced many female acts since the mid-1990s, and has guested and duetted with artists as diverse ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
97 Words Read More
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