Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Michelle Gayle (born 2 February 1971, in London, England) is an English actress and singer.
Career
Early career
She first shot to stardom when she appeared in the Children's BBC television programme Grange Hill in 1988 as Fiona Wilson, who was most notably part of a rap duo named Fresh 'n' Fly.[1]
Gayle later appeared in the Children's ITV television programme Press Gang in 1990 as a background member of the news team, and that same year she won the role of Hattie Tavernier in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders.
The introduction of the Tavernier family heralded the first time that an entire family had joined the programme all at once. Their introduction was also a well-intentioned attempt to portray a wider range of black characters than had previously been achieved on the show.[2] Gayle's character remained in the show for three years as Ian Beale's PA, and was featured in an array of storylines including being abandoned by her fiance Steve Elliot (Mark Monero) and suffering a miscarriage as a result. However, music was always Gayle's first passion and in 1993 she left EastEnders to pursue a singing career.
Musical career
Before she gained commercial success, Gayle sang with a rap duo called R-MOR-FUS, performing gigs at various clubs and low key venues.[3] In 1993, while she was still on the cast of EastEnders, Gayle signed with RCA records and launched herself as a solo artist. She scored a number 11 hit with her debut single "Looking Up". By 1994 she had her biggest selling single to date, "Sweetness", which reached number 4 [4], spent 16 weeks in the UK Singles Chart and was certified silver selling over 200,000 copies. Gayle had further chart success in 1994 with the number 26 hit "I'll Find You"; in 1995 with the number 16 "Freedom" and the number 11 "Happy Just to Be With You". These five singles were taken from Gayle's self-titled debut album which was released in 1994, and peaked at number 30 in the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold.
Gayle returned in 1997 with her sixth single "Do You Know" which reached number 6.[4] This was followed by the song "Sensational" which reached number 14. Both singles were taken from Gayle's second album Sensational. Despite Sensational being praised by critics, the album had disappointing sales. It entered the album chart at number 17, but quickly fell out of the top 40 the following week. Due to her second album selling way below Gayle's (and her record label's) expectations, she decided to leave her label, RCA. She quickly signed with EMI and recorded an album for that label, but due to an artist rostering re-shuffle, Gayle parted company in 1999 before the album was released.
Gayle has been nominated for three Brit awards: twice in 1995 for 'Best Single' and 'Best Female' and once in 1998 for 'Best Female'.
After leaving EMI in 1999, Michelle took to the West End stage and played Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
After an extended break from 'show business' to look after her son Isaiah, Gayle began developing her music production company M Media Productions.[5] She also appeared on other artists albums, including Ivan Matias, Me One, Shabba and Lemon D.[6]
In 2003 Gayle accepted the offer to appear in the reality TV series Reborn in the USA; a televised singing competition where former British pop acts were transported to the USA, with the hope of revitalising their music career. Gayle finished second in the competition, taking 'runner up' position to Tony Hadley in the final. Following her success on the programme Gayle began working on new material.[7]
Gayle reinvented herself as a UK R&B artist,[4] and worked on material for her third album with New York record producer Terence Dudley — famous for working on 50 cent's album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.[5] At the end of 2004 Gayle appeared on several TV shows promoting the release of her new single "Gotta Be Me", but the single was pulled before its release. In an interview with The Voice newspaper in April 2006, Michelle divulged that she did make a new album, but the record company (N2 Records) folded, so she is now concentrating on her acting career.[8]
Acting work and other projects
As well as starring in Reborn in the USA in 2003, Gayle also starred in the BBC television dramas Doctors and Holby City.
Gayle presented the UMA Awards with ex-EastEnder Gary Beadle[9] in 2004 and in 2005 she appeared as a celebrity mentor on the BFI documentary, Pushy Parents. She also played the role of Lara in Five drama, Family Affairs (2005).
In March 2006 Gayle took part in the fourth series of the Channel 4 reality television show The Games, where she came third. Following this she played the role of Brenda in Angie Le Mar's stage play, The Brothers, at the Hackney Empire in April 2006.
Gayle played the lead female character, Yvonne, in the film Joy Division, which was released in November 2006. The film tells the story of a German boy orphaned in World War II and groomed as a KGB sleeper.
Early in 2007 it was announced that Gayle would be starring in the UK tour of the stage production Mum's the word. In February 2007 Gayle told the Blackpool Gazette that she was in the process of writing her first novel. The plot involves an unpleasant tv talent show judge, who discovers he is dying. Gayle refused to comment over whether the book is based on music mogul Simon Cowell, the executive of BMG (and RCA) records who Gayle had a run in with during her early singing career. She comments: "It's sort of fiction but not fiction and I hope it explains a few things about the pop business."[10]
Personal life
Gayle was married to ex-professional footballer, and football pundit Mark Bright[11] for ten years, and had one son, Isaiah, with him. On 24th February 2007, it was announced that the couple were to split up, in an apparently amicable separation.
Gayle is the godmother to the daughter of the actress Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence, who played her on-screen mother, Etta Tavernier, in EastEnders.[7]
Discography
Albums
| Cover | Information |
|---|---|
|
Michelle Gayle
|
|
Sensational
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Album | Chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | ||||||||
| 1993 | "Looking Up" | Michelle Gayle | 11 | |||||
| 1994 | "Sweetness" | 4 | ||||||
| "I'll Find You" | 26 | |||||||
| 1995 | "Freedom" | 16 | ||||||
| "Happy Just To Be With You" | 11 | |||||||
| 1997 | "Do You Know?" | Sensational | 6 | |||||
| "Sensational" | 14 | |||||||
B-sides and other tracks
- "Say What's On Your Mind" ("Sweetness" B-Side / Find Your Way album track)
- Tell Me ( I'll Find You B - Side )
- "I Thought I Was Your Lady" ("Happy Just To Be With You" B-Side)
- "Juicy" ("Sensational" B-Side)
- "Give Me A Try" ("Sensational" B-Side)
- "Sunshine After Rain" ("Sensational" B-Side)
- "Until You Come Back To Me" (Reborn In The USA album track)
- "Love Me Tender" (Reborn In The USA album track)
- "Got To Be Me" (unreleased single)
- "Don't Want It" ("Got To Be Me" unreleased B-Side)
References
- ^ "I Love 1978", BBC. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.
- ^ Brake, Colin (1995). EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration. BBC Books. ISBN 0-563-37057-2.
- ^ Kingsley, Hilary (1990). The EastEnders Handbook. BBC books. ISBN 0685529576.
- ^ a b c "Michelle Gayle", BBC. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.
- ^ a b "GOTTA BE ME", anglo plugging. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.
- ^ "Michelle Gayle written by Andrew Davis", Underground soul. URL last accessed on 2007-02-11.
- ^ a b "MICHELLE MARK II", The Voice. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.
- ^ "LE MAR'S TALE", The Voice. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.
- ^ "BULLETS’N’BLING", The Voice. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.
- ^ "Michelle's a mum on move", Blackpool Gazette. URL last accessed on 2007-02-11.
- ^ "Passion for sport", BBC. URL last accessed on 2007-01-05.