Emma Bunton

Emma Bunton biography

Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is a British pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice. She is also the host of Heart FM Saturday afternoon drive-time slot.

Her debut solo album A Girl Like Me was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2001 by Virgin Records. The album debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart. On 7 September 2001, A Girl Like Me was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 100,000 copies, ultimately becoming the 147th best-selling album in the UK for 2001. The album brought the UK number-one "What Took You So Long?" as well as top five hits "What I Am" (a cover of a 1988 song by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) and "Take My Breath Away" and the top 20 hit "We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight". The album sold 125,000 copies in the UK.

Bunton's second album, Free Me, was released in 2004 through 19 Entertainment/Universal Records. Four singles were taken from it: "Free Me", "Maybe", "I'll Be There" and "Crickets Sing For Anamaria". The album spent over twelve weeks inside the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number seven and selling over 141,712 copies, earning gold award status. After Free Me and Maybe were released as singles and had success in the American dance charts, the album was released in North America.

Biography

1976-92: Early life and career beginnings

Bunton was born in Finchley, North London, brought up as a Catholic, and grew up in Woodside Park. Her parents, Pauline, a karate instructor, and Trevor, a milkman, split up when she was 11, after which she stayed with her mother. She has a younger brother, Paul James. Bunton went to St. Theresa's Primary School in Finchley, then to Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone. She appeared briefly in the BBC series EastEnders in 1992 as a mugger. In 1993, she appeared in the ITV1 police series, The Bill, and also made a brief appearance as a prostitute in the BBC drama series To Play the King. After appearing on the show she was offered a temporary role as a troubled prostitute trying to kick her drug habit, but she turned it down because she wanted to maintain a wholesome image. Bunton also appeared in a public information film for the British government concerning fire safety.

She joined the Spice Girls (then called Touch) in 1993 after Michelle Stephenson left. Bunton was called Baby Spice because she was the youngest, had long blonde pigtails, wore babydoll dresses and had a girly girl personality.

The debut single Wannabe was the first of nine number ones in the United Kingdom for the Spice Girls, and reached the top in 37 countries. As a songwriter, Bunton set the shortest time to achieve six No.1 UK singles, one year and five months from Wannabe to Too Much. In 1999, she presented Emma on VH1. She recorded "(Hey You) Free Up Your Mind" for the film Pokémon: The First Movie.

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