Louise

Louise biography

Louise Redknapp (née Nurding) (born 4 November 1974, in Lewisham, London) is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of Eternal, a girl group prominent in the 1990s, before becoming a solo singer (known simply as "Louise"). She has presented several television shows and served as a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance. She is married to the English football player and television pundit Jamie Redknapp. She won the British Designer Of The Year award in 2005.

Early life

Redknapp was born in Lewisham, London. Her father was a builder, and her mother worked at Gatwick Airport. Louise and her two younger brothers grew up in Eltham, London, and Oxted, Surrey.

At the age of 11, Louise joined the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where she met her future Eternal bandmate Kéllé Bryan on her first day.

Music career

Eternal

While out clubbing at the age of 16, Louise met music producer Denis Ingoldsby, who was forming an all-girl group. She subsequently introduced Denis to Kéllé Bryan. Kéllé and Louise, together with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, formed the band Eternal in 1992. They performed a mixture of heavy R&B, soul, pop and dance. Eternal's debut single "Stay" entered the UK charts at number four, and their debut album, Always and Forever, sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK.

Louise left the group in 1995, amid rumours that she had been asked to leave by the Eternal's management and/or record company as they wanted to market Eternal in the US as an all-black R&B group. However these rumours were denied.

Solo career with EMI

In late-1995, Louise signed a record deal with First Avenue management and EMI Records. Professionally now known simply as "Louise", her debut solo single was the orchestral ballad "Light of My Life" (which reached number eight on the UK charts). Her second solo release, "In Walked Love" (previously a hit from the self-titled 1992 album by the dance/pop group Exposé), fared less well and missed the UK Top Ten.

However, Louise's third single, "Naked", turned things around and became her then biggest hit to date, peaking at number five in the UK.

Louise's debut solo album, also entitled Naked, was subsequently released in 1996 on the back of the single's success. The album received lukewarm reviews, but nevertheless peaked at number seven in the UK album charts. It was later certified Platinum by the BPI for over 300,000 copies sold. Two further singles were released: "Undivided Love" (UK #5) and "One Kiss From Heaven" (UK #9).

In 1997, Louise returned with the single "Arms Around The World", which reached number four in the UK. Her second solo album, Woman in Me, peaked at number five in the UK and went on to be gain multi-platinum status. The album also made an impact across Europe, charting well in a number of countries. To support and celebrate the success of the album, Louise embarked on a UK wide 'sell-out' arena tour of over twenty dates, including Wembley Arena.

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