Melanie C

Melanie C biography

Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974, Whiston, Lancashire) is a British singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman professionally known simply as Melanie C. She is best known as one of the five members of The Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed "Sporty Spice".

She toured the world for years with the Spice Girls, gaining worldwide popularity and when the Spice Girls decided to pursue solo careers, Melanie decided to produce her own brand of music, in 1999 she released her first studio album Northern Star which sold 4 million copies worldwide. After the release of Northern Star Melanie battled depression and an eating disorder, and released her second studio album in 2003, Reason. Melanie was victorious in her battle against depression and the eating disorder, and released her third studio album two years later in 2005, Beautiful Intentions. In 2007 she released her fourth studio album This Time sporting a new indie sound.

Shortly after the release of This Time, Melanie and the four other members of the Spice Girls, confirmed their return as a band for their The Return of the Spice Girls World Tour. After the tour ended, she announced that she was pregnant with her first child and gave birth in February 2009. Melanie then signed on for a six-month deal to play Mrs Johnstone in the London West End play "Blood Brothers". Her fifth studio album The Sea was released in September 2011.

Melanie has earned nominations for BRIT- and ECHO awards, has sold more than 12 million records as a solo artist and holds the third position for most United Kingdom number-ones by a female artist. She is also the only female to reach UK Official Singles Chart at number one as a part of quartet, quintet, duo and as a solo artist.

Early life

Chisholm was born on 12 January 1974 at Whiston Hospital in Whiston, Lancashire (now Merseyside). and then Widnes, Cheshire where she attended Fairfield High School. Following school, Chisholm studied for a diploma course in dance, singing, drama and musical theatre at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in Sidcup, Kent. During college, she replied to an advert in The Stage by Chris and Bob Herbert, who were looking to form a new girl group, later to become the Spice Girls. She left college just short of completing her three-year course and gained teaching qualifications in Tap and Modern Theatre Dance with the ISTD.

In 1994, she joined the Spice Girls (then still called Touch) after the original fifth Touch member, Lianne Morgan had to leave the group. In 1996, Chisholm, along with Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Beckham (at that time Victoria Adams), shot to fame with the release of "Wannabe". Because Mel C usually wore a tracksuit with her hair in a ponytail and sporting the attitude of a tomboy, she was called Sporty Spice. After the release of their successful debut album, Spice, the group released their second studio album, Spiceworld that also became successful as its predecessor. During the promotion of the album, Halliwell left the group and the four remaining members, including Chisholm, began working on their third studio album.

Biography from , the free encyclopedia.
It may not have been reviewed by a professional editor, and recent changes may not show up straight away. See the latest version of this article. Used under licence. Subject to disclaimers.