Gabrielle (singer)
Encyclopedia
Louisa Gabrielle Bobb (born 16 April 1970; Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....

, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

) is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, who records under the name Gabrielle. Gabrielle began her career temping during the day and singing for free in London clubs at night. A demo she had recorded around Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...

's Fast Car found its way into the hands of an A&R man at Go!Beat records and that sample subsequently became Dreams, minus the Chapman sample. Her unconventional image including short tight curls and an eye patch soon became iconic and she is best known for singles; "Dreams
Dreams (Gabrielle song)
"Dreams" is the debut single from Gabrielle. Written by Gabrielle and Tim Laws and produced by Richie Fermie, "Dreams" reached number one on the UK singles chart for three weeks in June 1993. The single entered the British charts at #2, which was the highest chart entry a debut act ever scored in...

", "Rise
Rise (Gabrielle song)
"Rise" is a popular single by Gabrielle. It was her second number one single in the UK . The song was the title-track and second single from her third studio album....

" and "Out of Reach
Out of Reach (song)
"Out of Reach" is 2001 song by singer Gabrielle that featured on the Bridget Jones's Diary soundtrack and her greatest hits compilation Dreams Can Come True, Greatest Hits Vol. 1. It is the main ballad from the movie and was released as a single in 2001...

".

1993-98: Find Your Way and Gabrielle

Her debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 "Dreams
Dreams (Gabrielle song)
"Dreams" is the debut single from Gabrielle. Written by Gabrielle and Tim Laws and produced by Richie Fermie, "Dreams" reached number one on the UK singles chart for three weeks in June 1993. The single entered the British charts at #2, which was the highest chart entry a debut act ever scored in...

" topped the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 in June 1993. The single entered the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....

 at #2, which was the highest chart entry a debut act had ever scored in the UK at that time. The following week it climbed to the top spot and spent the next three weeks there. The album peaked at number 9 on the uk chart, it was also certified gold.
Gabrielle has won two BRIT Awards, the first in 1994 for British Breakthrough Act, and the second in 1997 for Best British Female.
Other notable singles include "Going Nowhere", "Give Me A Little More Time", "Walk On By" (a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of the Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...

/Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....

 penned
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 song) and "If You Ever" - a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...

 with East 17
East 17
East 17 are a pop boy band comprising Tony Mortimer, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell. Tony Mortimer is the group's frontman and primary songwriter. Formed in Walthamstow, London in 1991, the group have achieved eighteen Top 20 singles and four Top 10 albums, and were one of the UK's most popular boy...

.

Gabrielle was the second studio album released in 1996. The lead single Give Me A Little bit more time peaked at number 5 on the uk chart. The album reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart.

1999-01 "Rise"

After a few fallow years, including seeing the father of her new born son, Jordan, sent to prison for murder, and her life being splashed across the tabloids, Gabrielle made a comeback. Using a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 from Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.-Story line and song structure:...

", "Rise" became Gabrielle's second UK number one in 2000. The album of the same name also reached the top spot in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

, where it stayed for three weeks. It spent 87 weeks in the charts.

The successful "Out of Reach
Out of Reach (song)
"Out of Reach" is 2001 song by singer Gabrielle that featured on the Bridget Jones's Diary soundtrack and her greatest hits compilation Dreams Can Come True, Greatest Hits Vol. 1. It is the main ballad from the movie and was released as a single in 2001...

" from the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...

 to the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

, Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...

, reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and remains one of her most famous singles to date.

2001-07: Dreams Can Come True, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and Play To Win

Gabrielle's greatest hits collection, Dreams Can Come True, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 achieved success in the UK, where it was certified as a four times platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...

 seller and became the fifth best selling album of 2001.
In 2004 Gabrielle's fourth studio album Play To Win
Play to Win
Play to Win is the fourth studio album by British pop artist Gabrielle. It was the 191st best-selling album of 2004.-Track listing:#"Ten Years Time"#"Sometimes"#"Stay the Same"#"You Used to Love Me"...

reached number 10 in the UK, and its maiden single "Stay the Same
Stay the Same (song)
"Stay the Same" is a song by Gabrielle and the first single from her fourth studio album Play to Win. The single managed to peak at number twenty in the UK Singles Chart, helping the album peak inside the UK top ten. "Stay the Same" was, however, her lowest charting single in eight years, albeit...

" debuted at number 20 in the UK. A supporting UK tour followed.
She has reportedly sold 9 million albums worldwide.

2007-11: Always and Forthcoming album

In 2007 she released a new single, "Why
Why (Gabrielle song)
"Why" is the lead single from Gabrielle's fifth studio album, Always . It was released on 17 September 2007 as a digital download and one week later on CD single. The single was first played on BBC Radio 2 by Ken Bruce and has since been added to the Radio 2 B-list...

", which she performed on The National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...

show on 19 September, as well as many other TV slots
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

. "Why" did not reach the UK Top 40. On 1 October 2007, her new album Always
Always (Gabrielle album)
Always is the fifth studio album by British singer-songwriter Gabrielle her first release in over three years.- Overview :The album received positive reviews from music critics and was released on 1 October 2007 in the UK, being preceded by the single "Why" on 24 September 2007. Always entered the...

was released. It peaked at number 11, but quickly fell off the chart. It included a version of the song "Why" that featured Paul Weller.

Gabrielle set off on a sell out UK tour of fourteen dates through February 2007. Critics gave positive reviews on her performances. Following the relative disappointment regarding the singles "Why" and "Every Little Teardrop" Gabrielle stated:
“If people don’t like that song then I’ll find one that they do like because I have done it before and I’ll do it again. That old saying ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’, well that’s me, because I’m a fighter not a quitter.”

Gabrielle headlined the 'Zermatt Unplugged' music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 in April 2008, along with Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...

. In addition she headlined 'Birmingham Pride' in 2008.
In May 2008, Gabrielle won an Ivor Novello award
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...

 for Best Song Collection.

In a recent interview Gabrielle revealed that she has begun writing songs for a mystery new artist. She said, "It was really good to get asked to do something like that, as the pressure isn't on so much". But also states that it is not the end of her performing and recording career, "I look up to people like Dionne Warwick and Madonna, for managing to keep careers going for so long. I'm not that far behind Madonna, really," says Gabrielle, 38. "It'd be great to be making music like those old birds".
Gabrielle was also Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...

's special guest on the UK dates of his 2008 tour.

In April 2010, it was announced that Gabrielle had returned to the studio to work on her 6th studio album. Gabrielle stated in a recent interview that she hopes to have it complete by the end of 2011 for a release of early 2012.

Studio albums

  • Find Your Way
    Find Your Way
    Find Your Way is the debut album by English R&B singer Gabrielle. It was released in 1993 and featured her number one single "Dreams".-Overview:...

    (1993)
  • Gabrielle
    Gabrielle (album)
    Gabrielle is British pop artist Gabrielle's self-titled second album. It was released in 1996 and reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart.-Track listing:#"Forget About the World"#"People May Come"#"I Live in Hope"#"Baby I've Changed"...

    (1996)
  • Rise
    Rise (Gabrielle album)
    Rise is the third studio album by British pop artist Gabrielle. The album became Gabrielle's biggest selling album to date with it becoming her only number one album.-Overview:...

    (1999)
  • Play to Win
    Play to Win
    Play to Win is the fourth studio album by British pop artist Gabrielle. It was the 191st best-selling album of 2004.-Track listing:#"Ten Years Time"#"Sometimes"#"Stay the Same"#"You Used to Love Me"...

    (2004)
  • Always
    Always (Gabrielle album)
    Always is the fifth studio album by British singer-songwriter Gabrielle her first release in over three years.- Overview :The album received positive reviews from music critics and was released on 1 October 2007 in the UK, being preceded by the single "Why" on 24 September 2007. Always entered the...

    (2007)


Compilation albums

  • Rise Underground (2000)
  • Dreams Can Come True, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (2001)

|}

Awards

BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...

  • 1994 - British Breakthrough Act
  • 1997 - Best British Female


MOBO Awards
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....

  • 2000 - Best Album
  • 1996 - Best Single


Urban Music Awards
Urban Music Awards
The Urban Music Awards is a HipHop, R&B, Dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and now held in six countries annually.The awards ceremony is held annually by Invincible Media Group. The UMA's is now held in 6 countries annually...


2007 - Outstanding Achievement

Ivor Novello Awards
2008 - Outstanding Song Collection

Personal life

Gabrielle went to Samuel Pepys Secondary School on Telegraph Hill
Telegraph Hill, Lewisham
' is a place and electoral ward just south of New Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham in southeast London, England.The hill rises to around 30 metres. It was formerly known as Plowed Garlic Hill. It gained its current name from a semaphore telegraph station which was constructed on the summit...

, Brockley
Brockley
Brockley is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross.It is covered by the London postcode districts SE4 and SE14.-History:...

 in south-east London.

She publicly supported the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

 in the run-up to the 2001 UK General Election.

She is the patron of the AADC Research Trust - A charity organisation dedicated to helping children and their families, around the world, affected by Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Deficiency (AADC). AADC is a genetically inherited neurological disorder affecting the brain's ability to produce chemical messengers.

Band members

  • Gabrielle: Vocals
  • Joel Grant: Bass
  • Ben Jones: Guitar
  • Lewis Allen: Guitar
  • J.K.: Drums/musical Director
  • Emlyn Maillard: Keyboards
  • Sam White: Backing Vocals
  • Phoebe Edwards: Backing Vocals


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External links

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