Ketevan "Katie" Melua ˈmɛluːə ( ; born 16 September 1984) is a
BritishThe British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
-
GeorgianThe Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
singer,
songwriterA 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...
and
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small
DramaticoDramatico is a record label founded by Mike Batt, with its first success in 2003. Artists on the small label include Mike Batt, Robert Meadmore, Sarah Blasko and Katie Melua. It is run by Batt and his ten employees. Dramatico have also established a publishing company based in New York City, U.S.A...
record labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, under the management of composer
Mike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
, and made her musical debut in 2003. In 2006, she was the United Kingdom's best-selling female artist and Europe's highest selling European female artist.
In November 2003, at the age of nineteen, Melua released her first album,
Call off the SearchThe Japanese release has the extra track "Deep Purple".-Personnel:*Katie Melua - guitar, vocals*Mike Batt - organ, piano, conductor*Jim Cregan - guitar*Tim Harries - bass*The Irish Film Orchestra - orchestra*Michael Kruk - drums*Alan Smale - leader...
, which reached the top of the United Kingdom album charts and sold 1.8 million copies in its first five months of release. Her second album,
Piece by Piece, was released in September 2005 and has gone platinum four times. Melua released her third studio album
Pictures-Variants:The iTunes release includes a bonus track, "Under the Cherry Moon".The Japanese release also contains extra tracks, "When You Taught Me How to Dance" and "Closest Thing to Crazy "....
in October 2007.
According to the
Sunday Times Rich List 2008The Sunday Times Rich List 2008 was published on 27 April 2008.Since 1989 the UK national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times has published an annual magazine supplement to the newspaper called the Sunday Times Rich List...
, Melua has a fortune of
£The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
18 million, making her the seventh richest British musician under thirty. It was reported in 2009 that she had lost almost half of her fortune as a result of the global economic downturn. As of May 2011 the singer had a £12m fortune and came second in the under 30 rich list.
Early life
Ketevan Melua, known as Ketino to her family, was born to Amiran and Tamara Melua in
KutaisiKutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, which was then part of the
Soviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. She spent her first years with her grandparents in
TbilisiTbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
before moving with her parents and brother to the town of
BatumiBatumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
, Ajaria where her father worked as a heart specialist. During this time Melua sometimes had to carry buckets of water up five flights of stairs to her family's flat and according to her, "Now, when I'm staying in luxurious hotels, I think back to those days".
In 1993, in the aftermath of the
Georgian Civil WarThe Georgian Civil War consisted of inter-ethnic and intranational conflicts in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia , as well as the violent military coup d'etat of December 21, 1991 - January 6, 1992 against the first democratically elected President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his...
, the family moved to
BelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
,
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, where her father took up a position at the prestigious
Royal Victoria HospitalThe Royal Victoria Hospital is a hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
. The family remained in Belfast, living close to Falls Road, until Melua was thirteen. During her time in Northern Ireland, Melua attended St. Catherine's Primary School on the Falls Road and later moved to Dominican College, Fortwilliam. The Melua family then moved to
Sutton, LondonSutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
, and some time later moved again to
RedhillRedhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
,
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. In 2008 Melua moved out of her parents' home in
Maida ValeMaida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
to an apartment in
Notting HillNotting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
where she transformed the spare bedroom into a recording studio. Melua speaks
GeorgianGeorgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
,
RussianRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
fluently and is partly of
CanadianCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n ancestry.
During the
South Ossetia WarThe 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
in 2008, Melua's brother and mother were staying with relatives in the Georgian capital,
TbilisiTbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. Melua was due to travel to Georgia herself less than a month later.
First television appearance
Due to her upbringing in politically unstable Georgia and
troubledThe Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
Belfast, Melua initially planned to become either a
historianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
or a
politicianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. This changed in 2000, at the age of fifteen, when Melua took part in a talent competition on British television channel
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
called "Stars Up Their Noses" (a spoof of
Stars in Their EyesStars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...
) as part of the children's programme
Mad for ItMad For It was a British game show for children which was produed by Carlton Television broadcast on CITV from 1998–2000. Series 1 was hosted by former Nickelodeon presenters Yiolanda Koppel and Mike McClean. In 2000, Yiolanda was replaced by Nigel Mitchell and Danielle Nicholls...
!. Melua won the contest by singing
BadfingerBadfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
's "Without You". The prize was £350 worth of MFI vouchers, with which she bought a chair for her father. Had she lost the contest, she would have been
gungeGunge as it is known in the British Isles, or slime as it is known in America and other parts of the world is a thick, gooey, runny substance similar in consistency to paint. It has been a feature on many children's programmes for many years around the world and has made appearances in game shows...
d.
Education and religion
Although she is a baptised Georgian Orthodox Christian, whilst living in Belfast, Melua attended the Roman Catholic schools St Catherine's Primary School and
Dominican College, FortwilliamDominican College, Fortwilliam is a grammar school in north Belfast, Northern Ireland, established in 1930. The school recently underwent a major £13.1 million redevelopment. Katie Melua the Georgian-born singer attended the school....
, while her younger brother attended Protestant schools. After completing her GCSEs at the all-girls' grammar school
Nonsuch High SchoolNonsuch High School is an all-girls' grammar school located in Cheam, South London, England, standing in of grounds on the edge of Nonsuch Park. The school holds Specialist Science College and Specialist language status.-Awards:...
in
CheamCheam is a large suburban village close to Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton, England, and is located close to the southern boundary between Greater London and Surrey. It is divided into two main areas: North Cheam and Cheam Village. North Cheam includes more retail shops and supermarkets,...
,
SuttonThe London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
, Melua attended the
BRIT School for the Performing ArtsThe London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
in the
London Borough of CroydonThe London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, undertaking a
BTECThe Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
with an A-level in music. When studying at the school, Melua began to write songs and met her future manager and producer,
Mike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
.
Melua did not attend University, though she has often stated her desire to do so, saying that
English literatureEnglish literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
,
historyHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and
physicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
would be her courses of choice should she get the chance to go to University.
Personal life
Melua is currently dating
World SuperbikeSuperbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
racer
James ToselandJames Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...
.
Melua is occasionally referred to as an 'adrenaline junkie' because she enjoys
roller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s and fun fairs and often
paraglidesParagliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
and
hang glidesHang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
. She has
skydivedParachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
four times and taken several
flying lessonAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s, and in 2004 she was lowered from a 200 metre building in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at 60 mph. When asked about Melua being an 'adrenaline junkie',
Mike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
said, "she enjoys extremes, but in life her emotions are always in check." In November 2009, Melua came near to drowning after she breathed in and choked on a lungful of water when diving in a lake near Heathrow Airport.
In September 2010, Melua was ordered by her doctors to stop working for a few months after suffering a
nervous breakdownMental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, resulting in her hospitalisation for six weeks. As a result, all touring and promotional activities were postponed until the following year.
Nationality
On 10 August 2005, Melua became a
British citizenBritish nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
with her parents and brother. The citizenship ceremony took place in Weybridge, Surrey. On gaining British nationality, Melua was eligible for a British passport. Becoming a British citizen meant that Melua had held three citizenships before she was 21; first
SovietThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, then
GeorgianGeorgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and finally
BritishThe 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...
. After the ceremony, Melua stated her pride at her newest nationality. "As a family, we have been very fortunate to find a happy lifestyle in this country and we feel we belong. We still consider ourselves to be Georgian, because that is where our roots are, and I return to Georgia every year to see my uncles and grandparents, but I am proud to now be a British citizen."
Mike Batt
It was when performing at a
Brit SchoolThe London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
showcase that Melua caught the eye of
Mike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
, an English songwriter and producer who was originally looking for an acid-rock band, bass player and a singer capable of singing "jazz and blues in an interesting way". After hearing Melua sing "Faraway Voice" (a song she wrote about the death of her idol
Eva CassidyEva Marie Cassidy was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996...
) Batt signed the 18 year-old Melua to his small
DramaticoDramatico is a record label founded by Mike Batt, with its first success in 2003. Artists on the small label include Mike Batt, Robert Meadmore, Sarah Blasko and Katie Melua. It is run by Batt and his ten employees. Dramatico have also established a publishing company based in New York City, U.S.A...
recording and management company and took her into the studio, producing her first three albums during the ensuing years
William Orbit
For her album
The House (2010) she worked with producer
William OrbitWilliam Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
. She said about the experience: “The whole thing has been really exciting. It was the same feeling I had the first time I went skydiving. I was really quite nervous, but I knew all I had to do was let myself go and it was going to feel amazing. I wasn’t trying to get away from anything. It was more about going towards something. I wanted the music to be inspired by the future, something unknown that’s never been heard before, but at the same time hold on to the values of the music of the past, to try and tap into something that’s so ancient and old that its kind of forgotten. I thought that, if we went far enough in both directions, we could end up in the same place.”
Call off the Search
Call off the Search featured two songs written by Melua: "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)", a song about Melua's experience of her time in the troubled capital of
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and "Faraway Voice", a song about the death of
Eva CassidyEva Marie Cassidy was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996...
. Melua also covered songs by Delores J. Silver ("
Learnin' the Blues"Learnin' the Blues" is a 1955 popular song by Dolores Vicki Silvers.The best-known version of the song was recorded by Frank Sinatra in the 50s, which peaked #2 at the Billboard charts...
"),
John MayallJohn Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
("
Crawling up a Hill"Crawling Up a Hill" is a song written by John Mayall, and recorded by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. The song was released as a studio recorded single in 1964 and as part of the live album John Mayall Plays John Mayall in 1965.-Personnel:Single...
"),
Randy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
("
I Think it's Going to Rain Today"I Think It's Going to Rain Today" is a song written by Randy Newman, and appears on the album Randy Newman, as well as The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1 and all of Newman's official and bootleg live albums...
") and James Shelton ("Lilac Wine"). Originally a major UK hit for singer Elkie Brooks. The otherl six songs on the album were by
Mike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
.
It was initially difficult for Melua and Batt to get airplay for the album's lead single, "
The Closest Thing to Crazy"The Closest Thing to Crazy" is the debut single of Georgia-born songstress Katie Melua. It is featured on her hugely successful album, Call Off the Search...
". This changed when
BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
producer
Paul WaltersPaul Walters was a BBC radio and TV producer, most noted for his work and appearances on Sir Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 breakfast show Wake Up to Wogan, where he was known to millions as "Dr Wally Poultry"...
heard the single and played it on the popular
Terry WoganSir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
breakfast show. Wogan played "The Closest Thing to Crazy" frequently in the summer of 2003. Wogan's support raised Melua's profile and when
Call off the SearchThe Japanese release has the extra track "Deep Purple".-Personnel:*Katie Melua - guitar, vocals*Mike Batt - organ, piano, conductor*Jim Cregan - guitar*Tim Harries - bass*The Irish Film Orchestra - orchestra*Michael Kruk - drums*Alan Smale - leader...
was released in November 2003 supported by a TV campaign financed by Batt, it entered the top 40 UK albums chart. The single achieved the number 10 spot in the UK chart. After an appearance on the Royal Variety Show the album was further boosted, and Batt continued a relentless marketing campaign which saw the album hit the number one spot in January 2004.
Call off the Search reached the top five in Ireland, top twenty in Norway, top thirty in a composite European chart In the UK, the album sold 1.9 million copies, making it six times platinum, and spent six weeks at the top of the UK charts. It sold 3.6 million copies worldwide. Subsequent singles from the album did not reach the success of the first — the second single and album title track, "
Call off the Search"Call Off the Search" is the second single of Georgian born songstress Katie Melua. It is the title song of her debut album, Call Off the Search. The single had two versions, that both came out on the same day...
", reached number 19, and the third single, "
Crawling up a Hill"Crawling Up a Hill" is a song written by John Mayall, and recorded by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. The song was released as a studio recorded single in 1964 and as part of the live album John Mayall Plays John Mayall in 1965.-Personnel:Single...
", got to number 41. The album achieved 6X platinum status in UK, 3X platinum in Norway, 2X platinum in Germany, Holland, Denmark and Ireland, Platinum in South Africa, Australia and Switzerland and Gold in New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Piece by Piece
Melua's second album,
Piece by Piece, was released on 26 September 2005. Its
lead singleA lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
was "
Nine Million Bicycles"Nine Million Bicycles" is a song written and produced by Mike Batt for the singer Katie Melua's second album, Piece by Piece. It was released as the album's first single in September 2005 and reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Melua's first top five hit as a solo artist...
", which was released a week before the album on 19 September and was number 3 in the UK singles chart.. The album contains four more songs written by Melua herself, four more by Batt (including "9 Million Bicycles), one Batt/Melua collaboration and three more songs described as new versions of "great songs". The band line-up was the same as on the first album. The album debuted at the number one spot on the
UK Albums ChartThe 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...
on the week of 3 October 2005. This album broke Melua across Europe where it sold 1m copies in Germany alone and achieved the number one position in Billboard's "European" albums chart. It was 4X platinum in UK and Ireland, 3X platinum in Norway, Denmark, Holland and Germany, 2X platinum in Poland and Switzerland and at least platinum or gold in France, Iceland, South Africa, Austria, Belgium, New Zealand and Sweden. Worldwide sales to date are in excess of 3.5m
On 30 September 2005, Melua came under criticism in
The GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
from writer and scientist
Simon SinghSimon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner....
for the lyrics of the track "Nine Million Bicycles". Melua's disputed lyrics were:
They were interpreted by Singh as an assault on the accuracy of the work of cosmologists which sparked a series of letters from other
Guardian readers, agreeing or disagreeing. On 15 October, Melua and Singh appeared on the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's
Today programmeToday is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
, and Melua unveiled a re-recording of the song which included Singh's tongue-in-cheek amendments to the lyrics:
Both sides amicably agreed that the new lyrics were less likely to achieve commercial success, amidst a discussion about
scientific accuracyScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
versus
artistic licenceArtistic licence is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist to improve a piece of...
. Melua said that she "should have known better" because she used to be a member of the astronomy club at school
A double A-side of the Melua-penned "I Cried for You" and a cover of
The CureThe Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
's "
Just like Heaven"Just Like Heaven" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Cure. The group wrote most of the song during recording sessions in southern France in 1987. The lyrics were written by the band's frontman Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to the sea shore with his future wife...
" (1988), which is the theme song to the film
Just like Heaven, was released in the UK on 5 December and peaked at number 35. "I Cried for You" was inspired by a meeting with the writer of
Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
A third single, "Spider's Web" was released on 17 April 2006 and peaked at number 52 in the UK. Melua embarked on a concert tour in support of
Piece by Piece, the UK leg of which started in Aberdeen, Scotland on 20 January 2006. Towards the end of 2006, Melua released the single, "
It's Only Pain"It's Only Pain" is the seventh single by Georgian born songstress Katie Melua and the fourth from her second album, Piece by Piece. The song is said to be about her pain at breaking-up with her boyfriend, Luke Pritchard.-Music video:...
", which was written by
Mike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
. This was followed by the release of "
Shy Boy"Shy Boy" is the eighth single by Georgian born singer Katie Melua and the fifth from her second album, Piece by Piece .In the UK the single was released as download-only single, whereas in some European countries there was a physical CD release...
", also written by Batt.
Pictures
Melua's third album,
Pictures-Variants:The iTunes release includes a bonus track, "Under the Cherry Moon".The Japanese release also contains extra tracks, "When You Taught Me How to Dance" and "Closest Thing to Crazy "....
, was released in the UK on 1 October 2007 and was announced to be, at least temporarily, the last of her albums in collaboration with Mike Batt as lead writer and producer. It also features Melua's friend
Molly McQueenMolly McQueen is a singer/songwriter from the United Kingdom. She was once a member of pop/rock girl band The Faders, best known for their singles "No Sleep Tonight" and "Jump". McQueen took the stage name as Molly Lorenne during her time in the band.-Solo career:McQueen is currently working on...
, the former frontwoman of
The FadersThe Faders were a British female pop rock band, formed in January 2004 by Polydor Records. Bassist/keyboardist Toy Valentine and drummer Cherisse Osei were the first members to get through the first audition...
, as co-writer of "Perfect Circle". Melua also collaborated with
Andrea McEwanAndrea McEwan is an Australian actress, singer, musician and songwriter.-Life:After attending MacRobertson Girls' High School in Melbourne, McEwan started acting, appearing in several television series including Ocean Girl and Funky Squad...
on the album, who wrote the lyrics for "What I Miss About You" and "Dirty Dice". The album also featured a cover of "
In My Secret Life"In My Secret Life" is a song written and performed by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson. Bob Metzger plays the guitar. The song first appears on the album Ten New Songs, released in 2001....
" by
Leonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
and Sharon Robinson. Melua said of the cover, "[It] completely got to me, about how we all have great ideals but in reality we end up conforming, following everyone else."
Melua released four singles from the album: "
If You Were a Sailboat"If You Were a Sailboat" is a song by British singer Katie Melua. Written and produced by Mike Batt, it is Melua's ninth single and the first from her third album, Pictures . Melua said of the song:...
", "
Mary Pickford"Mary Pickford" is a song written and produced by Mike Batt for the Georgian-born, British singer Katie Melua. It is Melua's tenth single and the second from her third album, Pictures...
", "
If the Lights Go Out"If the Lights Go Out" is a song written by Mike Batt for The Hollies, and first released by them in the early 1980s. The cover version by Georgian-born, British singer Katie Melua, was released on 25 February 2008...
", and "Ghost Town". "Mary Pickford", written by Mike Batt, was about the
silent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
star
of the same nameMary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. "Ghost Town" was Melua's first
reggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
sounding song.
The
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
version of the album includes a cover of the
PrincePrince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
song "
Under the Cherry MoonUnder the Cherry Moon is a 1986 film directed by and starring Prince as a gigolo named Christopher Tracy and Time member Jerome Benton as his partner, Tricky. Together, the pair swindle wealthy French women...
" as a bonus track.
The House
Melua's fourth album,
The House-Peak Positions:-End of year charts:-Certifications:-Chart procession and succession:...
, was released on 24 May 2010. Songwriters include
Lauren ChristyLauren Christy is an English singer-songwriter and music producer.-Early life and education:Christy was born in London, England. She studied at the Bush Davies Ballet School as a child, before she decided to become a musical artist.-Music career:...
,
Guy ChambersGuy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
and
Rick NowelsRichard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
, with
William OrbitWilliam Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
producing.
Acting and modelling
Melua appeared in a segment of the 2007 movie
Grindhouse, written by
Quentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
and
Robert RodriguezRobert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
. The segment in which Melua appeared, entitled "Don't", was a faux trailer, directed by
Edgar WrightEdgar Howard Wright is an English film and television director and writer. He is most famous for his work with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, the TV series Spaced, and for directing the film Scott Pilgrim vs...
and produced in the style of a 1970s'
Hammer House of HorrorIn 1980, Hammer Films created a series for British television, the Hammer House of Horror, which ran for 13 episodes with 51 minutes per episode...
film trailer.
In 2009, Melua was named as the new face of the leading
FrenchThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
cashmere designer, Eric Bompard.
World record holder
On 2 October 2006, Melua entered the
Guinness Book of Records for playing the deepest underwater concert 303 metres below sea level on the
NorwegianNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
StatoilStatoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
's
Troll A platformThe Troll A platform is a condeep offshore natural gas platform in the Troll gas field off the west coast of Norway. It is the tallest construction that has ever been moved to another position, relative to the surface of the Earth, and is among the largest and most complex engineering projects in...
in the
North SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Melua and her band underwent extensive medical tests and survival training in Norway before flying by helicopter to the rig.
Melua later described achieving the record as "the most surreal gig I have ever done". Melua's concert is commemorated in the DVD release
Concert Under the Sea, released in June 2007.
Charity work
In November 2004 Melua was asked to take part in
Band Aid 20Band Aid 20 was the 2004 incarnation of the charity group Band Aid. The group, which included Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bono of U2, and Paul McCartney, re-recorded the 1984 song "Do They Know It's Christmas?", written by Band Aid organizers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure.-Recording:The song was recorded...
in which she joined a chorus of British and Irish pop singers to create a rendition of "
Do They Know It's Christmas?"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
" to raise money for famine relief in
AfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Then in March 2005, Melua sang "
Too Much Love Will Kill You"Too Much Love Will Kill You" is a song written by Queen guitarist Brian May, Frank Musker, and Elizabeth Lamers. The song was recorded by Queen around 1988 or before, and was intended to be on the band's The Miracle album in 1989, but did not make the cut...
" with
Brian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
at the 46664 concert in George, South Africa for
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's
HIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
charity. Melua had been a fan of
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
since her childhood in Georgia when her uncles played the band's music, so performing with May was a realisation of a childhood dream. Later in 2005, through her role as a
goodwill ambassadorGoodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but, most appropriately for a generic recognition, it is a job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized...
to the charity
Save the ChildrenSave the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, Melua went to
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
where she observed the work the charity was doing for children in the area after the
civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
and
Indian Ocean tsunamiThe 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
. In 2006 Melua donated all the proceeds from her single "
Spider's Web"Spider's Web" is the sixth single of Georgian born songstress Katie Melua and is the third single from her album Piece by Piece. The title song was written during the lead up to the Iraq War and is said to be about finding the difference between right and wrong.In the video for this single, there...
" to the charity.
On 7 July 2007 Melua performed at the
German legThe Live Earth concert in Germany was held at HSH Nordbank Arena, Hamburg on 7 July 2007.-Running order:In order of appearance:*Shakira - "Don't Bother", "Inevitable", "Dia Especial" with Gustavo Cerati, "Hips Don't Lie"...
of
Live Earth-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in
Hamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and in December of that year, Melua released a cover of the
Louis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
song "
What A Wonderful World"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
" in which she sang with a recording of the late
Eva CassidyEva Marie Cassidy was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996...
. All profits from the single, which entered the UK singles chart at #1 on 16 December 2007, went to the Red Cross.
Melua has visited
OxfamOxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
charity shops for many years, using them frequently to buy her clothing. She has stated that this is related as much to her dislike of spending and glamour as it is to her support for the charity, and admits that she looks "like a
trampA tramp is a long term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking or hiking all year round. In British English meanwhile a tramp simply refers to a homeless person, usually not a travelling one....
" and that her hairdresser playfully calls her look "the
RomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n window cleaner".
Musical tastes
In April 2006, for
The SunThe Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper, Melua chose fourteen pieces of her favourite music that she enjoyed and had the biggest musical influence on her. The pieces she chose were
Paul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
's "Hearts and Bones",
Jeff BuckleyJeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
's version of
Leonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's "Hallelujah",
Joni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's "Marcie",
Bob DylanBob 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 "
Masters of War"Masters of War" is a song by Bob Dylan, written over the winter of 1962-63 and released on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the spring of 1963. The song's melody was adapted from the traditional "Nottamun Town"...
",
James TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
's "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)",
Chuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "No Particular Place to Go", Portishead's "Glory Box",
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's "The Pleasure Is All Mine", Camille's "Au Port",
Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
's "
Killing in the Name"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...
",
Bobbie GentryRoberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is a former American singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material...
's "Fancy",
Finley QuayeFinley Quaye is a British musician. He won the 1997 Mobo Award for best reggae act, and the 1998 BRIT Award for Best British Male Solo Artist.-Life:...
's "Even After All",
Suzanne VegaSuzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
's "Caramel" and
BabyshamblesBabyshambles are an English indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project . Babyshambles has released two albums, three EPs and a number of singles...
' "
Fuck Forever"Fuck Forever" is a song by Babyshambles. It was released as a single on 15 August 2005 and is their most successful single, peaking at #4 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was in danger of becoming a lost single due to its controversial title and lyrics, but it was eventually released and has...
".
Melua has said on numerous occasions how
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
were a huge influence on her as a child/teenager, with one of her memories of music being her uncle playing records by Queen and
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. She performed with Queen at the 46664 concert in South Africa in March 2005.
Melua appeared on the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's
The Culture ShowThe Culture Show is a weekly BBC Two Arts magazine programme. It is broadcast in the UK on Thursday nights at 7pm, focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts...
in November 2006 advocating
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
as her choice in the search for Britain's greatest living icon.
Studio albums
- Call Off the Search
The Japanese release has the extra track "Deep Purple".-Personnel:*Katie Melua - guitar, vocals*Mike Batt - organ, piano, conductor*Jim Cregan - guitar*Tim Harries - bass*The Irish Film Orchestra - orchestra*Michael Kruk - drums*Alan Smale - leader...
(2003)
- Piece by Piece (2005)
- Pictures
-Variants:The iTunes release includes a bonus track, "Under the Cherry Moon".The Japanese release also contains extra tracks, "When You Taught Me How to Dance" and "Closest Thing to Crazy "....
(2007)
- The House
-Peak Positions:-End of year charts:-Certifications:-Chart procession and succession:...
(2010)
- Secret Symphony (2012)
Appearances on soundtracks
| Year | Film | Song |
| 2005 |
Just like Heaven |
"Just like Heaven"Just Like Heaven" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Cure. The group wrote most of the song during recording sessions in southern France in 1987. The lyrics were written by the band's frontman Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to the sea shore with his future wife...
" |
| 2006 |
Mía Sarah |
"Call off the Search", "Tiger in the Night" |
| Miss Potter |
"When You Taught Me How to Dance" |
| 2007 |
Nancy DrewNancy Drew is a 2007 American film loosely based on the popular series of mystery novels about the titular teen detective. It stars Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew, Max Thieriot as Ned, Kay Panabaker as George, and Amy Bruckner as Bess Marvin...
|
"Looking for Clues" |
| 2009 |
Faintheart Faintheart is a 2008 film, the first to be created using input from an online site.The film was a result of a collaborative effort from Myspace, Vertigo films and Film4. The resulting group, MyMovieMashUp, sought to harness the talents of the online community and to enable them to be involved in...
|
"Toy Collection" |
| 2010 |
The Tourist The Tourist is a 2010 romantic thriller film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. It is a remake of the 2005 French action film Anthony Zimmer....
|
"No Fear of Heights" |
| 2011 |
5 Days of War |
— |
Acting roles
| Year | Film | Role |
| 2007 |
Grindhouse |
Murder Victim's Friend (segment "Don't") |
Honours and awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result |
| 2007 |
ECHO Award |
Best International Female Artist |
|
| Goldene Kamera |
Pop International Solo |
|
| 2006 |
BRIT Awards The 2006 BRIT Awards were the 26th edition of the biggest annual pop music awards in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 15 February 2006 in Earls Court Exhibition Centre im London. It attracted 4.70 million viewers, one of the lowest viewed...
|
Best British Female Solo Artist |
|
| Best Pop Act |
|
| ECHO Award |
Best International Female Artist |
|
| 2005 |
Best International Newcomer |
|
- Melua was the best-selling UK female artist of 2004 and 2005.
- In 2006 Melua had a tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
named after her.
- According to VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Call off the Search is the 87th best-selling British album in history.
External links
- Katie Melua – official website, owned and maintained by Dramatico
Dramatico is a record label founded by Mike Batt, with its first success in 2003. Artists on the small label include Mike Batt, Robert Meadmore, Sarah Blasko and Katie Melua. It is run by Batt and his ten employees. Dramatico have also established a publishing company based in New York City, U.S.A...