Gabrielle

Gabrielle
Background information
Birth name	Louisa Gabrielle Bobb
Born	16 April 1970 (1970-04-16) (age 39) Hackney, England
Genres	Pop, soul, blues, jazz, urban contemporary
Occupations	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Go Beat Records Island Records Universal Records
Website	Gabrielle.co.uk

Louisa Gabrielle Bobb (born 16 April 1970, Hackney, London) is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English singer, who records under the name Gabrielle.

Career

Early career

Her debut single "Dreams" topped the UK Singles Chart in June 1993.^[1] The single entered the UK chart at #2, which was the highest chart entry a debut act had ever scored in the UK at that time.^[1] The following week it climbed to the top spot and spent the next three weeks there.

Gabrielle has won two BRIT Awards, the first in 1994 for British Breakthrough Act, and the second in 1997 for Best British Female.^[1]

Other notable singles include "Going Nowhere", "Give Me A Little More Time", "Walk on By" (a cover of the Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick penned song) and "If You Ever" - a duet with East 17.

Repeat success: Rise

After a few fallow years, including seeing the father of her new born son sent to prison for murder, and her life being splashed across the tabloids, Gabrielle made a comeback. Using a sample from Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", "Rise" became Gabrielle's second UK number one in 2000.^[1] The album of the same name also reached the top spot in the UK Albums Chart, where it stayed for three weeks..^[1] It spent 87 weeks in the charts.^[1]

The successful "Out of Reach" from the soundtrack to the film, Bridget Jones's Diary, reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and remains one of her most famous singles to date.

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 seller and became the fifth best selling album of 2001.

In 2004 Gabrielle's fourth studio album Play To Win reached number 10 in the UK, and its maiden single "Stay the Same" debuted at number 20 in the UK. A supporting UK tour followed.

Recent years

In 2007 she released a new single, "Why", which she performed on The National Lottery show on 19 September, as well as many other TV slots. "Why" did not reach the UK Top 40. On 1 October 2007, her new album Always 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.”^[2]

Gabrielle headlined the 'Zermatt Unplugged' music festival in April 2008, along with Alanis Morissette.^[3] In addition she headlined 'Birmingham Pride' in 2008.^[4]

In May 2008, Gabrielle won an Ivor Novello award 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's 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".^[5]

Gabrielle was also Al Green's special guest on the UK dates of his 2008 tour. ^[6]

Gabrielle was set to play at the 'Festival For Heroes' in Oxfordshire on June 20 2009 but it has been postponed.^[7]

Personal life

Gabrielle has a ptosis which is often concealed by an eye patch, a problem for the singer since 1990.^{[citation needed]} She came out in support for the Labour Party in the run-up to the 2001 UK General Election.^{[citation needed]}

Gabrielle went to Samuel Pepys Secondary School on Telegraph Hill, Brockley in south-east London; she is now 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.^[8]

Discography

Awards

BRIT Awards

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

MOBO Awards

• 2000 - Best Album
• 1996 - Best Single

Urban Music Awards 2007 - Outstanding Achievement

Ivor Novello Awards 2008 - Outstanding Song Collection

Band members

• Gabrielle: Vocals
• Derrick Taylor: Musical Director/Bass
• Nick Robinson: Guitar ^[9]
• James Nisbet: Guitar
• J.K.: Drums
• Darren Morris: Keyboards
• Obenewa Aboah: Backing Vocals
• Nadine Charles: Backing Vocals

References

External links

• Official website
• Fan site
• Gabrielle at the Internet Movie Database