Sharleen Spiteri

Sharleen Spiteri
Background information
Birth name	Sharleen Spiteri
Born	7 November 1967 (1967-11-07) (age 42)
Origin	Bellshill, Scotland
Genres	Pop, rock,
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar
Years active	1988 - present
Labels	Mercury Records
Associated acts	Texas

Sharleen Eugene Spiteri (born 7 November 1967 in Glasgow) is a Scottish singer. She fronts the band Texas and from 2008 has begun her career as a solo artist.

Biography

Spiteri was born in Bellshill, near Glasgow, to father Eddie, a guitar-playing merchant seaman and mother Vilma, a singer. Spiteri is of Maltese, Italian and Irish descent. When she was young the family moved from the Glaswegian suburbs to nearby Balloch, Dunbartonshire, close to the banks of Loch Lomond. At school (Vale of Leven Academy) her nickname was ‘Spit the Dog’, after the gobbing mutt on the TV show Tiswas^[1].

Musical career

Spiteri's musical influences include The Clash (the main reason she plays a black Fender Telecaster) and Blondie to Marvin Gaye and Prince. She is also a dedicated Diana Ross fan.

She co-founded the band Texas while still a hairdresser in Glasgow at the Irvine Rusk salon.

Several actors have appeared in Texas videos: "In Demand" featured Alan Rickman dancing the tango with Spiteri, "I'll See It Through" featured French actor Jean Reno and "Getaway" had James Purefoy courting Spiteri.

Spiteri supported German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein by supplying guest vocals in their ballad "Stirb Nicht Vor Mir (Don't Die Before I Do)" on their album Rosenrot (2005). She also sang backing vocals on the Gun albums Taking On The World and Gallus from 1989 and 1992. She is the cousin of former Gun singer Mark Rankin. Spiteri additionally sang backing vocals on "Bad Time" by Jayhawks on their album "Tomorrow the Green Grass" from 1995.

Solo career

On 6 July 2008 she entered the UK charts at number 47 with her first solo recording "All the Times I Cried". The following week, the song rose to #26.

Spiteri released her debut solo album Melody on 14 July 2008. It debuted at number 3 on the UK album chart, behind Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and all his Friends at number 2, and Basshunter, who entered at number 1.

Tour Dates

Cancelled dates: February 5, 2009 - Brighton Dome, England.

Film

Spiteri landed the part of a detective opposite Edward Furlong in the thriller Three Blind Mice^[2], but backed out due to pregnancy. She was also cast in Moulin Rouge! starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, but she told Jonathan Ross on his show on 4 November 2005 that she declined because she did not want to move to Australia for a year.

Lesbian fan base

Spiteri has a large lesbian fanbase, though her own sexual orientation is heterosexual.^[3]

When Texas released their debut single, "I Don't Want a Lover", in 1989, Spiteri was adamant that she didn't want a 'girly' image and insisted on 'Big E' Levi jeans and a denim jacket. She wrote and performed the title track to the 1990s sitcom Ellen, and once appeared alongside Ellen DeGeneres in the opening credits.

Additionally, according to an article in the Scottish tabloid Sunday Mail, Spiteri's song "Don't Keep Me Waiting" (from the Melody album) will be used in the final season of The L Word, Showtime's popular drama about a group of lesbians living in West Hollywood. ^[4]

Personal life

Spiteri had a long-term relationship with the editor of Arena magazine, Ashley Heath. The couple have a daughter, Misty Kyd (named after the phrase from the Clint Eastwood film Play Misty for Me and Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid), born on 9 September 2002.^[5] The birth prompted her close friend Thierry Henry to dedicate a goal to her daughter by revealing the slogan "For the new born Kyd" beneath his shirt later that day. The couple separated in the second half of 2004,^[6] and she is now dating TV chef Bryn Williams.^[7] In June 2008 on The Graham Norton Show she revealed that she was recently involved in an argument with Paris Hilton in a London club and told her to "fuck off"^[8]. Sharleen is a patron of children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

Discography

References

1. ^ DIVA Lesbian Magazine - Sharleen Spiteri - Texas all areas
2. ^ BBC News | SHOWBIZ | Texas singer lands film role
3. ^ DIVA Magazine: Sharleen Spiteri, Access All Areas
4. ^ Sunday Mail: Sharleen Spiteri a hit with Hollywood's gay community
5. ^ BBC NEWS | Scotland | Texas singer has baby girl
6. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Texas singer splits from partner
7. ^ James, Deborah (2008-07-14). "Sharleen Spiteri - My relationship with Bryn Williams". daily Post. http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/07/14/sharleen-spiteri-my-relationship-with-bryn-williams-55578-21334554/. Retrieved 2008-08-24. 
8. ^ Sharleen Spiteri vs Paris Hilton

External links

• Sharleen's official website
• Sharleen's MySpace
• Sharleen Spiteri at the Internet Movie Database
• Texas (official site)
• Texas in demand (official fansite)
• Sharleen Spiteri interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' October 2008
• Interview with Diva! magazine re Lesbian fan base
• Texas @ Neohyper fan site