Beverley Craven facts for kids

Beverley Craven is a talented British singer and songwriter. She was born on July 28, 1963. Many people know her for her popular song "Promise Me", which was a big hit in the UK in 1991. She has released several albums, including a special one called Woman to Woman that she made with two other singers, Judie Tzuke and Julia Fordham.

About Beverley Craven

Her Early Life

Beverley Craven was born in Colombo, Ceylon (which is now Sri Lanka) in July 1963. Her British father was working there for a company called Kodak. When she was almost two years old, her family moved to a quiet countryside area in Buckinghamshire, England. Her younger twin sisters were born there.

Beverley started learning to play the piano when she was seven. Her mother, who was a classical violinist, encouraged her love for music. As a teenager, Beverley was also a very good swimmer and competed in many national swimming events.

When she was 15, Beverley started buying pop music records. She enjoyed artists like Kate Bush, the Electric Light Orchestra, and Stevie Wonder. After finishing school at 18, she moved to London and worked different jobs. She also started writing her own songs and performing with bands in pubs.

When she was 22, Beverley decided to become a solo singer and songwriter, playing the piano herself. She even toured briefly with soul singer Bobby Womack. Soon after, she recorded her first demo songs, which caught the attention of John Glover, the manager for the band Go West. He helped her get a music deal with Warner Brothers and later with Epic Records.

Her First Album Success

In 1988, Beverley went to Los Angeles to work on her music and learn more about songwriting. She started recording her first album there. She wanted the album to sound natural and simple, and her record company, Epic, agreed. She then worked with producer Paul Samwell-Smith, who had also worked with famous artists like Cat Stevens.

Beverley's first album, named Beverley Craven, came out in July 1990. At first, it wasn't very popular in the United Kingdom, but it did well in Europe. Then, in April 1991, her song "Promise Me" was re-released and promoted a lot. It became a huge hit, reaching No. 3 on the UK singles chart.

This success made people in the UK very interested in her album. The album then reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and stayed on the charts for over a year. It sold more than 1.2 million copies around the world! Other songs from the album, like "Holding On" and "Woman To Woman", also became popular hits.

In 1992, Beverley released a video called Memories, which showed her performing live. In February 1992, she performed at the Brit Awards show, where she won the Best British Newcomer Award. She was eight months pregnant at the time and gave birth to her first daughter, Mollie, soon after.

Love Scenes Album

Beverley spent much of 1992 enjoying being a new mom and working on her second album. This album, called Love Scenes, was released in September 1993. It also did very well, reaching No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart.

The album included songs like "Love Scenes" and "Mollie's Song", which she wrote for her daughter. She also covered ABBA's famous song "The Winner Takes It All". In 1993, she went on a concert tour and performed at the famous Royal Albert Hall. She was nominated for Best British Female Artist at the Brit Awards again in 1994.

Mixed Emotions and a Break

After having two more daughters, Beverley took a break from music for five years. In 1999, she released her third album, Mixed Emotions. She recorded this album in her home studio and produced it herself for the first time. After promoting this album, Beverley decided to step away from the music industry to focus on raising her daughters.

In 1999, she also sang on a song called "The Very Last Time" for an album by Alan Parsons.

2000s and Beyond

In 2004, a collection of her best songs, The Very Best of Beverley Craven, was released. Beverley started performing live again to promote it. However, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After receiving treatment, she bravely returned to the stage in 2006 and continued to perform concerts.

In March 2009, Beverley released her first album in ten years, called Close To Home. She wrote and produced this album entirely herself and released it on her own record label.

In August 2010, Beverley released a live DVD called Live in Concert. She also published her autobiography, Truth Be Told, in 2012. Her fifth studio album, Change of Heart, came out in September 2014, followed by a tour.

In 2018, Beverley announced the "Woman to Woman" tour. She toured with her friends and fellow singer-songwriters Judie Tzuke and Julia Fordham. They also released a joint song called "Safe" and a studio album together, Woman to Woman.

Personal Life

Beverley Craven met singer-songwriter Colin Campsie in 1991. They got married in December 1994 and had three daughters together. They lived in London before moving to Buckinghamshire in 2006.

Beverley faced health challenges, including being diagnosed with cancer in 2005. She bravely went through treatment and recovered. In 2010, she and Colin separated, and they divorced in 2011.

In 2014, Beverley's sister Kathy passed away. Beverley was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy. This health challenge caused her to postpone her 2018 tour, but she resumed it in June 2019 after her health improved. She also released an updated version of her autobiography, Truth Be Told, in June 2019. In 2019, she met her partner, Mike.

In 2020, Beverley became vegan.

Awards and Nominations

Discography

• Beverley Craven (1990)
• Love Scenes (1993)
• Mixed Emotions (1999)
• Close to Home (2009)
• Change of Heart (2014)
• Woman to Woman (with Judie Tzuke and Julia Fordham) (2018)
• Woman to Woman (The Live Album) (with Judie Tzuke and Julia Fordham) (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Beverley Craven para niños