Caron Wheeler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Caron Wheeler OBE
Wheeler at the 1990 Grammy Awards
Born	(1963-01-19) 19 January 1963 (age 62) Acton, London, England
Occupation	Singer songwriter record producer musician
Years active	1976–present
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	R&B soul pop reggae
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Capitol RCA EMI

Caron Melina Wheeler OBE (born 19 January 1963) is a British singer, songwriter, and musician. She is also a record producer, which means she helps create music recordings. Caron grew up in London and started singing in competitions when she was a teenager.

She began her music career as a founding member of the group Brown Sugar. Later, she helped start another group called Afrodiziak, which sang backup for other artists. Caron became very famous in the late 1980s as the lead singer of the R&B group Soul II Soul.

With Soul II Soul, she had huge success. Their first album, Club Classics Vol. One (1989), became popular worldwide. It won two Grammy Awards and featured hit songs like "Keep On Movin'" and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)". These songs reached number one in the UK and on the Billboard charts in the US.

After leaving Soul II Soul in 1990, Caron released her first solo album, UK Blak (1990). This album included popular songs such as "Livin' in the Light" and "UK Blak". She released a second solo album, Beach of the War Goddess, in 1993. Caron has rejoined Soul II Soul at different times throughout her career and officially came back to the group in 2013.

Many people see Caron Wheeler as a pioneer in British soul music. Her songs often talk about love, relationships, and feeling strong. She also sings about black history. Critics often praise her energetic performances. She has sold over 6 million records in total, both as a solo artist and with Soul II Soul. In 2012, she received a special Heritage Award for her contributions to music. In 2023, she was honored with the OBE award for her services to music.

Her Music Journey

Early Years with Brown Sugar (1976–1983)

Carol Simms, Caron Wheeler, Pauline Catlin

Caron Wheeler was born in England to Jamaican parents. She also lived in Jamaica for a short time. In high school, Caron and her friend Pauline Catlin started singing together for fun. They were inspired by famous female groups like The Shirelles.

In 1976, Caron and Pauline won a singing competition in London. They then added Carol Simms to their group, and they became known as Brown Sugar.

In 1977, Brown Sugar released their first major song, "I'm in Love with a Dreadlocks". This song was a big hit with reggae fans and reached the top of the British reggae charts. The group released several more songs, but they eventually broke up in 1983. This allowed the members to try out solo careers.

Singing Backup with Afrodiziak (1982–1988)

In 1982, Caron met Claudia Fontaine, another English singer. They formed a duo called Afrodiziak. This duo mostly sang backup for other artists. They sang for famous musicians like Elvis Costello on his album Punch the Clock in 1983.

Afrodiziak also toured as backup singers for Elvis Costello. Later, they added singer Naomi Thompson to the group. They provided background vocals for many artists, including Heaven 17 and Howard Jones. Caron left the group in 1988.

Becoming Famous with Soul II Soul (1988–1990)

In 1988, Caron met Jazzie B, who asked her to join his new group, Soul II Soul. The group started recording their first album in 1988. The next year, they released their debut album, Club Classics Vol. One.

This album featured two huge hit songs: "Keep on Movin'" and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)". Caron was the lead singer on both of these songs. Each song sold over one million copies around the world. The album made Soul II Soul a very successful group. They won a Soul Train Music Award and two Grammy Awards for their music.

In March 1989, Caron performed "Keep on Movin'" with Soul II Soul on a popular TV show called Top of the Pops. She toured with the group for the rest of the year. After that, she decided to leave Soul II Soul to record her own solo album.

Solo Success: UK Blak and Beach of the War Goddess (1990–1993)

In early 1990, Caron Wheeler signed a record deal with EMI. Her first solo album, UK Blak, was released on May 15, 1990. The album sold 60,000 copies in the UK and over 100,000 copies worldwide.

The first song from the album, "Livin' in the Light", became Caron's first number-one song as a solo artist in the US. Other popular songs from the album included "UK Blak" and "Don't Quit".

In 1992, Caron started working on her second album. She also sang on a song called "Take Me Higher" for Soul II Soul's album Volume III Just Right. In October 1992, she released "I Adore You", which was also featured on the soundtrack for the movie Mo' Money. In February 1993, she released her second album, Beach of the War Goddess. This album included songs like "In Our Love" and "Soul Street".

Returning to Soul II Soul (1994–1996)

In 1994, Caron was asked to rejoin Soul II Soul to record their fourth album, Volume V: Believe. However, Caron and Jazzie B had different ideas about the music. Caron wanted to make more modern songs, but the band wanted to stick to their old sound.

Caron decided not to finish singing lead on some songs. For example, on the song "Love Enuff", another singer, Penny Ford, sang the lead vocals, and Caron only sang backup. Caron left the group before the album was released, but her voice can still be heard on the songs "Ride On" and "Sunday".

In 1995, Caron sang a duet called "Just the Two of Us" with Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota. The song became popular in Japan. In 1996, a new version of "Keep On Movin'" was released and charted in the UK.

Music Production and Collaborations (1997–2004)

In 1997, Caron sang on the song "You're Mine" for Eric Gadd's album. In 1999, she released a single called "Star", which was popular on the US R&B charts. She also worked with hip hop producers Da Beatminerz on their album Brace 4 Impak in 2001. In 2002, Caron was featured on Meshell Ndegeocello's album Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape.

In 2003, she sang the song "Another Star" for a tribute album to Stevie Wonder. She also appeared on the song "Lonely" for Richard X's album.

In 2004, Caron released a live album called Live at Duo Music Exchange. This album was recorded in Tokyo, Japan. It featured live performances of her solo songs and songs she sang with Soul II Soul.

Back with Soul II Soul (2007–Present)

In 2007, Caron reunited with Soul II Soul. The group started performing at nightclubs and music festivals again. In 2009, she toured with the group in Australia. In July 2009, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to music.

In 2010, Soul II Soul had a reunion tour with many of their original members. After the tour, Caron briefly left the group again. In June 2012, Caron was with Soul II Soul when they received an honorary award called the Heritage Plaque Award. They unveiled a plaque in Brixton, London, where they played their first concert.

In 2013, Caron Wheeler officially returned to Soul II Soul and began touring as their lead vocalist. She has mentioned that she plans to record new music with the group.

In 2016, Soul II Soul released a new song called "A New Day", which featured Caron Wheeler and Jazzie B. In November 2016, the group released a live album called Origins: The Roots of Soul II Soul. In 2017, Caron appeared on her former Soul II Soul colleague Simon Law's album Look to the Sky.

Caron Wheeler was honored with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2023 for her important work in music.

Personal Life

Caron Wheeler went to Kingsdale Foundation School in south London in the late 1970s. In 2004, Caron gave birth to her daughter, Asha Star.

Discography

• UK Blak (1990)
• Beach of the War Goddess (1993)

Awards and Nominations

Competitive

American Music Awards

Brit Awards

Grammy Awards

Juno Awards

Soul Train Music Awards

Honorary

Lovers Rock Gala Awards

• 2009: Lifetime Achievement Award

PRS for Music Heritage Awards

• 2012: Lifetime Achievement Award (with Soul II Soul)

See also

In Spanish: Caron Wheeler para niños

• List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
• Kingsdale Foundation School