Des'ree facts for kids

Desirée Annette Weekes (born 30 November 1968), known as Des'ree, is an English singer and songwriter. She became very popular in the 1990s. People know her for her special deep voice and her positive song lyrics.

Some of Des'ree's biggest songs include "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", and "Life". She also sang the beautiful song "Kissing You", which was in the movie Romeo + Juliet in 1996. Des'ree won the award for Best British Female Artist at the 1999 Brit Awards. She has also won other awards like an Ivor Novello Award and a World Music Award.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Des'ree was born in Croydon, South East London, England, on 30 November 1968. Her mother is from Guyana, and her father is from Barbados. Growing up, her parents introduced her to different types of music like reggae, calypso, and jazz.

When she was 22, Des'ree didn't know anyone in the music business. But she was very determined! In 1991, she asked her boyfriend to send a demo tape (a recording of her songs) to a record company called Sony 550. The company quickly got in touch with her and signed her to a music deal.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out and Becoming Famous in the 1990s

After signing with Sony 550, Des'ree released her first song, "Feel So High", in August 1991. It became a hit in the UK when it was re-released the next year. Her first album, Mind Adventures, came out in February 1992. It reached number 26 on the UK music charts. That same year, she went on tour with the famous band Simply Red, performing as their opening act.

In 1993, Des'ree worked with Terence Trent D'Arby on the song "Delicate". This song also made it into the top 20 in the UK. She even performed for Pope John Paul II at a special concert in the Vatican City in December 1993. This concert was shown on Italian television.

In 1994, Des'ree's song "You Gotta Be" became a huge hit in the United States. It reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music video for "You Gotta Be" was played more than any other video on VH1 that year! The song became popular again in the UK in 1999 because it was used in a Ford Focus car advertisement. Des'ree performed "You Gotta Be" live many times, including on Saturday Night Live and at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Her second album, I Ain't Movin', was released in May 1994. It sold over 2.5 million copies around the world and received great reviews. Critics praised her "beautiful, dusky voice" and the meaningful lyrics. After this success, she toured North America with the singer Seal.

Later, Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann asked Des'ree to write a song for his 1996 movie Romeo + Juliet. She wrote "Kissing You" and even appeared in the film as a "Diva" during a famous scene where Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes' characters meet. "Kissing You" was loved by critics and was even nominated for an award.

In 1998, Des'ree's song "Life" became a big hit across Europe and in Japan, reaching number 1 in many countries. Some listeners of BBC Radio 6 Music once voted a line from the song as having the "worst lyric in pop." The line was: "I don't want to see a ghost / it's the sight that I fear most / I'd rather have a piece of toast / watch the evening news." Many people found this line quite funny!

The album that featured "Life", called Supernatural, was released in June 1998. It also received good reviews and was successful in Europe.

On 16 February 1999, Des'ree was named Best British Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards. Later that year, she sang The Beatles' song "Blackbird" at a charity concert for Linda McCartney. She also worked with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on their version of "Ain't No Sunshine". After this, Des'ree decided to take a break from her music career to focus on her personal life.

2000s to Today: Break and Return to Music

In 2000, Des'ree released Endangered Species, which was a collection of her B-sides and live songs. In 2001, she sang on a charity song called "Wake Up the Morning". This song was released to remember Damilola Taylor, a young boy who was sadly killed. She also sang a sonnet (a type of poem) by William Shakespeare on a special album called When Love Speaks.

Her fourth album, Dream Soldier, came out in March 2003. The main song from it, "It's Okay", reached number 69 in the UK. Dream Soldier was not as successful as her previous albums. After this, Des'ree left Sony, her record label, and started to explore other interests. She studied naturopathy and trained to become a nutritionist, learning about natural health and food.

In 2008, Des'ree performed at the O2 Arena for a charity concert called "Big Sing" by Young Voices. She helped to break a world record for "most people simultaneously singing the same song." She led 600,000 schoolchildren across the UK in singing her hit song, "You Gotta Be"! In 2011, she sang a lullaby on a special CD designed to help people sleep.

After sixteen years, Des'ree released her first new album, A Love Story, on 11 October 2019. She had started working on it in 2014 but took a long break to care for her mother. The album received good reviews, with one critic praising the "subtle beauty and emotional power" of her voice.

Songs in Movies

Des'ree's songs have been featured in several movies:

• "Silent Hero" was in Spike Lee's 1995 film Clockers.
• "Feel So High" was in the 1996 film Set It Off.
• "Crazy Maze" was in the 1997 film Nothing to Lose.
• "You Gotta Be" was in The Next Karate Kid (1994) and The Object of My Affection (1998).

Personal Life

Des'ree is a vegetarian. In 2002, she took classes in photography and ceramics at the Camberwell College of Arts, showing her interest in other creative arts.

Awards and Nominations

Des'ree has been recognized with many awards for her music:

Billboard Music Awards

BMI London Awards

BMI Pop Awards

Brit Awards

Cash Box Year-End Awards

Ivor Novello Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

RSH-Gold Awards [de]

Satellite Awards

World Music Awards

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

As a featured artist

Promotional singles

See also

In Spanish: Des'ree para niños