Lillie McCloud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lillie Nicole McCloud
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| Birth name | Lillie Arlene Nicole Jade McCloud |
| Also known as | Nicole (early recording career) Nicole McCloud Nicole J. McCloud |
| Born | December 7, 1958 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul, house, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Portrait Records, Epic Records, Sony Music, Spectra Music Group |
| Associated acts | Timmy Thomas, U.S.U.R.A., The Source, E-Smoove, Voices of Freedom |
Lillie Arlene Nicole Jade McCloud (born December 7, 1958) is an American singer. She is also known by her stage names Nicole McCloud or Nicole J. McCloud. She sings R&B and dance music.
Lillie has released five studio albums. These include What About Me (1986) and "Red Apples" (2015). Her song "Don't You Want My Love" became a big hit around the world. Other popular songs in the U.S. were "Runnin' Away" and "Search'n". In the late 1990s, she was also part of a music group called Voices of Freedom.
In 2013, Lillie competed on The X Factor. This is a popular American singing competition TV show. She was eliminated in the fifth week of the show.
Contents
Music Career Highlights
Early Solo Music as Nicole
Lillie McCloud first appeared on the Billboard music charts in 1985. She was known as 'Nicole' at that time. Her song "Always and Forever" was a hit on the US R&B charts.
In 1986, her single "Don't You Want My Love" reached the Top 10 on the US Dance charts. This song also became popular in several European countries. These included Belgium, France, Germany, and Sweden.
Ten of McCloud's songs have made it onto the US Billboard R&B and dance charts. Her biggest hit was "Runnin’ Away" in 1994. It reached No. 3 on the US Dance charts. In 2002, as Nicole J. McCloud, she had another Top 10 hit with "Search’n". This song peaked at No. 5 on the US Dance charts.
That same year, she was nominated for an International Dance Music Awards. She was nominated alongside famous artists like Craig David and Shakira. Lillie has also recorded songs with Timmy Thomas and The Source. She has performed with many famous musicians. These include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen.
Singing with Voices of Freedom
In the late 1990s, Lillie McCloud joined a music group called Voices of Freedom. This group focused on house music. The trio also included Angel Williams and Simone Böhlhoff.
The group sang on several recordings. One notable song was "Lift Your Hands Up" in 1999. This song was by E-Smoove & Ni-Che. Voices of Freedom also sang on "America at War (Freedom)" by DJ Pope in 2002.
Life in Slovakia
In the mid-2000s, Lillie McCloud moved to Košice. This is a city in Slovakia. Her first performance in Slovakia was at the Košice International Jazz Festival in 2006. She performed with the famous jazz musician Peter Lipa.
In 2010, McCloud sang the main theme song for Česko Slovensko má talent. This is the Czech and Slovak version of the Got Talent TV show series.
Competing on The X Factor
In 2013, Lillie McCloud returned to the spotlight. She competed on season 3 of The X Factor. She used her birth name, Lillie McCloud, for the show. When she applied, she was 54 years old. She had three children and seven grandchildren.
Her audition was shown on TV on September 12, 2013. She sang "Alabaster Box" by CeCe Winans. All four judges, Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, Paulina Rubio, and Kelly Rowland, gave her a standing ovation. They all voted "yes" for her to move forward.
Lillie was chosen to be in the Final 40 contestants. She then successfully passed the Four Chair Challenge. This secured her spot in the Final 16. Kelly Rowland was her mentor for the "Over 25s" group. Lillie made it to the Top 8 contestants. However, she was eliminated on November 28, 2013.
Her performances on The X Factor included:
| Date | Show | Theme | Song | Original artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Audition | Free choice | "Alabaster Box" | CeCe Winans | Moved to Four-Chair challenge |
| October 2 | Four-Chair Challenge | Solo performance | "A House Is Not a Home" | Dionne Warwick | Advanced |
| October 29 | Live show 1 (Top 16) | Mentor's choice | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Percy Sledge | Saved by Kelly Rowland |
| November 6 | Live show 2 (Top 13) | Motown Night | "All In Love is Fair" | Stevie Wonder | N/A |
| November 7 | Live show 3 (Top 13 Get Another Chance) | Free choice | "Who Wants To Live Forever" | Queen | Safe |
| November 13 | Live show 4 (Top 12) | 80's Night | "Ain't Nobody" | Rufus & Chaka Khan | Safe |
| November 20 | Live show 5 (Top 10) | British Invasion | This Woman's Work | Kate Bush | Safe |
| November 27 | Live show 6 (Top 8) | Big Band Night | Summertime | George Gershwin | Eliminated (8th) |
After The X Factor
New Music: Red Apples
In 2014, Lillie McCloud signed with Spectra Music Group. She released two singles: "What About The Beautiful Children" and "The Other Part of Me". Her album, "Red Apples", was released on May 27, 2015. It debuted at No. 16 on the UK Soul Charts in September 2015.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album title | Credited as |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | What About Me? | Nicole |
| 1988 | Jam Packed | |
| 1989 | Rock The House (US re-release of Jam Packed) |
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| 1998 | Love Town |
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| 2002 | So What? |
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| 2015 | Red Apples |
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| 2015 | Number One Contender (re-release of Love Town, with selections from Red Apples) |
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Singles
| Year | Title | Credited as | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance | US R&B | BEL |
FRA |
GER | ITA | NED | SWE | SWI | UK | ||||
| 1985 | "Always and Forever" | Nicole | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | What About Me? |
| 1986 | "Don't You Want My Love" | 10 | 66 | 7 | 18 | 20 | — | 9 | 8 | — | — | ||
| "New York Eyes" / "Ordinary Girl" (Nicole & Timmy Thomas) / Nicole) |
36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | |||
| "Housecalls" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "What About Me?" | — | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1988 | "Jam Packed (At the Wall)" | 34 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Jam Packed / Rock the House (US release) |
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| 1989 | "Rock the House" | 21 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Rock the House" (with The Source) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | Non-album release | |
| 1994 | "Drive Me Crazy" (with U.S.U.R.A.) |
— | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 30 | — | ||
| "Runnin' Away" | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 69 | Love Town | ||
| 1996 | "Long Train Runnin' (Without Love)" | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998 | "Missing You" | Nicole McCloud | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1999 | "I Ain't Crazy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "One Good Reason" | Nicole J. McCloud | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | So What? |
| 2002 | "Search'n" | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
- Other Songs
- 2010: "Got Talent" - the theme song for Slovak Česko Slovensko má talent
- 2014: "What About the Beautiful Children"
- 2014: "The Other Part of Me"
Songs She Was Featured In
- as Nicole
- 1994: "I Love Music" / "Don't You Want My Love" / "Conga" (O'Jays / Nicole / Miami Sound Machine)
- 2011: "Dance" (Guest singer on Takin'Off album Eleven)
- as part of Voices of Freedom
- 1999: "Lift Your Hands Up" (E-Smoove & Ni-Che featuring Voices Of Freedom)
- 2002: "America at War (Freedom)" (DJ Pope featuring Voices of Freedom)
Videos
- 2013: "The X Factor USA" (she was a contestant and finished in 8th place)
- 2014: "The Good Life" (she appeared as herself, performing)
See also
In Spanish: Lillie McCloud para niños
