Lisa Stansfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Stansfield
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| Born |
Lisa Jane Stansfield
11 April 1966 Manchester, England
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Augusto Grassi
(m. 1987; div. 1987)Ian Devaney
(m. 1998) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Blue Zone, Barry White, Coldcut, Queen, George Michael |
Lisa Jane Stansfield (born on 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. She started her career in 1980 by winning a singing contest called Search for a Star. After appearing on TV and releasing her first songs, Lisa formed the band Blue Zone in 1983 with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris.
The band released several songs and one album. However, after Lisa sang on Coldcut's hit song "People Hold On" in 1989, she decided to focus on her solo career.
Lisa's first solo album, Affection (1989), and its famous song "All Around the World" were huge successes. She was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and Affection is still her best-selling album.
Over the years, Lisa released more albums like Real Love (1991), So Natural (1993), and Lisa Stansfield (1997). In 1999, she acted in her first movie, Swing, and recorded its soundtrack.
Later albums included Face Up (2001), Biography: The Greatest Hits (2003), and The Moment (2004). After this, Lisa took a break from music to focus on acting. She appeared in The Edge of Love (2008) and Northern Soul (2014).
Lisa released her seventh album, Seven, in 2014. She promoted it with a European tour. Her most recent album, Deeper, came out in 2018. She then toured North America.
Lisa Stansfield has won many awards, including three Brit Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards. She has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Lisa Stansfield was born in Manchester, England. Her parents were Marion and Keith Stansfield. She has two sisters, Karen and Suzanne. Her family moved to Heywood in 1976 and then to Rochdale in 1977.
Lisa went to Siddal Moor School and Redbrook Middle School, where she won a talent contest. She grew up listening to soul music. She said her mother's love for Diana Ross and the Supremes records was her first musical influence. Lisa also looked up to artists like Marvin Gaye, Chic, and Barry White.
In 1980, Lisa won the Search for a Star singing competition. In 1981, she released her first song, "Your Alibis." In 1982, she appeared on a TV show called Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment. Around this time, Lisa signed a record deal with Polydor Records.
In 1983, a documentary about Lisa called Born in the Sixties: Lisa Stansfield was made. It showed her journey as a singer. Also in 1983, she co-hosted a children's TV music show called Razzamatazz. Between 1982 and 1983, Lisa released three more songs: "The Only Way," "Listen to Your Heart," and "I Got a Feeling." Her early recordings were later put together on an album called In Session in 1996.
Music Career Highlights
Starting with Blue Zone (1984–1988)
In 1984, Lisa and her old school friends, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, started making music together. In 1986, they formed the band Blue Zone. They wrote songs, made a demo, and got signed by a small record label. This label was later bought by Arista Records.
After releasing their first two songs in 1986, "Love Will Wait" and "Finest Thing," Arista released "On Fire" in 1987. The band's next song, "Thinking About His Baby," came out in 1988. Another song, "Big Thing," became popular on the radio.
The band's album, Big Thing, was released in 1988 outside the UK. It included songs written by the band, except for "Jackie."
Breakthrough with Affection (1989–1990)
In early 1989, Lisa helped write and sing "People Hold On" for Coldcut's album. This song became a hit in the US and UK. Because of this success, Arista Records signed Lisa as a solo artist.
Her first solo album, Affection, was released on 20 November 1989. Lisa wrote all the songs with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris. The album was praised by critics and sold very well. It reached the top ten in many countries around the world. In the US, it reached number nine on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Affection features Lisa's biggest hit, "All Around the World." This song reached number one in many countries, including the UK. In the US, it topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Other popular songs from the album included "Live Together" and "This Is the Right Time."
Lisa toured Europe and North America in 1990 to support the album. She won many awards for Affection and "All Around the World," including the Brit Award and Grammy Award nominations. She also participated in charity recordings, like "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for Band-Aid II.
Real Love and So Natural (1991–1996)
In 1991, Lisa released her second album, Real Love. She wrote all the songs with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris. The album received good reviews and reached the top ten in several countries, including the UK. The first song from the album, "Change," became a hit. It reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the US.
The second song, "All Woman," was also very successful, reaching number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Lisa toured in 1992. Later that year, she co-wrote and recorded "Someday (I'm Coming Back)" for The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. This song became a top ten hit in the UK.
In 1993, Lisa performed with George Michael and Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Their song "These Are the Days of Our Lives" was a success. Lisa's third album, So Natural, was released in 1993. It did well in the UK. The album was promoted by two songs, "So Natural" and "Little Bit of Heaven."
Self-Titled Album and Face Up (1997–2003)
Lisa's fourth album, Lisa Stansfield, came out in 1997. It was very popular, reaching number two in the UK. It also did well in other European countries and Japan. Several songs from this album became hits, including "People Hold On (The Bootleg Mixes)" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up." These songs topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the US.
In 2001, Lisa released her fifth album, Face Up. This album featured funk and soul songs. Lisa toured Europe in 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Lisa released her first greatest-hits album, Biography: The Greatest Hits. It reached number three in the UK. All of her studio albums were also re-released with extra songs.
The Moment and Seven (2004–2016)
In 2004, Lisa recorded "Too Hot" with Kool & the Gang. She then signed with ZTT Records. Her next album, The Moment, was produced by Grammy Award-winning Trevor Horn. It was released in 2004 and did well in some European countries.
Between 2013 and 2014, Lisa toured Europe, singing her greatest hits. Her seventh album, Seven, was released in 2014. The first song from the album, "Can't Dance," came out in 2013.
Seven was produced and written by Lisa and Ian Devaney. It featured songs like "Can't Dance" and "Carry On." The album reached number 13 in the UK. Lisa continued her Seven Tour in Europe. In 2014, Seven was re-released as Seven+ with new songs and remixes.
In 2014, a large box set called The Collection 1989–2003 was released. It included five of Lisa's studio albums and many rare songs and videos. In 2015, the Live in Manchester album and video were released.
Deeper and Recent Tours (2017–Present)
In 2017, Lisa announced her new album, Deeper, which was released on 6 April 2018. In the UK, Deeper reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart. The song "Everything" reached number one on the Soul Chart. In the US, the song "Never Ever" reached number six on the Billboard Dance chart.
In June 2018, Lisa announced her North American Tour, her first in two decades. The tour started in October 2018 and included stops in major cities like Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. In October 2019, Lisa started her ‘Affection 30th Anniversary Tour’ to celebrate 30 years since her first album. The album was also reissued on Vinyl that year.
In 2021, Lisa was a special guest for Simply Red on their Summer Tour.
Acting Career
In May 1999, Lisa Stansfield made her first movie appearance. She played Joan Woodcock in the film Swing, alongside Hugo Speer. She also recorded songs for the movie's soundtrack, which was full of jazz and swing tracks. The soundtrack was well-received and reached number six on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.
In 2005, Lisa played herself in the comedy series Monkey Trousers. In 2006, she appeared in the drama series Goldplated, playing Trinny Jamieson.
In 2007, Lisa appeared in another TV series, Agatha Christie's Marple. She played Mary Durrant in the episode called Ordeal by Innocence. Lisa also provided the voice for Millie, an elf, in the English version of the Finnish animated film Quest for a Heart (2007). She also sang the movie's main song.
Lisa joined the cast of the 2008 film The Edge of Love, playing Ruth Williams. In 2009, she starred as herself in the documentary Dean Street Shuffle. In 2012, she acted in Elaine Constantine's film Northern Soul. This movie, set in 1974, is about the northern soul music and dance movement. It was released in 2014.
Personal Life
In 1987, Lisa Stansfield married Italian designer Augusto Grassi. They had met during a holiday in Tunisia. Their wedding took place in Rochdale, England. The couple moved to Zagarolo, Italy, but their marriage lasted only four months. After the marriage ended, Lisa returned to Britain.
After many years of friendship, Lisa and Ian Devaney married on 25 July 1998. The ceremony was small and held in Washington Square Park in New York City. The only guests were their parents.
In 2008, Lisa sold her large Victorian house in Dalkey, Ireland.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Affection (1989)
- Real Love (1991)
- So Natural (1993)
- Lisa Stansfield (1997)
- Face Up (2001)
- The Moment (2004)
- Seven (2014)
- Deeper (2018)
Filmography
- 1999: Swing
- 2005: Monkey Trousers
- 2006: Goldplated
- 2007: Agatha Christie's Marple
- 2007: Quest for a Heart
- 2008: The Edge of Love
- 2009: Dean Street Shuffle
- 2014: Northern Soul
Awards
