Lorraine Bowen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorraine Bowen
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Bowen in concert at The Vauxhall Tavern, London
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lorraine Bowen |
| Born | 31 October 1961 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, comedian, musician |
| Instruments | Voice, keyboard, piano, clarinet, recorder |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Labels | Singer |
Lorraine Bowen (born 31 October 1961) is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, and musician from Cheltenham, England. She is famous for writing and performing funny and unique songs. Bowen has released many albums and singles during her career.
Contents
Music Career
Starting Out
Lorraine Bowen studied music at the University of Surrey. After finishing her studies, she performed music on the streets of London, which is called busking. In the 1980s, she was a member of two bands, See You in Vegas and The Dinner Ladies.
She often performed with the famous musician Billy Bragg on stage and on his albums. Bowen also appeared on many BBC Radio 4 shows. She even wrote for the popular radio program Loose Ends.
Going Solo
In 1990, Billy Bragg encouraged Bowen to start a career on her own. She began performing shows called The Lorraine Bowen Experience. Her act was simple but fun, featuring a Casio keyboard, an ironing board, and three songs.
Her solo career took her all over the world. She performed at big music festivals like Glastonbury in the UK and others in Canada and the United States.
Bowen's songs are known for being quirky and humorous. She often writes about everyday things like food, mobile phones, and fish fingers. One of her most popular songs is about the film star Julie Christie. She is great at writing catchy choruses and getting the audience to sing along with her.
Britain's Got Talent
In May 2015, Lorraine Bowen appeared as a contestant on the TV show Britain's Got Talent. She sang her original song, "The Crumble Song," which is all about her love for apple crumble.
Judge David Walliams loved her performance so much that he pressed his "golden buzzer." This sent her straight to the live semi-final shows. Although other judges like Simon Cowell buzzed her act, the audience loved it. In the semi-finals, Bowen sang a song about space but did not get enough votes to make it to the final.
Special Shows and Projects
Vital Organs Tour
From 2005 to 2009, Bowen toured with a musical comedy show called Vital Organs. The show was a celebration of her collection of portable electronic organs, including Casio keyboards and the omnichord.
Celebrating Barbara Moore
In 2011, Bowen learned that the composer Barbara Moore was still alive. Moore was a very important musician in the 1960s and 70s, working with stars like Elton John and Jimi Hendrix, but many people had forgotten about her.
Bowen created a show called Lorraine Bowen meets Barbara Moore to introduce Moore's amazing music to a new generation of fans.
Polyester Fiesta!
Bowen has always loved collecting vintage outfits made from polyester. This led her to create the Lorraine Bowen's Polyester Fiesta! show.
In the show, Bowen acts as the host while models walk down a catwalk wearing her polyester collection. She even sings as part of the show. This fun and colourful show toured in 2015 and was featured on the BBC One television program The One Show.
Other Work
Music for Games
In 2020, Bowen began writing music for a mobile game company. In 2021, she wrote the theme music for a game called Kitty Q. This game was designed to teach young people aged 12-14 about quantum physics. She recorded the theme in both English and German.
Teaching Music
Besides performing, Bowen has also worked as a part-time music teacher. Today, she lives in Brighton and leads singing workshops for people of all ages at places like the Brighton Dome.
Radio, Film, and Writing
Bowen has her own radio show called Lorraine Bowen's Stereo Spectacular, which is available as a podcast. Her songs have also been used in several films, including the popular Italian movie The Great Beauty.
In 2017, she wrote a children's book called The Crumble Lady, which is a collection of short stories.
Selected Music
Over her long career, Lorraine Bowen has recorded many albums and songs.
Albums
- Greatest Hits Volume One (1995)
- Vital Organs (2006)
- Suburban Exotica (2010)
- The Crumble Lady (2016)
Singles
- "The Crumble Song" (released after her Britain's Got Talent appearance)
- "Christmas Crumble" (2015)
- "Reggaeton Crumble Song" (2016)
- "Kitty Q Game Theme" (2021)
