Lulu (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lulu CBE
Lulu performing at The Sound of 007, 2022
Background information
Birth name	Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie
Also known as	Lulu Kennedy-Cairns
Born	(1948-11-03) 3 November 1948 (age 76) Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Origin	Glasgow, Scotland
Genres	Pop pop rock blue-eyed soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress television personality
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Decca Atco Music for Pleasure Mercury
Associated acts	The Luvvers David Bowie Take That

Lulu Kennedy-Cairns (born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie; 3 November 1948) is a famous Scottish singer, songwriter, actress, and TV star. Her amazing career has lasted for over sixty years!

Her first song, "Shout", became a top ten hit in the UK in 1964. In 1967, she became known worldwide after starring in the film To Sir, with Love. She sang the theme song, which was number one in the US for five weeks.

In the 1960s, Lulu had five more top ten hits in the UK. One of these, "Boom Bang-a-Bang", won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969. With her powerful voice, she sang the title song for the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974. In the mid-1990s, Lulu had her first number-one song in the UK. This was "Relight My Fire", which she sang with the boy band Take That.

In 2002, she had her most recent top ten hit in the UK. This was "We've Got Tonite", a song with Irish singer Ronan Keating. It reached number four on the charts. Lulu has released 15 studio albums. Her album Together (2002) was her highest-charting, reaching number four in the UK. She has been honored twice by the Queen. She received an OBE in 2000 and a CBE in 2021. These awards were for her contributions to music, entertainment, and charity.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie was born in Lennoxtown, Scotland. She grew up in Dennistoun, Glasgow. She went to Thomson Street Primary School and Onslow Drive School. When she was about 12 or 13, she wanted to gain stage experience. She and her manager approached a band called the Bellrocks. She performed with them every Saturday night. The band's bass player, Alex Thomson, said her voice was amazing even then. When she was 14, her future manager, Marion Massey, gave her the stage name "Lulu". Massey said, "Well, all I know is that she's a real lulu of a kid."

In August 2017, Lulu's family history was explored on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? The show revealed that her mother was raised by another family. It also showed that Lulu's grandparents had different religious backgrounds.

First Hit Songs

Billboard advertisement for "To Sir with Love", 1967

In 1964, Lulu signed with Decca Records. She was only fifteen years old. Her powerful version of the Isley Brothers' song "Shout" became a big hit. It reached number 7 on the UK charts. This song was credited to "Lulu & the Luvvers". Marion Massey guided Lulu's career for over 25 years.

After "Shout", Lulu's next hit was "Leave a Little Love" in 1965. This song also reached the UK Top Ten. Her next record, "Try to Understand", made it into the Top 40.

In 1966, Lulu toured Poland with the Hollies. She was the first British female singer to perform live behind the Iron Curtain. This term referred to the political barrier that separated Eastern and Western Europe. She also recorded two songs in German that year. In 2009, all her Decca recordings were released on a 2-CD set called Shout!. After two hit songs with the Luvvers, Lulu started her solo career.

In 1967, Lulu signed with Columbia. She returned to the UK singles chart in April 1967. Her song "The Boat That I Row", written by Neil Diamond, reached number 6. All seven songs she recorded with producer Mickie Most became UK hits. This included "Boom Bang-A-Bang", which reached number 2 in 1969.

Lulu made her acting debut in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love. She acted in the movie and sang the title song. This song became a huge hit in the United States, reaching number 1. "To Sir with Love" was the best-selling song of 1967 in the US. It sold over a million copies. In the UK, "To Sir With Love" was on the B-side of "Let's Pretend", which was a number 11 hit.

Television Shows

Lulu performing on Dutch TV-programme Fanclub, 1965

Lulu and the Echoes in Glasgow, 1967

In the late 1960s, Lulu's music career in the UK was very successful. She also had several of her own television series. Her first BBC show started in 1965. It was called Gadzooks! It's The In-Crowd. Later, she hosted it alone as Gadzooks!. In 1966, she appeared regularly on BBC1's Stramash!.

After a successful TV series in 1967 called Three of a Kind, Lulu got her own BBC1 TV series in 1968. This show ran every year until 1975. It had different names like Lulu's Back in Town and It's Lulu. These shows often featured special guests and dance groups.

One famous episode from January 1969 featured the Jimi Hendrix Experience. During their performance, Hendrix stopped playing "Hey Joe" and started playing "Sunshine of Your Love" instead. The studio director wanted him to stop, but he continued.

Lulu also hosted several special TV shows. These included Lulu At Bern's Restaurant in 1969 and The Young Generation Meet Lulu in 1970.

Eurovision Song Contest

On 29 March 1969, Lulu represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang the song "Boom Bang-a-Bang". Viewers of her TV show chose the song from six options. In Madrid, Lulu won the contest! However, three other songs also tied with her for first place. The rules were later changed to prevent ties in the future.

Lulu's song "Boom Bang-a-Bang" sold very well. She recorded it in German, French, Spanish, and Italian, as well as the original English. She later said, "I know it's a rotten song, but I won, so who cares?" Despite her personal feelings, it became her second biggest UK hit. It reached number 2 on the charts in 1969.

In 1975, Lulu hosted the BBC's A Song for Europe. This show chose the UK's song for Eurovision. She also appeared at other Eurovision events over the years.

Just weeks before her 1969 Eurovision appearance, Lulu married Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. They were married in Gerrards Cross. His brother Barry thought they were too young to marry. Their careers kept them busy, and they divorced in 1973. However, they remained good friends.

After Eurovision

From June to July 1967, Lulu performed with the Monkees at the Empire Pool in Wembley. She also had a brief romance with Davy Jones of the Monkees during a US tour in 1968. This received a lot of attention in the UK press.

In 1969, Lulu recorded a new album called New Routes. She recorded it at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama. The album included a version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles".

1970s: James Bond Theme Song

Lulu started 1970 by appearing on the BBC show Pop Go the Sixties. She performed "Boom Bang-A-Bang" live. She recorded another album in the US, Melody Fair. She had a US Top 30 hit with "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)".

In 1972, she was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life. She also starred in the Christmas pantomime Peter Pan in Manchester. She played this role again in London in 1975 and from 1987 to 1989. She also appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Show in 1973.

In 1974, Lulu sang the title song for the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. There were two slightly different versions of the song in the film. This song is the only James Bond title track not to become a hit single.

That same year, Lulu recorded David Bowie's songs "The Man Who Sold the World" and "Watch That Man". Bowie helped produce these recordings. "The Man Who Sold the World" became her first Top 10 hit in five years. It reached number 3 in the UK in February 1974. In 1975, she released the disco song "Take Your Mama For A Ride". It reached number 37 in the UK charts.

In 1977, Lulu became interested in Siddha Yoga. She married hairdresser John Frieda. They had one son, Jordan Frieda, and divorced in 1991.

1980s: New Adventures

Lulu's songs were less successful in the 1980s. However, she remained famous. She acted and hosted a long-running radio show in London. In 1979, she was in a car accident but recovered well. That same year, she recorded for Elton John's record label.

In the early 1980s, she performed in London stage shows. These included Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance and Guys and Dolls. Lulu had surgery on her voice after performing in the Lloyd Webber show. In 1981, she had a US hit with "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)". It reached the Top 20. She was also nominated for a Grammy for "Who's Foolin' Who".

In 1986, she rerecorded "Shout", which reached the Top 10 in the UK again. Lulu is one of only two performers to have sung on Top of the Pops in every decade the show ran. After 1992, Lulu focused more on TV, acting, and live performances.

In 1985, her first autobiography, Lulu : Her Autobiography, was published. On television, she played Adrian Mole's mother in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole in 1987. In 1989 and 1990, she was the voice of the main character in the cartoon series Nellie the Elephant. In 1989, Lulu and her manager of 25 years, Marion Massey, decided to go their separate ways.

1990s: Music Comeback

In 1993, Lulu made a music comeback with the song "Independence". It reached number 11 in the UK. This was the title song from her album Independence. All four songs released from this album reached the UK charts. Her second song after "Independence" was "I'm Back for More", a duet with soul singer Bobby Womack. It reached number 27.

Also in 1993, the song "I Don't Wanna Fight", which Lulu helped write, became a worldwide hit for Tina Turner.

Later that year, she sang on a new version of the song "Relight My Fire" with the boy band Take That. This song reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart! Lulu then joined Take That as a supporting act on their 1994 tour. She also appeared in two episodes of the TV show Absolutely Fabulous. She teamed up with French and Saunders many times, including a funny performance as "Baby Spice" for Comic Relief in 1997.

In 1999, Lulu returned to BBC One to host the Saturday night National Lottery game show Red Alert. She also sang the theme song.

2000s: Back in the Spotlight

Lulu in 2004

Performing with Jools Holland at Borde Hill Garden 2007.

In 2000, Lulu was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II. Her autobiography, published in 2002, was called I Don't Want to Fight. Her 2002 album, Together, featured duets with famous artists like Elton John and Paul McCartney. Songs from this album were performed in a TV special called An Audience With Lulu. In this show, Lulu sang "First of May" with her first husband, Maurice Gibb. Her song "We've Got Tonight", with Ronan Keating, reached number 4 in the UK.

In 2004, she released the album Back on Track. She went on a UK tour to celebrate forty years in music. The album reached number 68. In late 2004, she started hosting a two-hour radio show on BBC Radio 2. In 2005, Lulu released A Little Soul in Your Heart, a collection of soul classics. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 28.

Lulu continued to act sometimes. She appeared in the British film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? In 2006, she was a judge on the BBC reality TV show Just the Two of Us. In June and July 2006, she joined Take That on their UK and Ireland tour to perform "Relight My Fire". She also appeared on American Idol in 2007 as a mentor for the female singers.

In November 2008, Lulu was part of an advertising campaign for Homecoming Scotland. This event encouraged people with Scottish heritage to visit Scotland. In January 2009, Lulu became an advisor on the BBC show Eurovision: Your Country Needs You. She helped choose the singer to represent the UK at Eurovision 2009. Later in 2009, Lulu announced a tour called Here Come the Girls with Chaka Khan and Anastacia.

2010s: Tours and Commonwealth Games

Lulu performing in Glasgow in 2010 during the Here Come the Girls tour

In early 2010, Lulu sang the theme song "The Word Is Love" for the film Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!!. She also toured the UK again with Here Come the Girls. In November 2010, she hosted the BBC TV series Rewind the 60s. Each episode focused on a year from the 1960s.

In February 2011, she appeared on Let's Dance for Comic Relief. She danced to Soulja Boy's song "Crank That". In October and November 2011, Lulu took part in the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing. She was eliminated in the fifth week.

In August 2014, Lulu opened the closing ceremony of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. In March 2018, she joined the cast of 42nd Street on stage. She played the lead role of Dorothy Brock. Between April and June 2019, Lulu toured with Take That again. She performed "Relight My Fire" with them. In December 2019, she performed "Run Rudolph Run" and "Shout" at the Miss World 2019 pageant.

2020s: The Masked Singer and More TV

Lulu performing at The Sound of 007, 2022

In October 2021, Lulu was a guest judge on the BBC program RuPaul's Drag Race UK. In March 2022, she voiced a character in the film My Old School. She also sang the closing theme song for the movie.

In January 2023, Lulu appeared on the TV show The Masked Singer as "Piece of Cake". She was the second contestant to be voted off. Her For The Record UK Tour in 2023 was her first tour since 2019. On 3 November 2023, to celebrate her seventy-fifth birthday, Lulu announced her Champagne for Lulu! UK tour dates for 2024. Her London show will celebrate sixty years since her first hit single, "Shout".

Discography

TV Shows

Lulu appeared three times on Show of the Week, twice in 1969 and once in 1972. In early 1978, she was a regular guest on The Les Dawson Show. From 1999 to 2000, Lulu hosted 14 episodes of Red Alert with the National Lottery.

Lulu has also appeared in several TV specials. These include one with Bruce Forsyth in 1974 and Lulu's Big Show in 1993. Another special in 1999 was about Lulu's life and career.

Lulu also lent her voice to the cartoon Nellie the Elephant. She voiced the main character and sang the theme song.

Lulu appeared in an episode of Heartbeat in November 2002. She played a singer named Deborah Vine. She sang "To Sir, With Love" in a concert in the episode.

Filmography

Honours and Awards

In 2017, Lulu was a special guest at the City Lit Awards. These awards celebrate the great work of students and staff.

Lulu was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000. She was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2021. These honors were given for her services to music, entertainment, and charity.

See also

• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• Mononymous person