Marcia Barrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcia Barrett
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Barrett in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Born | 14 October 1948 Saint Catherine Parish, British Jamaica |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | R&B, eurodisco, reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Labels | Hansa Records, Sony-BMG, BSC Music |
| Associated acts | Boney M. |
Marcia Barrett (born 14 October 1948) is a British singer. She is well-known as one of the original singers in the famous music group Boney M..
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Marcia Barrett was born in Saint Catherine Parish, British Jamaica. Her family moved to Croydon, England, in 1963. In the late 1960s, she moved to Germany. There, she joined a band and performed with popular singers like Karel Gott and Rex Gildo. In 1971, she signed with Metronome Records. She released her first song, "Could Be Love," which was written by Drafi Deutscher. During this time, she also toured and sang many well-known songs.
Joining Boney M.
In 1975, Marcia joined a new music group called Boney M.. At first, the group was made up of models and dancers. They performed a song called "Baby Do You Wanna Bump," which was created by producer Frank Farian. This song became popular in some European countries.
When another singer left the group in 1976, Marcia suggested her friend, Liz Mitchell, as a replacement. Liz was also a singer. Frank Farian then brought both Marcia and Liz together to record Boney M.'s next song, "Daddy Cool."
Boney M.'s Rise to Fame
Marcia and Liz recorded Boney M.'s first album, Take the Heat Off Me, in 1976. After they appeared on a German TV show, the group became very popular across Europe. They had many hit songs and albums over the next ten years.
Boney M. had four official members. However, only Marcia Barrett and Liz Mitchell sang in the recording studio for most of Boney M.'s songs. Frank Farian also provided male vocals. The male dancer, Bobby Farrell, would perform these parts live and on TV.
Marcia's Role in Boney M.
While Liz Mitchell often sang the main parts, Marcia Barrett added beautiful harmony vocals to many of the group's famous songs. She also shared the lead singing on hits like "Daddy Cool", "Ma Baker", "Rasputin", and "Gotta Go Home".
Marcia also sang lead on several songs on Boney M.'s albums. These included the title track of their first album, Take the Heat off Me, and "Lovin' or Leavin'". She was the lead singer on "Belfast", which became a number one hit in Germany. On the album Nightflight to Venus, she sang "Nightflight To Venus" and "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night." She also sang the opening parts of the Christmas hit "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord."
In 1981, Marcia sang the lead on the song "We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World)." This song was a big hit in Spain and South Africa. The group's popularity changed after 1982. After some time, the group members decided to go their separate ways in 1990.
Life After Boney M.
After Boney M. split up, Marcia faced some difficult times. She was recording rock music in Germany when she was diagnosed with a serious illness. She had to take a break from her music career to focus on her health.
By 1997, Marcia began working on new dance music. Her album, Survival, was released in 1999. She also released a special song called No War! Peace and Love in 2003. This song helped raise money for the War Child charity, which supports children affected by conflict.
Marcia Barrett Today
Marcia released her second album, Come into My Life, in 2005. This album included new versions of her old songs and original songs she wrote with her husband, Marcus. It also featured a cover of "Albatross" by Fleetwood Mac, for which she was allowed to add her own lyrics.
She has also toured with her own version of Boney M. She attended the premieres of the Daddy Cool musical in London and Berlin. In 2009, she started her own record label, Xoah Records. She released new music through her label, including "Seeing Is Believing" and "I Don't Know Why."
Marcia Barrett lives in Berlin with her husband, Marcus James. Marcus was a guitarist for the musician Eddy Grant. In June 2018, Marcia's life story was published in a book called Forward - My Life With and Without Boney M.
See also
In Spanish: Marcia Barrett para niños
