Melanie C facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melanie C
Chisholm performing in July 2019
Born	Melanie Jayne Chisholm (1974-01-12) 12 January 1974 (age 51) Whiston, Lancashire, England
Other names	Mel C Sporty Spice
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Partner(s)	Thomas Starr (2002–2012)
Children	1
Relatives	Paul O'Neill (half-brother)
Musical career
Genres	Pop rock electronic dance
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Red Girl Virgin
Signature

Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She became famous in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls. In the group, she was known as Sporty Spice.

The Spice Girls sold over 100 million records worldwide. This makes them the best-selling female group of all time. The group took a break in 2000. They later reunited for a greatest hits album (2007) and two concert tours. These tours were The Return of the Spice Girls (2007–2008) and Spice World (2019). Melanie C is known for her special voice and strong singing ability.

Melanie C started her solo career in late 1998. She sang on the song "When You're Gone" with Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams. She then signed with Virgin Records. Her first solo album, Northern Star, came out in 1999. After her second album, Reason (2003), she left Virgin Records. She then started her own record company, Red Girl Records.

Her third album, Beautiful Intentions (2005), was very popular in Europe. It included the songs "Next Best Superstar" and "First Day of My Life". Her fourth album, This Time (2007), was a big hit in Portugal. It stayed at number one for nine weeks. Her other albums include The Sea (2011), Stages (2012), Version of Me (2016), and Melanie C (2020).

Melanie C has won many awards. These include three World Music Awards and five Brit Awards. Her song "I Turn to You" won a Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical in 2000. In 2009, she performed in the West End musical Blood Brothers. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her role. She has sold over 130 million records in her career.

Early Life and Training

Melanie Jayne Chisholm was born on 12 January 1974. She grew up in Widnes, Cheshire, England. Her mother, Joan Tuffley Chisholm O'Neill, was a singer. Her parents separated when Melanie was four years old. She has a half-brother, racing driver Paul O'Neill.

Melanie went to Brookvale Junior School and Fairfield High School. She later studied singing, dancing, and musical theatre. She attended the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in London. She also earned teaching qualifications in tap and modern theatre dance.

Music Career

Becoming a Spice Girl

In 1994, Melanie Chisholm saw an advertisement in The Stage magazine. It was looking for members for a new girl group. Melanie, along with Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell, and Victoria Adams, were chosen. Later, Emma Bunton joined, making it a five-member group.

The group became the Spice Girls. They signed a deal with Virgin. Their first album, Spice, was a huge success worldwide. It reached number 1 in over 17 countries. The album was about "Girl Power". It sold 30 million copies globally. This made it the biggest-selling album by a girl group. Their first song, "Wannabe", was number 1 in 37 countries. Other songs like "Say You'll Be There" and "2 Become 1" also topped the charts in the UK.

In 1997, they released their second album, Spiceworld. It also sold very well, with 20 million copies worldwide. The group also starred in their own movie, Spiceworld: The Movie. It earned $100 million at the box office. In 1998, Geri Halliwell left the group. The remaining four members released "Goodbye". It became their third Christmas number-one song in the UK. This matched a record set by The Beatles.

Solo Success and New Beginnings

On 30 November 1998, Melanie C released her first solo song. It was "When You're Gone" with Bryan Adams. The song reached number 3 in the UK. In 1999, Melanie C signed with Virgin Records for her solo music. She released her first solo single, "Goin' Down", on 27 September. Her first solo album, Northern Star, came out on 18 October 1999. It sold 4 million copies worldwide.

Her next single, "Never Be the Same Again", featured TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. It became Melanie C's first number 1 solo song in the UK in March 2000. Later that year, a remix of "I Turn to You" also reached number 1 in the UK. In late 2000, the Spice Girls released their third and final album, Forever. After this, the group announced they would take a break.

Melanie C went on her first world tour, the Northern Star Tour, from 2000 to 2001. She visited 30 countries. She started recording her second album in November 2001. She also sang "Independence Day" for the movie Bend It Like Beckham.

Her second album, Reason, was released on 10 March 2003. It reached number 5 in the UK. Melanie C took some time off to focus on her health during this period. She then went on the Reason Tour in Europe.

Chisholm in 2003

Starting Her Own Record Label

On 1 January 2004, Melanie C left Virgin Records. In April 2004, she started her own record company, Red Girl Records. She named it after her favorite football team, Liverpool F.C. This allowed her to have more control over her music.

Her third album, Beautiful Intentions, was released on 11 April 2005. It was the first album from Red Girl Records. The song "Next Best Superstar" was the first single. The song "First Day of My Life" was released later. It became a number 1 hit in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Portugal.

More Albums and Spice Girls Reunions

In 2007, Melanie C released her fourth album, This Time. The song "The Moment You Believe" was a number 1 hit in Spain and Portugal.

Chisholm performing in 2007

On 28 June 2007, the Spice Girls announced they were reuniting for a world tour. It was called The Return of the Spice Girls. They earned a lot of money from the tour. They also released a new song, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)". It was for the Children in Need charity. They also released a Greatest Hits album. The tour was very successful.

Spice Girls performing in 2007

After the Spice Girls reunion, Melanie C went on her own tour in Canada in 2008.

Acting and New Music

In 2009, Melanie C made her acting debut in the musical Blood Brothers. She played the role of Mrs Johnstone. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance.

In 2011, she released the song "Rock Me". It was the official theme song for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. Her fifth album, The Sea, came out on 2 September.

In 2012, Melanie C was a judge on the ITV talent show Superstar. She also played Mary Magdalene in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. She won an award for Best Supporting Actress in a musical for this role. Inspired by her stage work, she released her sixth album, Stages, in 2012. It featured songs from musicals.

Chisholm at the Gibraltar International Jazz Festival in 2013

In 2013, she sang "Loving You" with British singer Matt Cardle. The song reached number 14 in the charts.

Television and Recent Work

In 2015, Melanie C became a judge on Asia's Got Talent. She worked alongside David Foster, Anggun Cipta, and Vanness Wu.

In 2016, she released her seventh album, Version of Me. It had a more electronic sound. The album reached number 25 on the UK Albums Chart.

Chisholm in 2018

On 5 November 2018, the Spice Girls announced another reunion tour. Melanie C, Melanie B, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell went on the Spice World – 2019 Tour. It was their first tour in ten years.

Melanie C released her self-titled eighth album, Melanie C, on 2 October 2020. It was her first top 10 album since 2003. In 2021, she appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in the US. She also returned as a coach on The Voice Kids in the UK. Her team member, Torrin Cuthill, won the series.

In February 2022, Melanie C was a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World. In September 2022, her memoir, Who I Am: My Story, was released. She promoted the book with a tour. In 2023, she performed at several music festivals across England and Europe. She also sang on "Call Me A Lioness" for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

In January 2024, Melanie C performed a special show in London for her 50th birthday. She also continued her work as a DJ, touring Australia and performing in Ibiza. She has confirmed new music will be released in 2025. In early 2025, she became a coach on The Voice Australia.

Personal Life

Chisholm in 2005

Melanie C has spoken openly about her past struggles with an eating disorder. She shared that she felt pressured by public comments about her weight. She has learned to take care of herself and maintain a healthy balance.

She was in a relationship with Thomas Starr for ten years. They separated in 2012. In February 2009, Melanie C had a daughter. She has said that becoming a mother changed her life. It made her realize she needed to take better care of herself. From 2015 to 2022, she dated her manager, Joe Marshall.

Melanie C is a big fan of Liverpool F.C., a football team. She also enjoys being an amateur triathlete. She has completed the London Triathlon twice.

In 2022, Melanie C shared that she had a difficult experience in a hotel in Turkey in 1997. She said she had "buried it" at the time because she had to focus on her work. She felt "violated" and "embarrassed" by what happened.

In August 2024, Melanie C's family history was explored on the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

In 2000, all the money from her song "If That Were Me" went to the Kandu Arts charity. In 2012, Melanie C joined the Sport Relief event. She ran a three-mile "Sport Relief Mile".

In 2013, she took part in a Comic Relief challenge. She canoed down difficult rapids on the Zambezi River with other celebrities. They raised over £1 million for charity. In 2014, Melanie C went to Ghana to support a campaign. It helped provide clean drinking water for children in Africa. She also supports a charity for homeless people.

Music Style

Influences

Melanie C has said that Madonna is her biggest musical influence. She admires Madonna's hard work and strength. She also mentioned bands like Blur and Oasis as inspirations for her first album.

Voice and Style

Melanie C's voice is known for being able to sing many different styles of music. People describe her voice as unique and strong. Her music is generally pop and rock.

Impact and Legacy

As "Sporty Spice" in the Spice Girls, Melanie C often wore tracksuits and athletic shoes. She had a tough image and tattoos. She could also do cool athletic moves like back handsprings. The Spice Girls helped create the "Cool Britannia" idea. This was about a new, exciting image for Britain.

The Spice Girls became famous when other music styles were popular. They changed the music world by focusing on young fans. They helped start the global trend of teen pop acts in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many girl groups and female singers today say the Spice Girls influenced them. These include Little Mix, Lady Gaga, and Adele.

Some of Melanie C's solo songs have been used in movies. "Ga Ga" was in Big Daddy. "Go" was in Whatever It Takes. "Suddenly Monday" was in Maybe Baby. Her song "I Turn to You" was featured in the movie Bend It Like Beckham. It has also been covered by other bands.

Discography

• Northern Star (1999)
• Reason (2003)
• Beautiful Intentions (2005)
• This Time (2007)
• The Sea (2011)
• Stages (2012)
• Version of Me (2016)
• Melanie C (2020)

with Spice Girls

• Spice (1996)
• Spiceworld (1997)
• Forever (2000)

Film and TV Appearances

Stage Performances

Concert Tours

• Northern Star Tour (2000–01)
• Reason Tour (2003)
• Beautiful Intentions Tour (2005)
• This Time Canadian Tour (2008)
• The Sea Live (2011–12)
• Version of Me Tour (2017–2018)
• Global Pride Tour (2019)
• Melanie C Live 2022 (2022)
• Melanie C Live 2023 (2023)
• Melanie C Birthday Show (2024)
• Live Performances 2025 (2025)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Melanie Chisholm para niños