Miquel Brown facts for kids

Miquel Brown (born Michael Brown; February 8, 1945) is a talented Canadian actress, singer, and music video director. She became famous in the 1970s and 1980s for her popular disco and soul songs. Some of her biggest hits include "Close to Perfection," "So Many Men – So Little Time," and "He's a Saint, He's a Sinner."

Miquel is also the mother of singer Sinitta. She is the stepsister of Amii Stewart, another well-known singer.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Miquel Brown was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. At a young age, Miquel became a mother to her daughters, Sinitta and Greta.

She left university after getting a role in the musical Hair. She played the part of Sheila in the U.S. touring company. After the Hair tour, Miquel visited Australia.

In 1973, Miquel took on the main role in Decameron '73 in London. She also appeared on the Michael Parkinson Show. In 1974, she was in the TV film Regan, which led to The Sweeney TV series. In 1975, she acted in the film Rollerball with James Caan. Miquel also spent two years performing with a singing and dancing group called 'Second Generation'.

Over the next two years, she performed in Bubbling Brown Sugar. She also made appearances on TV shows like Seaside Special and Supersonic.

Music Career Highlights

In 1976, Miquel played Sister Anna in the musical Mardi Gras. This role helped her get discovered and sign her first record deal. Her first song was "First Time Around." This led her to work with musician Alan Hawkshaw. He signed her for an album deal.

Her first album, Symphony of Love, came out in 1978. It included songs like the title track, "Dancin' with the Lights Down Low," and "The Day They Got Disco in Brazil." Also in 1978, Miquel had a small part in the movie Superman.

In 1983, Miquel worked with producers Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench. Together with Record Shack Records, they created the album Manpower. This album was a Hi-NRG release. The first song from the album, "So Many Men – So Little Time," became very popular. It reached No. 88 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 on the club chart.

After Manpower, Miquel performed in stage shows like Only in America and One Mo' Time. She also performed in many clubs around the world. In 1985, she released another album called Close to Perfection. This album also had two hits on US dance radio: "Black Leather" and "Close to Perfection." The song "Close to Perfection" reached No. 63 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 1986, Miquel helped out the singing group The Three Degrees. She filled in for Helen Scott while Scott was pregnant. Miquel helped them promote their song "This Is the House" in Europe. Later, she released more songs like "On the Radio" and "Footprints in the Sand."

In 1989, Miquel appeared in the British TV show Casualty. She played the character Jill in an episode called "Accidents Happen."

Acting in the 1990s and Beyond

In the 1990s, Miquel continued to release music and act. In 1990, she released the songs "I Was Strong (My Moment)" and "Which Way Is Up."

She also took on several film roles. In 1995, she played the Housekeeper in Solomon and Sheba with Halle Berry. That same year, she was Sgt. Patton in French Kiss, starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. Miquel also sang on the London cast recordings for musicals like Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (1993) and Fame (1995). In Fame, she played Miss Sherman, the English teacher.

In the 2000s, Miquel continued her acting career. In 2001, she played the Negro Woman in the play A Streetcar Named Desire in London. She also appeared in the 2001 film Wit with Emma Thompson.

In 2004, Miquel played Idella in the London production of Purlie. In 2005, she appeared as Chloe in An American Haunting with Sissy Spacek. The next year, 2006, she co-starred in the film 9/11: The Twin Towers. She also appeared in the movie London Successor as Lolo.

In 2007, Miquel starred in the first London production of Menopause The Musical. In 2008, she was in the film How To Lose Friends & Alienate People with Jeff Bridges. One of her more recent roles was in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016, where she played Executioner 2.

Discography

Albums

• Symphony of Love (1978)
• Manpower (Record Shack Records, 1983)
• Close to Perfection (Record Shack Records, 1985)
• The Best of Miquel Brown (Hot Productions, 1991)

Singles