Toyah Willcox facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toyah Willcox
Willcox performing live at Let's Rock Liverpool in 2021
Born	Toyah Ann Willcox (1958-05-18) 18 May 1958 (age 67) Kings Heath, Birmingham, England
Other names	Toyah
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress television presenter
Years active	1976–present
Musical career
Genres	Post-punk new wave rock pop rock
Labels	Safari Portrait Aardvark E.G. Zomba Music Group

Toyah Ann Willcox (born on May 18, 1958) is a famous English singer, songwriter, actress, and TV presenter. She has been working for over 40 years! During this time, she has had eight songs reach the top 40 charts. She has also released more than 20 albums and written two books. Toyah has acted in over 40 plays and 10 movies. You might also know her voice from many TV shows she has presented.

From 1977 to 1983, Toyah was the lead singer of a band called Toyah. After that, she started her own solo music career in the mid-1980s. She was even nominated for awards like "British Breakthrough Act" and "Best Female Solo Artist" at the Brit Awards 1982. Her popular songs, which she helped write, include "It's a Mystery", "Thunder in the Mountains", and "I Want to Be Free".

Toyah Willcox is married to the English guitarist Robert Fripp.

Early Life and Growing Up

Toyah Willcox was born in Kings Heath, Birmingham, on May 18, 1958. Her father, Beric Willcox, had a successful business making things from wood. Her mother, Barbara Joy, was a professional dancer. Toyah has an older sister, Nicola, and an older brother, Kim.

Toyah has said that her first name might come from Toyah, Texas, or from a Native American word meaning "water." However, her parents say these ideas are not true.

Toyah had a comfortable childhood and went to a private girls' school. But she faced bullying there. She also had a spinal condition that needed physiotherapy. Toyah was often rebellious and missed school. She took her O-levels (exams) a year late because she had surgery on her feet. She only passed her music O-level. Feeling different from her background, she became very rebellious and developed a strong, colorful personality.

Toyah was always interested in music, dance, and acting. She first tried acting. She went to the Old Rep Drama School in Birmingham. She had to pay for it herself because she couldn't get a grant. The person who decided on grants said she had a lisp and wasn't "attractive." She started working backstage in local theaters. Because of her unique look and brightly colored hair, actors called her "The Bird of Paradise."

Toyah's Amazing Career

How Toyah Started (1976–1979)

Toyah got her first acting role after being an extra in a TV show. She was chosen for a play called Glitter (1976) in a BBC series. She played Sue, a girl who sang in a band and dreamed of being on Top of the Pops. In the play, Toyah sang two songs she had helped write.

After this, she was offered a role at the National Theatre in London. She played Emma in a play called Tales from the Vienna Woods. Moving to London helped her career grow.

In 1977, while acting at the National Theatre, Toyah started her own band, also called Toyah. She was the lead singer, even though she never thought of herself as a musician. The band included Joel Bogen on guitar, Mark Henry on bass, Steve Bray on drums, and Peter Bush on keyboards.

Toyah also got into movies. Director Derek Jarman offered her a part in his film Jubilee (1978). She played a character named 'Mad.' The film also featured other punk stars like Siouxsie Sioux and Adam Ant. She then played 'Monkey' in The Who's 1979 film Quadrophenia. She really wanted this part and even filmed it while she had pneumonia!

She continued acting on stage and in films. In 1979, she played Sharon in Sugar and Spice at the Royal Court Theatre. She also acted with Katharine Hepburn in the TV movie The Corn Is Green. Toyah often felt torn between her music and acting careers. She saw acting as "highbrow" and music as "lowbrow."

Becoming a Punk Icon (1980–1983)

Willcox was considered a pinnacle of the new-wave punk movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s

Toyah and her band recorded their first songs in a converted warehouse in London. She even slept in a "second-hand" coffin for a while! Her role in Quadrophenia helped her music career take off. The band signed with Safari Records. Their first song, "Victims of the Riddle", became number one on the UK Indie Chart.

Their first album, Sheep Farming in Barnet, came out in 1979. Their second album, The Blue Meaning, reached number 40 in the UK Albums Chart in 1980. By this time, Toyah said she was moving away from the punk style.

In 1981, their live album Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! made it into the Top 30. The band had some changes, with new members joining. Toyah's presence in the UK charts grew stronger in 1981. Her EP Four from Toyah reached number 4, and included the hit "It's a Mystery". Her third album, Anthem, went to number 2 and sold so well it was certified platinum. Other hits included "I Want to Be Free" and "Thunder in the Mountains". Toyah was one of the first artists to have EPs (mini-albums) regularly succeed in the UK Singles Chart. At the end of 1981, she won two Smash Hits magazine polls: Best Female Singer and Most Fanciable Female.

In 1982, the album The Changeling was released. It had a darker, more goth-like sound and reached number 6 in the UK. Toyah also appeared in the film Urgh! A Music War, performing her song "Danced." She was nominated for more Brit Awards in 1982.

Toyah said that making the album Love Is the Law (1983) was a very happy time. She was also acting in a play and a film with the famous Laurence Olivier. However, her popularity started to decrease around this time.

Solo Career and Acting (1984–1990)

Toyah decided to end her band in 1983 and started a solo career. She signed a new record deal and released her solo album Minx in 1985. This album included her hit song "Don't Fall in Love (I Said)".

Willcox and her husband Robert Fripp (left) have been married since 1986

Toyah secretly married British guitarist Robert Fripp on May 16, 1986. Robert is a founding member of the band King Crimson. Together, they formed a new band called Sunday All Over the World. Toyah called Robert her "soulmate".

Her next solo album, Desire (1987), was not as successful, but her version of "Echo Beach" reached the Top 50. Toyah continued to have many TV roles, including in series like Quatermass and Minder. She acted opposite Laurence Olivier in The Ebony Tower and with the Who's Roger Daltrey in Murder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce. She also appeared in Kavanagh QC.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, Toyah focused a lot on stage acting. She had leading roles in plays like Trafford Tanzi and Cabaret. She also won an award for her role in Three Men on a Horse.

TV Presenting and More Albums (1991–1999)

Toyah had presented a TV show before, but in the 1990s, her career as a TV presenter really took off. She started by hosting arts programs. By the mid to late 1990s, she was presenting segments on popular shows like Watchdog:healthcheck and This Morning. She also worked for VH1 for three years. Toyah traveled the world as a reporter for BBC travel shows like Holiday.

Her husband, Robert Fripp, joined her on her 1991 album Ophelia's Shadow, which received good reviews. She released three more albums: Take the Leap! (1993), Dreamchild (1994), and Looking Back (1995). In 1996, she had the special honor of hosting Songs of Praise on the BBC. She also released The Acoustic Album that year. In 1999, she played the main character in the children's TV series Barmy Aunt Boomerang. You might also recognize her voice from children's shows like Teletubbies and Brum.

TV and Tours (2000–2010)

Willcox in 2006

In the 2000s, Toyah continued to appear on TV. She reviewed newspapers on The Heaven and Earth Show and hosted cooking shows. She also presented many music programs for Vintage TV.

In 2001, Toyah received an honorary degree from the University of Central England. This was to celebrate her achievements in performing arts and broadcasting. Q magazine named her number 48 in their poll of the top 100 Greatest Women in Music.

She returned to music in 2002 with new songs and performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. She also sold out eleven stadium concerts for the Here and Now tour. She released a mini-album called Velvet Lined Shell in 2003, which showed a darker music style. Toyah also appeared on the BBC Radio 4 series The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

In May 2003, Toyah was a contestant on the reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was the fourth person to leave the show. In June 2003, she starred in the musical Calamity Jane in London's West End. This role was nominated for an award.

Toyah continued to perform in the 2000s, including with her band The Humans. In 2007, she released a new song, Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You), followed by the album In the Court of the Crimson Queen in 2008. She also performed at the new Liverpool Echo Arena as part of Liverpool's European Capital of Culture year.

Toyah appeared on TV shows like Living with the Dead and This Morning. She also acted in pantomimes, playing Queen Ivannah in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 2009, she made a guest appearance in the BBC drama Casualty. She also played Fantine in a radio version of Les Misérables. At the end of 2009, Toyah was ranked seventh in a BBC series called "Queens of British Pop."

Anniversary Tours and New Music (2011–Present)

Willcox performing at Manchester Pride in August 2011

In 2011, Toyah started a special tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her hit "It's a Mystery" and her platinum album Anthem. The tour featured songs from her first three albums.

In 2012, she launched another tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her album The Changeling. She also performed in her hometown of Kings Heath, Birmingham, to celebrate getting a star on the King's Heath Walk of Fame. In 2013, Toyah took part in the ITV diving competition Splash!. She also released a special edition of her 2008 album In the Court of the Crimson Queen.

Toyah continued to tour with her band and with acoustic shows. She appeared in several films, including Aaaaaaaah! and Lies We Tell. In 2017, she played Queen Elizabeth II in a play based on Derek Jarman's film Jubilee.

In 2018, Toyah toured with her #Toyah60 show, celebrating her 60th birthday and 40 years in music. She also released new music that charted well. She won her heat of Celebrity Mastermind in 2018 and appeared on Pointless Celebrities in 2019.

Willcox performing at Nottinghamshire Pride in July 2018

In 2019, a re-issue of her 2008 album In the Court of the Crimson Queen reached number 74 in the UK Albums Chart. This was her first time in the UK Albums Chart since 1985!

In 2020, a box set called Toyah Solo was released, featuring many of her albums. Also, a record company started re-releasing her early albums, and they appeared in the UK Albums Chart again.

During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Toyah started making videos from her home for social media and YouTube. She answers fan questions in Toyah at Home and hosts Agony Aunts with her husband, Robert Fripp. But her Sunday Lunch series with Robert Fripp became very famous. They started making weekly videos in 2021, covering songs by bands like Slipknot, Billy Idol, and Rammstein. In 2022, they released their version of "Slave to the Rhythm" as a song to download. The duo toured the UK in 2023, performing their Sunday Lunch songs live.

Toyah released her first solo album since 2008, called Posh Pop, in 2021. It reached number 22 in the charts.

In 2022, she appeared as herself in two episodes of the BBC Radio 4 series The Archers. She also joined Billy Idol on his UK tour.

In December 2023, Toyah was a celebrity presenter on the BBC One show Homes Under the Hammer.

In September 2024, she became a contestant on the TV competition Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with professional dancer Neil Jones. She called the show "the best experience of her life." They faced challenges, ending up at the bottom of the leaderboard in the first week. They improved slightly but were eliminated after the third week.

Personal Life

Reddish House, the former home of Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp, Broad Chalke, Wiltshire

Toyah has been married to musician Robert Fripp since 1986. Robert is the founder and guitarist of the band King Crimson. They do not have children. They plan to leave their money to create a musical education trust for children.

In 1987, Toyah gave a speech at the Women of the Year ceremony. She spoke about how having dyslexia (a learning difference) can make someone want to live a fuller, more creative life.

In 2002, she spoke out against plans for new housing centers near her village in Worcestershire.

In 2007, Toyah supported a project to create a large park in the Black Country. In 2008, she took part in the Great Walk to Beijing to raise money for Olivia Newton-John's cancer charity.

In 2009, she had hip replacement surgery and one of her legs was shortened.

Music Albums

Concert Tours

Film and TV Appearances

Books by Toyah Willcox

• 2000: Living Out Loud
• 2005: Diary of a Facelift

See also

In Spanish: Toyah Willcox para niños