Yazz facts for kids

Yazz (born Yasmin Evans; 19 May 1960) is a British pop singer. She is most famous for her 1988 UK number one song "The Only Way Is Up". Some of her early songs were released under the name Yazz and the Plastic Population.

Yazz's Early Life and Music Career

Yazz was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, England. Her father was from Jamaica and her mother was British. When she was younger, she went to Holland Park School. She was very good at sports, especially running the 400 metres. She even played volleyball for the England under-19 team!

After working as a catwalk model, Yazz started making music. She had some popular songs in nightclubs in 1983 with a group called the Biz. Her first big success came in early 1988. She sang on a song called "Doctorin' the House" with the group Coldcut.

Becoming a Solo Star

Soon after, Yazz started her solo career. She signed with a record label called Big Life. Her first solo song, "The Only Way Is Up", came out in the summer of 1988. It was a huge hit! The song stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for five weeks. It became the second best-selling song in the UK that year.

Her next song, "Stand Up for Your Love Rights", was also very popular. It reached number 2 in the UK. Her first album, Wanted, was also a big success. It reached number 3 in the UK and sold over 600,000 copies.

In 1989, Yazz had another top-10 song called "Fine Time". She continued to release music, but not as often. She had planned to release a second album called Revolution of Love in 1990. However, the album was not released at that time.

New Music and Collaborations

Yazz later signed with Polydor Records. She planned to release an album called One True Woman in 1992, but it was also cancelled. In 1993, she returned to the top 40 charts. She sang with the band Aswad on their hit song "How Long". Her second album, One on One, finally came out in 1994. It included some of the songs she had recorded earlier.

She kept releasing songs throughout the 1990s. This included a cover version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" by The Jackson 5. In 1997, she released an album of cover songs called The Natural Life. This album was released in Japan, Australia, and parts of Europe.

Yazz's Spiritual Journey

During this time, Yazz started thinking about her life and career in a new way. She wanted to make some changes. She explored different religions, and a friend suggested she visit their church. Yazz soon decided to dedicate her life to Christ.

Her 2008 album, Running Back to You, shared her spiritual journey. It talked about her new Christian faith. Today, Yazz lives in Spain. She is an active member of the Calahonda Baptist Church. She sometimes returns to Britain to perform songs from her Christian album and share stories about her faith.

In August 2009, Yazz performed with a full band for the first time in many years at a church in Southampton. She also performed in October 2010 at Cathedral House in Huddersfield.

In 2016, a special three-CD version of her Wanted album was released. It included her 1990 song "Treat Me Good" and other bonus tracks.

Yazz's Popular Songs

Here are some of Yazz's most well-known songs:

• "Doctorin' the House" (with Coldcut)
• "The Only Way Is Up"
• "Stand Up for Your Love Rights"
• "Fine Time"
• "How Long" (with Aswad)
• "Never Can Say Goodbye"