Yazz facts for kids

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

Yazz's Music Journey

Early Life and First Steps

Yazz was born in Shepherd's Bush, London. Her father was from Jamaica and her mother was British. She went to Holland Park School. Yazz was very good at sports there. She was good at the 400 metres race. She was also part of England's under-19 volleyball team.

After working as a catwalk model, Yazz started making music. She had several club hits in 1983. This was after she recorded with a group called the Biz. Her first big success came in early 1988. She sang on Coldcut's song "Doctorin' the House".

Becoming a Star

Soon after, Yazz started her solo career. She joined Big Life records. This record label was started by her husband, Jazz Summers. Her first solo song was "The Only Way Is Up". It came out in the summer of 1988. This song was a huge hit! It 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, reached number 3 in the UK. It sold over 600,000 copies by September 1989.

Later Music and New Paths

In 1989, Yazz had another top-10 song called "Fine Time". After that, she recorded music less often. A second album, Revolution of Love, was planned for 1990. This was after her song "Treat Me Good" (which reached number 20 in the UK). But the album was not released. Yazz left the Big Life record label.

Yazz then signed with Polydor Records. An album called One True Woman was planned for 1992. But it was also cancelled. She returned to the Top 40 in 1993. This was when she sang with Aswad on their hit song "How Long". Her second album, One on One, finally came out in 1994. It included some songs from the One True Woman album.

She kept releasing songs throughout the 1990s. This included a cover version of The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye". In 1997, she released The Natural Life. This album had many cover songs. It was released in Japan, Australia, and parts of Europe. But it was not released in the UK.

A Change in Life

During this time, Yazz started to think about her life choices. She wanted to change her lifestyle. A friend suggested she visit her church. Soon, she decided to "turn her life over to Christ".

Her 2008 album, Running Back to You, was released by ICC Records in the UK. This album shared her spiritual journey. It showed her new Christian faith. Yazz now lives in Spain. She is an active member of the Calahonda Baptist Church. She sometimes visits Britain to promote her album. She performs songs and shares stories about her faith.

In August 2009, Yazz performed with a full band. This was her first time in several years. It happened at a church in Southampton. In October 2010, she performed again with a band. This was at Cathedral House in Huddersfield.

In 2016, a special three-CD version of the Wanted album was released. It included her 1990 song "Treat Me Good". It also had B-sides and remixes.

Yazz's Albums

Yazz's Singles