 |
Rachel Stevens
14
Biography
Born: Rachel Lauren Stevens on 9 April 1978, in Southgate, London.
Rachel Stevens is an English singer, actress, and an occasional model. A former member of the successful pop group S Club (7), she launched a solo recording career and has released seven singles and two albums to date in the UK.
At the age of fifteen, Stevens beat out 5000 competitors in a modelling competition sponsored by Just 17 magazine. Following her first modelling jobs, she studied at the London School of Fashion and worked in public relations.
At the age of nineteen, Stevens accompanied her brother to an audition in London for a new pop group, which was being put together by Simon Fuller, the one-time manager of the Spice Girls. After a successful audition, Stevens became a member of the British pop group S Club 7. The group rose to fame via their own BBC television programme and by selling sixteen million records worldwide and launching four number one hit singles in the United Kingdom. S Club disbanded in 2003.
After S Club broke up, Stevens signed a £1.5 million solo four-album deal with Polydor Records and re-signed with S Club manager, Simon Fuller. Her first solo single, written by Cathy Dennis, was Sweet Dreams My LA Ex, released in September 2003. The single was a hit, debuting at number two on the UK singles chart. The single was also a hit worldwide peaking in the top ten in multiple countries including Ireland and Sweden. Taking inspiration from R&B music most reminiscent of TLC and Sugababes, and adult-style pop music by Madonna, Stevens' debut solo album, Funky Dory was released later that month. The album was a minor hit, reaching number nine on the UK albums chart and quickly fading away in subsequent weeks almost without a trace.
In July 2004, Stevens released a brand new single, Some Girls which was produced by Richard X. The single became a hit across Europe, and reached number two in the UK. The next single release, More More More peaked at number three in the UK, giving Stevens her third top ten solo single in the UK.
In late 2004, Stevens began working on her second solo album with producers and songwriters Richard X, Alexis Strum and Xenomania. The following March she released the first single from her upcoming album, Negotiate With Love. The song was a minor hit in the UK, reaching the top ten. Stevens' second full-length studio album, Come And Get It followed in October 2005. The last single released from the album was I Said Never Again (But Here We Are), released in October 2005.
While Stevens was a member of S Club 7, she appeared in 4 seasons of S Club shows Miami 7, L.A. 7, Hollywood 7, and Viva S Club. The group also starred in the feature film, Seeing Double. In 2004, Stevens appeared in Suzie Gold, followed by a role in Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005).
On Valentine's Day in 2002, Stevens became engaged to actor Jeremy Edwards. The couple broke up in early 2004 after they had been dating for over three years. Stevens has since been linked to actor Steven Dorff and American-based British singer Oli Trevena (Oli T).
