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Louise Elizabeth Redknapp (née Nurding)
(born November 4, 1974) is an English singer and
television presenter, usually referred to by her first
name alone.
Biography: Louise was born in Lewisham, London,
but grew up in Eltham, London, and Oxted, Surrey.
A graduate of the Italia Conti Academy stage school, she
first came to prominence as a member of the all girl
group Eternal. After a string of hits in 1993-4 from
debut album Always & Forever (which became the first
by an all girl group to sell over one million copies in
the UK), she left the group in 1995 to pursue a solo
career.
So far, Louise has registered twelve Top 20 hits, and
earned herself several BRIT Award nominations. Her debut
solo album Naked sold over a million copies world wide
as did the follow up 1997's Woman In Me. Both albums
went Platinum in the UK. 1997 also saw Louise set off on
her first UK tour. Playing at over 20 sell out venues
across the country including Wembley Arena.
She married now-retired Liverpool and England football
player Jamie Redknapp in the Caribbean on June 29, 1998.
They have a son named Charley.
In 2001, after trying out a more grown up sound on her
third LP Elbow Beach (named after the place where she
got married), Louise left her record label and a
"best of" album, Changing Faces, was released.
This was followed by another "best of"
collection from EMI (but with a slightly different
tracklisting), Finest Moments, in 2002.
She has since completed a 2002 UK-wide tour, tried her
hand at TV presenting (on SMTV Live and CD:UK) and hit
the UK Top 5 again with Pandora's Kiss in 2003. In the
July 2004 edition of FHM, she was named Sexiest Woman of
the Decade.
Louise has said she is nervous about releasing new
material as the music industry has changed so much to
when she was at her peak. She has just signed to a new
management company Merlin Elite. Five clips of new songs
have been placed on the internet - Bounce Back, Slam,
Lil' Lou, Don't Ever Change and Make It Fit (co-written
by Jamelia). The songs which were originally recorded
for Louise's never released 2004 album, have received a
huge amount of praise and interest - many classing it as
a fresh new sound for Louise.
While Louise has been quiet on the music scene for the
last three years she has still remained in the public
eye.
Alongside her husband Jamie Redknapp and footballer Tim
Sherwood, Redknapp has recently entered into publishing;
producing a magazine called Icon, which is an exclusive
magazine aimed solely at professional footballers.
Redknapp has recently been seen as the face of a number
of advertising campaigns, the Safe And White campaign
for Boots, Flora's' Omega 3 products, the new cosmetics
company Think Happy: Organics, Hovis Invisible Crust and
work for the RSPCA and BT.
In a poll, Redknapp has been voted the best footballer's
wife of all time. In 2006, Redknapp ws one of the
presenters of Soccer Aid: Extra Time on ITV2.
Redknapp has recently been seen as a guest reporter on
This Morning, she interviewed the fashion designer Tracy
Boyd and as one of the hosts of The Clothes Show on
digital channel UKTV Style.
In March 2007, Redknapp was seen as the presenter of the
controversial documentary The Truth About Size Zero for
ITV1. Redknapp is currently brand ambassador for the new
Orbit Complete detox guide to teeth and mouth and a
model for Avon.
Eternal: At the age of 11, Louise Nurding joined
the Italia Conti Academy stage school. On her first day
at Italia Conti, Redknapp met Kéllé Bryan - and the
pair would spend almost every day together for the next
10 years. They remain friends today. While out illegally
clubbing (at the age of 16) Louise met music producer
Denis Ingoldsby who was forming a girl band. She
subsequently introduced him to Bryan
Bryan and Nurding, together with sisters Easther and
Vernie Bennett became the early 1990's award-winning,
multi-million selling, chart-topping British R&B
girl group Eternal. At the time of their release,
Eternal were different from other girl bands on the UK
market. Their music was not mainstream pop but a mixture
of heavy R&B, soul and dance. Their image was not
'pretty' but rather 'street chic'
Eternal's debut single 'Stay' shot straight into the UK
charts at number 4, and their album, 'Always and
Forever' sold over 1.5 million units in the UK alone
(the first by an all girl group to do so in the UK).
Eternal were an instant success and the girls were
touring and promoting all around the globe.
At the peak of their fame, it came as surprise to both
fans and critics in June 1995 that Louise decided to
leave the band - by coincidence, the same day Robbie
Williams left Take That. Many saw Louise's decision as
madness - she was part of the biggest girl band in
Europe, breaking records and about to crack America.
However Louise was not happy within the
band; she felt alone and homesick on the increasingly
longer world tours, missing her friends and family. Most
importantly though she felt creatively and artistically
restricted - not surprising considering Easther Bennett
sang lead on virtually every Eternal song leaving Kéllé,
Vernie and Louise with few solo vocal opportunities.
Although Louise did not announce her solo ambitions when
she left the band, she knew that was the direction she
wanted to take
Going solo, Naked: After leaving 'Eternal' Louise
did not get back in the studio straight away. In late
1995 Louise signed a solo record deal with First Avenue
management and EMI records. In October 1995 Louise
released her debut solo single, the big orchestral
ballad 'Light of My Life'.
Louise's second single "In Walked Love"
(previously a hit for Dance-Pop group, Expose), didn't
chart as well as 'Light of My Life' and there were
doubts as to whether or not Louise would actually be
successful as a solo artist. Her third single, 'Naked'
was a huge hit, arguably the biggest of her career,
charting at number 5 in the UK (it remained in the top
20 for many weeks) and topped many charts in the rest of
Europe.
The video for 'Naked' would also have a
huge effect on Louise's career. While the videos for
'Light of My Life' and 'In Walked Love' portrayed Louise
as the pretty girl next door, 'Naked' showed a more sexy
and raunchy side to Louise - soon she would be voted
'The Sexiest Woman In The World'. 'Naked' established
Louise as a solo artist in her own right.
Louise's debut solo album, also entitled 'Naked', was
released shortly after the single. The album received
lukewarm reviews. Nevertheless, the album peaked at
number 7 in the UK album charts, quickly received
platinum certification, and sold over a million copies
(including sales for Europe). To push the album, two
further singles were released; 'Undivided Love' - a fun,
up-tempo track and the standout track of the album; and
the sultry, R&B track 'One Kiss From Heaven'.
Woman In Me: In 1997 Louise returned with the
single 'Arms Around The World', which offered a slightly
different sound - still pop, yet not typically
conventional, incorporating 'worldly' sounds. The single
was a huge hit and until 2000's '2 Faced' was Louise's
highest charting track reaching number 4.
Louise's second solo album was more successful than her
first. The album reached number 5 in the UK charts and
also went on to chart in other European territories. The
reviews from the album were generally very good, many
classing it as a mature and diverse pop album.
'Let's Go Round Again' (a cover of the original The
Average White Band track) was the second single released
on the album. While the song only reached number 10 in
the charts it became Louise's biggest selling single,
selling over 150,000 copies.
At the start of 1998 Louise's marketing was very strong;
she was one of the reigning UK pop queens. Her album
'Woman In Me' had gone platinum and sold over a million
copies, she was on the cover of every magazine from
'Smash Hits' to 'GQ' and had been voted 'The Sexiest
Woman In The World' by the readers of FHM magazine. The
'Louise Soft and Gentle No Sweat Tour' was a sell-out,
and was one of the first tours to be choreographed by
famed Madonna (singer) tour director/choreographer Jamie
King.
While Louise was on tour the final single was released
from 'Woman In Me': 'All That Matters'. The single's
choice was the source of much controversy with fans and
critics. Fans wanted the title track 'Woman In Me' or
the pop anthem 'Shut Up And Kiss Me' to be released as
they felt they were the best tracks on the album.
Critics saw 'All That Matters' as a step backwards for
Louise as the track was a pop number that would have
fitted in better on the 'Naked' album. The single
charted at number 11.
Elbow Beach: After the success of the album
'Woman In Me', Louise spent most of 1999 out of the
public eye, as she married long-time boyfriend Jamie
Redknapp. After the honeymoon, Louise spent just under a
year making what she claimed was her most personal album
to date. Titled 'Elbow Beach', the location of her
honeymoon, the album served as a snapshot of Louise's
life at that point. Creatively Louise was more involved
in the process of this album than her previous two,
co-writing all 12 tracks and co-producing most of them.
In 2000 all looked ready for Louise to take over the UK
charts again. The lead single from 'Elbow Beach', the
RnB '2 Faced' went straight into the charts at number 3,
and became Louise's highest charting single. Despite the
hype and receiving critical praise, total sales for
'Elbow Beach' were weaker than the previous two
productions, and the album peaked at number 12. To help
push the album the critics’ favourite track, the
dance/pop track 'Beautiful Inside', was released. While
the single received a lot of airplay on radio and
rotation on TV it charted at number 13.
Louise was voted 'Sexiest Woman In The World' by the
readers of FHM for the 3rd time in 2000, and also
received the GQ award for 'Sexiest Woman In Britain'.
Changing Faces: After the 'Elbow Beach' period
Louise was coming to the end of her 5-album deal with
EMI (1 includes 'Always and Forever'). EMI were worried
about releasing another studio album after the
relatively mediocre sales of 'Elbow Beach'; and if
Louise was to release another album under them they
would want her to revert to her classic 'pop' sound
heard on 'Woman In Me', which wouldn't have pleased
Louise has she was heading another direction musically.
Instead it was decided that a greatest hits package
would be released, incorporating all of Louise's 15
top-10 hit singles.
The greatest hits package, entitled 'Changing Faces: The
Best Of Louise' would feature 3 new tracks and be
Louise's final release under EMI. For the album Louise
released a cover of 'Stuck In The Middle', which entered
the UK chart at number 4. The album was a commercial
success, reaching number 9 in the album charts and
receiving gold certification. Before the album's release
Louise was signed to front ITV's Saturday morning kids'
TV shows sSMTV Live and CDUK with her friend Cat Deeley
for the summer. She was then asked back Christmas the
same year to present a further 3 shows.
Because of the success of the album Louise decided to
take the album on the road with her second solo tour.
Louise played smaller locations right across the
country. The tour was a big success; with all the 36
dates becoming a 'sold-out' event.
After all the touring and promotion of 'Changing Faces',
Louise had officially left EMI, which meant she was a
free artist although she was still signed to her
managing company First Avenue. In 2002 Louise signed a
£1.5 million contract to her manager Oliver Smallman's
Positive Records, a division of Universal Music. Almost
instantly Louise was rushed off to record her highly
anticipated 4th solo album.
This was an exciting time for Louise as her new label
were encouraging her to develop a fresh, new sound; and
were prepared to spend the money to give her this.
Louise worked with a whole host of A-list producers on
both sides of the Atlantic including teams who had
worked with the likes of Destiny's Child, Jamelia,
Michael Jackson, Craig David and Sugababes - the result
is said to be a brand new style of sound for Louise. |
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