Mica Paris
Mica Paris Warner | |
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Website | www |
Michelle Antoinette Wallen MBE (born 27 April 1969[1][2]), known professionally as Mica Paris (/miːˈʃə/), is an English singer, presenter, and actress. Her debut album, So Good, was released in 1988, spawning the singles "My One Temptation" and "Where Is the Love". She has since gone on to release seven further albums: Contribution (1990), Whisper a Prayer (1993), Black Angel (1998), If You Could Love Me (2005), Soul Classics (2005), Born Again (2009), and Gospel (2020). In 2020, Paris played Ellie Nixon on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Music
Paris grew up singing in her grandparents' church, and by her mid-teens was making regular appearances with the Spirit of Watts gospel choir (with whom she featured on the 1985 EP Gospel Joy).[1] At the age of 17, she became a backing vocalist with the UK band Hollywood Beyond.[3] Paris appeared on their album If (1985).[1] In 1988, she released her debut and platinum-selling album So Good with 4th & Broadway when she was 19 years old.[4] "My One Temptation" was the lead single.[3] This led to a collaboration with American soul singer Will Downing on a cover version of a classic "Where Is the Love", made famous by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack in the early 1970s.[1]
The follow-up album,
Her third album was
Two years later, Paris lent her voice to Walt Disney Pictures (Touchstone Pictures) soundtrack for High Heels and Low Lifes, which was later included in the Primal Screen soundtrack compilation album (2001). In 2003, Paris released the Moby sampling "Heart" with Seraphim Suite. Paris also joined Omar onstage for his gig at The Shepherds Bush Empire. She also contributed to the track "I Don't Understand" on Milk & Sugar album. 2004 saw Paris feature as a guest on The New Inspirational Choir's album Inspirations along with Keisha White and Jocelyn Brown. In 2005, Paris released the album If You Could Love Me (Wounded Bird Records), featuring backing from the Brecker Brothers on the title track, with executive producer Andreas Neumann and producer Bernard Grobman.[6] Also in 2005, she released the album Soul Classics, with executive producers Rick Blaskey and Andreas Neumann.[1] Paris collaborated with Lemar on the track "Can't You See" on his album The Truth About Love in 2006, and in February 2008, she released the duet "Secret Lovers" with Alexander O'Neal. This was followed by a residency at the Indigo 02.
In June 2009, she released her sixth studio album, Born Again. She embarked on a nationwide tour, which included dates at the Jazz Cafe in February 2009 to showcase the material. The album was produced by Brian Rawling. James Morrison wrote Paris' first single, "Baby Come Back Now".[1] Paris released the second single from Born Again on 17 August 2009. The track, "The Hardest Thing", was remixed by Stonebridge, Almighty and 2Darc.[7][8] Paris performed at various venues prior to the release from the album in March 2010 of the title track "Born Again".[9]
On 4 June 2022, Paris performed "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" with Nicola Roberts and Ruby Turner at the Platinum Party at the Palace concert to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.[10]
Other ventures
Television and radio
In 2002, Paris hosted a programme on BBC Radio 2, titled Soul Solutions[11] and narrated several music documentaries for the station. She also presented the 2002 Channel 4 television documentary The Gospel of Gospel which revealed the influence of the black American church tradition on pop music.[12] Produced and directed by David Upshal, it featured contributions from Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, B. B. King, Al Green, Chaka Khan, Alexander O'Neal, Edwin Hawkins, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Mary Mary. Furthermore, she broadcast a two-part show, Purple Reign: The Prince Story, on BBC Radio 2 which covered the entirety of the American artist's controversial career and featured interviews with George Clinton, Chaka Khan and Jimmy Jam.[1] She was also a narrator on an award-winning documentary featuring Diana Ross focusing on her European and international success rather than her megastar status in the states.
In 2005, she appeared on week three of the ITV reality series
In 2007, she played the part of Amelia Walker, a fictitious American jazz singer, in
During 2013, Paris became a regular guest on the ITV show This Morning. In February 2017, she stood in for
Theatre
In 1993, Paris starred in two
Book
While presenting What Not To Wear, Paris encountered many women whose stories touched her. She began to examine her own life and choices, and was compelled to tell her story in a bid to inspire confidence and self-esteem to those women and others. Her book Beautiful Within: Finding Happiness and Confidence in Your Own Skin was published by Simon & Schuster UK;
Charity work
Paris has designed a pillow-case for ByteNight a charity event organised to raise funds for the NCH and youth homelessness.[18] Mica is the patron for the Space For Music project, the project to renovate Band on the Wall a venue owned and operated by registered charity Inner City Music Ltd. She is also an Ambassador for The Amy Winehouse Foundation and has sung at many special fundraising occasions for the charity including their 2012 Ball. She is also currently supporting the "No Means No" anti-rape and gender equality campaign set up by the largest free local newspaper for English expats in Spain, EuroWeekly News.[19]
Accolades
In 2003, Paris was presented with the
Paris was appointed
Personal life
Paris was born in Islington in North London, but moved to Brockley, South London, when she was nine. She has discussed being teased as a child for having the name "Michelle" due to the popularity of Susan Tully’s portrayal of Michelle Fowler in EastEnders, causing her to adopt the nickname, and later professional name, "Mica".[22]
Paris has two daughters, Monet (b. 1991, with her former Irish husband[23]) and Russia-Mae (b. June 2006, from her previous relationship with German film director Andreas Neumann).[24] Paris is a close friend of American singer Chaka Khan. The two first met while both performing at the Royal Albert Hall, and Khan is Godmother to Paris' eldest daughter.[15][25]
Paris' sister, Paula Wallen, was also a pop music singer, and she is the cousin of boxer
Discography
- So Good (1988)
- Contribution (1990)
- Whisper a Prayer (1993)
- Black Angel (1998)
- If You Could Love Me (2005)
- Soul Classics (2005)
- Born Again (2009)
- Gospel (2020)
See also
- List of black Britons
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of former Island Records artists
- List of stage names
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Biography by Mica Paris". MicaParis.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
- ^ "findmypast.co.uk". Search.findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
- ^ a b "Mica Paris". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ "Mica Paris : If You Could Love Me - Listen, Review and Buy at ARTISTdirect". Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ^ "MICA PARIS & THE SERAPHIM SUITE". Archived from the original on 20 February 2004. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "The Hardest Thing: Mica Paris: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon UK. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "Events". Archived from the original on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ Channon, Max (4 June 2022). "Platinum Jubilee Party at the Palace in pictures as it happened". WalesOnline. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Mica Paris Presents Seminal Soul For Radio 2". Music Industry News Network. 27 July 2001. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ "Soul and TV star Mica Paris on her return to Nottingham at Riverbank[permanent dead link]". Nottingham Post. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ Gillibrand, Abigail (20 August 2020). "EastEnders 'cast singer Mica Paris as new character Ellie Nixon' as soap is set to return 'with a bang'". Metro. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ TVZone (6 November 2023). "MICA PARIS TO HOST A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS ON SKY ARTS". TV Zone UK. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ a b "BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Soul singer Mica Paris, Regretting your tattoos". BBC. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Springer, Jacqueline. "Mica Paris Biography". Npg.org.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ Martinez, Mandy (9 June 2015). "Love Me Tender (Tour)". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ "BLACK HISTORY MONTH – Mica Paris". Wordpress.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "Mica Paris – My Temptation", Euro Weekly News, 25 September 2014.
- ^ "Stock Photo - Mica Paris 29th Annual Gold Badge Awards". Alamy. Alamy Ltd. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B23.
- ^ Ellis, Sarah (29 September 2020). ""I changed my name because of Michelle Fowler!" says EastEnders newcomer Mica Paris". Inside Soap. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Mica Paris: 'Bankruptcy just means you made too much money'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ a b Wintle, Angela. "Mica Paris: To my daughters, I'm the one that cooks and cleans. Not 'Mica Paris'". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "WISE WORDS: 'Chaka Khan Gave Me Two Words I Still Live By'". HuffPost UK. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Paris, Mica (8 March 2009). "Mica Paris on how she has coped with traumatic events". Theguardian.com.
External links
- Official website
- Mica's Gospel Gold (BBC Radio 2)