The soulful voice of Corinne Bailey Rae has captured the hearts of music listeners around the world, and with just one album this stunning British crooner has become one of the hottest acts around. With three major Grammy nominations and huge sales for her album, Rae’s career is just getting started.
Rae was born Corinne Bailey in Leeds, England on February 26, 1979, one of the daughters of a Kittitian father (referring to the British-controlled Caribbean island of St. Kitts) and an English mother. Her mixed-race parentage made her the brunt of occasional harassment growing up, largely because her tormentors believed her to be of Pakistani origin. From a young age, Bailey was interested in music and played classical violin and sang hymns in church. As a teenager, her musical inclinations were channeled into a stint as an indie rock artist, as at age 15 she created the all-female indie act Helen, which turned heads in the white male-dominated indie scene. After several talked-about gigs, the band looked poised for breakout success until the group’s bassist became pregnant - effectively breaking up the band.
The demise of Helen was disappointing for Bailey, but she went on to attend the University of Leeds where she studied English Literature. While working at a local jazz club during this period, she discovered a love for jazz and soul music, a huge departure from her previous interest in indie metal. A creative flowering followed for the singer, and for several years she worked on solo material largely influenced by funk and soul artists. Several collaborations later, Bailey Rae (she married at 22, and took on an extra surname) came to the attention of Global Talent Publishing, who eventually helped her release her debut single “Like a Star” in November 2005. Her self-titled debut album was released in February 2006 in the U.K., and in June in the U.S. On the strength of its hit singles, including the Grammy-nominated “Put Your Records On,” the album has become a smash worldwide success. 2007 will see her embark on a world tour.