Beverley Knight

Knight began writing her own songs – with varying degrees of success – at the age of thirteen. It was not until she turned seventeen, though, that she began to take her craft seriously. Beverley began performing the songs that she had written on stage in local clubs in her hometown. At the age of nineteen, Beverley was heard singing jingles on her local radio station by a record company executive and was offered a recording contract. She was adamant that her education should come first and that she should have something to fall back on, and so went to university to study Religious Theology and Philosophy: "so I told them that they’d have to wait"Nathanson, Anna . [Interview]. 3G Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2006..

1994–2000: Early success

Beverley Knight's second album Prodigal Sista was released in Britain in 1998.

In late 1994, Beverley Knight signed a record deal with Dome Records – a small, independent label that was home to artists such as Lulu and Hil St Soul. Shortly after, Beverley went in studio to write and record her debut album. The backbone of the project was produced by London production trio 2B3, with additional beats provided by Don E (Beverley’s cousin), Ethinic Boyz and hip-hop act Blak Twang. The result was the critically acclaimed album The B-Funk – hailed as "the best British soul album ever"[- Review]. Echoes Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2006. by critics when it was released in November 1995. Knight went on to win two Black Music Awards in 1996 ("Best R&B Artist" and "Best Producer" for 2B3) and was named Best R&B Act by Blues and Soul Magazine, beating a host of American stars. However, the commercial success of the album failed to match its critical success and the album peaked on the UK album chart at number one-hundred-and-forty-five. Several singles were released from the project, the biggest being "Flavour of the Old School", which peaked at number thirty-three in March 1996 when it was re-released.

In February 1997, Beverley left Dome Records after disagreements concerning her musical direction and instead signed a new four-album deal with EMI controlled Parlophone Records – home to The Beatles, Coldplay and Kylie Minogue. After returning to the studio with 2B3 and Don E and teaming up with new producers Dodge and Carl McIntosh, Beverley released her second album Prodigal Sista in August 1998. Peaking at number forty-two in Britain, the commercial success of the album proved to be much greater than her debut. The album went on to sell 135,000 copies in BritainInterview. Music Week. May 24, 2004. and be certified Gold in 1999BPI. [UK sales certificate for Prodigal Sista]. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2006.. It contained five top forty hits – the biggest of which were "Greatest Day", peaking at number fourteen, and "Made It Back 99" featuring US rap star Redman, which peaked at number nineteen.

The commercial success of Prodigal Sista marked a big step forward in Beverley’s career and was reflected in the widespread critical acclaim of the project. Q Magazine called the album "a triumph not only of Knight’s musical vision but also of the strength in her character" while The Times remarked "Prodigal Sista is a joy to hear – her vocal and intricate self devised and performed harmonies can make you catch your breath in wonderment". Labelled as one of the greatest British soul albums of all time, the album won three MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) Awards with "Made It Back" and "Greatest Day" winning Best R&B Act in 1998 and 1999 respectively, and Prodigal Sista winning the Best Album AwardAwards. [News article featuring winners of 1999 MOBO Awards]. The British Broadcasting Corporation. October 9, 1999..

2001–2006: Mainstream breakthrough

Beverley Knight in the music video for "Get Up!"

Throughout 2001 Beverley returned to the recording studio to write and record her third studio album. She was accompanied by a different array of writers and producers from Britain and the United States, which included James Poyser (Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu), Derrick Joshua & Derrick Martin, D’Influence and Colin Emmanuael. The result was Who I Am, which was released in March 2002. It was preceded by two singles, "Get Up!" and "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" – which became Beverley’s most successful single up to that point, peaking at number ten on the UK singles chart. The success of the singles, together with wide critical praise, propelled the album to number seven on the album chart making Who I Am Beverley’s most commercially successful album to date. It was re-released twice with new versions of the singles "Gold" and "Shape Of You (Reshaped)" and has sold 215,000 copies in Britain, earning it a Gold sales certificateBPI. [UK sales certificate for Who I Am]. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2006..

The critical response to Who I Am was largely positive, with The Guardian stating "every song bubbles with the kind of expensive, polished confidence that often eludes British contenders, and she sings with the poise of an artist at the height of her powers"Sullivan, Caroline. [Who I Am review]. The Guardian. Retrieved March 24, 2006. whilst the BBC remarked "Who I Am marks a significant change in direction for this tenacious 28-year-old singer, signifying her own personal growth as a true artist and developing songwriter....on this her most personal work to date, she takes us on an intimate journey where she bares her soul with such raw honesty that you get the distinct impression a healing process is taking place"Bakare, Buki. [Who I Am review]. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved March 24, 2006.. Although the album failed to match the widespread and unanimous acclaim of Beverley’s first two albums, it still earned her two Brit Award nominations ("Best Female", "Best Urban Act")[Awards shortlist 2003]. Brit Awards. Retrieved March 24, 2006. and the album was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in 2002[Awards shortlist 2002]. Mercury Music Prize. Retrieved March 24, 2006..

After touring Britain in 2002, Knight set about creating her fourth album and entered the studio in the summer of 2003. In an attempt to appeal to a larger mainstream audience, she enlisted the help of pop producers such as Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams, Britney Spears) and Peter-John Vettese (Annie Lennox, Pet Shop Boys) as well as collaborating with R&B producers such as DJ Munro. The result was Affirmation, which was released on Parlophone Records in June 2004. The album entered the charts at number eleven and was preceded by the single "Come As You Are" – a rock/pop orientated song written with and produced by Chambers. The song marked a more mainstream pop sound that alienated Knight’s largely urban fan base and the song was not well received by urban radio stations. Nevertheless it became her biggest hit to date, peaking at number nine on the singles chart. The song was followed by two more singles, "Not Too Late For Love" and "Keep This Fire Burning", which helped boost album sales and resulted in the album being awarded a Gold sales certificate in December 2004BPI. [UK sales certificate for Affirmation]. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2006..

"Come As You Are" is Knight's highest charting single to date.

The themes running throughout the album, which were influenced by the events she had witnessed over the previous two years, marked a milestone in Knight’s career as a lyricist. The main essence of the project was centred on Beverley’s relationship with Tyrone Jamison – a gay man whom she described as her "soul mate" and who died of an AIDS related disease in 2003. Throughout the album, lyrics on tracks such as "Remember Me" ("One day we will be reunited, least I hope that is our destiny, so while you chill in the arms of angels, remember me, remember me") and "No One Ever Loves In Vain" clearly point to Beverley’s close relationship with Tyrone and rank as her most personal work to date.

Compared to the praise of her previous albums, the critical response to Affirmation was mixed. The mainstream press such as The Guardian praised her for branching out, whilst the black music press such as The Voice and Blues and Soul accused Knight of selling out and being manipulated away from urban music by her record label, a claim she flatly denies: "Everything I’ve done musically has been completely me. I write my own songs so I’m not just a vocalist who can easily be dictated to."Morris, Davina. [Interview]. The Voice Magazine. March 25, 2006.

In February 2006 Knight consolidated her move into the mainstream audience by appearing on BBC1 music show, Just The Two Of Us. The show, featuring celebrities who duet with established singers, ran for two weeks and proved to be a relative disappointment in terms of audience figures – averaging between fifteen and twenty-five percent audience shares[News article on Just The Two Of Us TV ratings]. The Guardian. February 25, 2005.^. Nevertheless it provided a platform for Knight to reach out to a bigger audience and demonstrate her talent by performing a different array of songs than she would otherwise be known for. Reaching out to new audiences was also a driving force behind Knight’s decision to join Take That on their reunion arena tour. Take That - The Ultimate Tour 06, which runs from April to July, sold 270,000 tickets in less than four hours on sale at the box office and will feature Knight as a support actBBC. [News article on Take That tour]. The British Broadcasting Corporation. December 12, 2005..

In March 2006 Beverley released her fifth album, a compilation set featuring the majority of her top forty UK singles entitled Voice - The Best Of Beverley Knight. The album, which was certified Gold less than a month after its releaseBPI. [UK sales certificate for Voice - The Best of Beverley Knight]. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2006., became her second highest charting of her career when it entered the UK albums chart at number ten and rose to number nine a month later. It was preceded by the single "Piece of my Heart" – a cover of the Erma Franklin classic made famous by Janis Joplin, and entered the singles chart number sixteen, spending eleven weeks inside the UK top 75 singles chart and becoming her longest-running chart single to date. Voice - The Best Of Beverley Knight has recently been certified Platinum and is Ms. Knight's best selling album to date.

Knight was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 16 June 2006, for both her musical achievements and her charity work. BBC [News article about being awarded an MBE for services to music] June 16, 2006..

Creativity

Influences

Knight claims that Amazing Grace was the "epitome" of her childhood.

Growing up in a Pentecostal environment of Jamaican descent, music – especially gospel music – became a staple part of Knight’s childhood. She entered the gospel choir of her local church at the age of just four years old and eventually became the musical director before she left in her late teens. Her musical education continued at home where her family would often sing together around the piano and listen to music from their favourite gospel and soul artists such as Sam Cooke. In 2005, Knight revisited her childhood when she hosted Beverley’s Gospel Nights, a BBC Radio 2 series exploring gospel music. Featuring interviews with artists such as Shirley Caesar, Percy Sledge and Destiny’s Child stars Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, the six-part series explored the roots of gospel music and the impact it had upon the black community. Such was the success of the show that a second six-part series was commissioned and began in March 2006 and featured new interviews with artists such as Candi Staton, David McAlmont and Marvin Winans. Knight's interview technique and her ability to get her guests to open up and discuss issues in their personal lives such as domestic violence and depression received favourable reviews and led the Radio Times to comment "Knight's passion for the music is obvious - but so is her warmth, which makes her a rarity among interviewers."Anderson, Jane. The Radio Times. March 27, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.

The first artist to make an impact upon Knight was one of the true founders of contemporary gospel and soul music, Sam Cooke. Despite his untimely death in 1963, his music endured and became a staple part of Knight's childhood:

Indeed the impact Sam Cooke can be seen throughout Knight’s career as she has often performed and recorded Cooke classics, the most notable of which is "A Change Is Gonna Come". The track, which came to exemplify the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, has featured in many of Knight’s live performances (usually with the aid of the London Community Gospel Choir) and she even recorded a studio version with musician Jools Holland, which featured on his Small World, Big Band Volume 2 album.

In addition to Cooke, another major presence in Knight’s childhood that has moulded her career is Lady Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. Besides leading a tribute to Franklin at the BBC's Music of the Millennium concert in 1999 (which also featured Spice Girl Melanie B and singer Jocelyn Brown), Knight has recorded several of Franklin’s records, most notably "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "Think", both of which have been released as b-sides. But it’s the Queen of Soul’s vocal delivery that has most had an impact upon Knight:

Heavily influenced by the likes of Franklin and Cooke, Knight has also recorded songs from of other legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder ("Loves in Need of Love Today", which featured on the Warchild album Hope) and Curtis Mayfield ("Hard Times", which appeared on Courtney Pine’s Back in the Day album). But this influence has also manifested itself on stage where Knight often incorporates songs by her soul heroines such as Nina Simone ("Feelin’ Good"), Chaka Khan ("I Feel For You" and "Sweet Thing") and Billie Holliday ("God Bless This Child") into her live performances.

Prince, together with his landmark 1984 album Purple Rain, became a teen icon for Knight

In addition to the pioneering soul and gospel artists of the mid-twentieth century, modern artists such as Mary J. Blige and D'Angelo have also played a role in shaping Knight’s musical outlook. The most significant of her contemporary peers comes in the form of Prince, a man she describes as one of her hero’s: "Prince goes back to me listening to preachers when I was a child, who tell a story to illustrate a point...the first song I heard by him was "Little Red Corvette", when I was nine. Of course, I didn't have a clue about what he was singing about; the sexuality is implicit and I love that." The influence of Prince, whom Knight even mentions on her Prodigal Sista and Who I Am album sleeves, can be seen throughout her back catalogue with songs such as "Get Up!", "Hurricane Jane" and "Supersonic" being compared to Prince due to their mix of funk and soul.

Throughout her childhood, Knight’s musical exposure developed as she got older. Gospel led to soul, which led to funk which led to R&BO'Grady, Paul. Statement made on The Paul O'Grady Show, Channel 4 . April, 2006. – but growing up in the Midlands meant that she was exposed to lots of other different influences too: "It wasn’t a case that there was a huge black community who all stuck together and only listened to reggae or R&B or strictly black music. I find that London is a bit more segregated. In Wolverhampton, black people weren't so segregated and I think that had a massive impact on my musical influences." This diversity is illustrated best by Knight’s forth studio album, Affirmation. After working with Guy Chambers, the album had a more mainstream flavour compared to her previous albums and was led by the rock guitar driven single "Come As You Are". Although the song became her highest charting single to date, Knight was largely criticised by urban radio and media for moving too far away from her urban sound. Nevertheless the song illustrated Knight’s determined effort not to become boxed in and "ghettoised".

Discography