Brian Harvey
Encyclopedia
Brian Harvey is an English
musician
and formerly lead singer of pop band East 17
.
Harvey was born in Walthamstow, London, and attended Sir George Monoux School from 1988-90.
Harvey's vocal style emulated R&B and New Jack Swing
vocalists from the U.S.
His vocals put him into a position of the band's frontman, or main member, which was shared with the band's creator, songwriter
, instrumentalist, rapper and singer Tony Mortimer
.
Throughout the course of the band's career the two leads had many disagreements, from how to vocalise songs to their behaviour in public. This tore the band between spiritual pop
/hip-hop (Mortimer's writing influence) and R&B (the other band members) which would eventually lead to Mortimer leaving the band and Harvey becoming the only lead singer.
Harvey was sacked from the band after making comments in a radio
interview that appeared to condone the use of the drug
ecstasy. He eventually rejoined the band under the rebranded name of E-17.
After E-17, Brian Harvey signed to Edel Records as a solo artist, and like Tom Jones
was a UK
musician who collaborated with Wyclef Jean
and his Refugee Allstars production set-up.
On 17 March 2007, Harvey performed a song entitled "I Can" for Making Your Mind Up, the UK's national final for the Eurovision Song Contest
. The song was written by singer Conner Reeves
. Harvey was eliminated after the first round of voting and the eventual winners were Scooch
.
actress Daniella Westbrook.
On 12 December 2001, he required reconstructive surgery after being attacked with a knife in a club car park in Nottingham
.
In May 2005, after being diagnosed with clinical depression
, Harvey was hospitalised after an alleged suicide attempt, involving potatoes. On 31 May 2005, he was readmitted to hospital in a critical condition after falling under the wheels of his Mercedes-Benz
. A documentary about Harvey's attempts to rekindle his music career, and recovery from his accident, was aired on BBC Television
on 13 December 2005.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and formerly lead singer of pop band East 17
East 17
East 17 are a pop boy band comprising Tony Mortimer, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell. Tony Mortimer is the group's frontman and primary songwriter. Formed in Walthamstow, London in 1991, the group have achieved eighteen Top 20 singles and four Top 10 albums, and were one of the UK's most popular boy...
.
Harvey was born in Walthamstow, London, and attended Sir George Monoux School from 1988-90.
Career
Harvey was initially slated to be a backup singer and dancer for East 17, but during the initial recording session he was heard singing along by the recording staff and was promptly instated as the lead singer of the band.Harvey's vocal style emulated R&B and New Jack Swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
vocalists from the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
His vocals put him into a position of the band's frontman, or main member, which was shared with the band's creator, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, instrumentalist, rapper and singer Tony Mortimer
Tony Mortimer
Anthony Michael "Tony" Mortimer is a British songwriter, composer, singer and rapper.-Career:Mortimer is a member of the 1990s, UK chart-topping boy band, East 17, with who had seven Top 10 singles and four hit albums between 1992 and 1997...
.
Throughout the course of the band's career the two leads had many disagreements, from how to vocalise songs to their behaviour in public. This tore the band between spiritual pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
/hip-hop (Mortimer's writing influence) and R&B (the other band members) which would eventually lead to Mortimer leaving the band and Harvey becoming the only lead singer.
Harvey was sacked from the band after making comments in a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
interview that appeared to condone the use of the drug
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
ecstasy. He eventually rejoined the band under the rebranded name of E-17.
After E-17, Brian Harvey signed to Edel Records as a solo artist, and like Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
was a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician who collaborated with Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and his Refugee Allstars production set-up.
On 17 March 2007, Harvey performed a song entitled "I Can" for Making Your Mind Up, the UK's national final for the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. The song was written by singer Conner Reeves
Conner Reeves
Conner Reeves is an English singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 1997 album Earthbound which was released on Colin Lester's and Ian McAndrew's Wildstar label....
. Harvey was eliminated after the first round of voting and the eventual winners were Scooch
Scooch
Scooch are a British bubblegum dance group, comprising performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse and Russ Spencer.Scooch represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with their song "Flying the Flag ", finishing 23rd out of 24 entries after...
.
Personal life
He was married to dancer Tash Carnegie with whom he has a daughter, Teigan Harvey. During the early 1990s, he was in a relationship with the EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
actress Daniella Westbrook.
On 12 December 2001, he required reconstructive surgery after being attacked with a knife in a club car park in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
.
In May 2005, after being diagnosed with clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, Harvey was hospitalised after an alleged suicide attempt, involving potatoes. On 31 May 2005, he was readmitted to hospital in a critical condition after falling under the wheels of his Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. A documentary about Harvey's attempts to rekindle his music career, and recovery from his accident, was aired on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
on 13 December 2005.
Singles
- "True Step TonightTrue Step Tonight"True Step Tonight" is a song by garage band True Steppers, released as the band's third single, featuring former East 17 singer Brian Harvey and U.S. R&B star Donell Jones on guest vocals. It reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.-Tracklisting:...
" (TruesteppersTruesteppersTrue Steppers were a British UK garage production duo, consisting of Jonny Lisners and Andy Lysandrou.They had success with Dane Bowers on "Buggin'", which reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart in April 2000....
featuring Brian Harvey and Donnell Jones) (2000) - #25 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... - "Straight Up (No Bends)Straight Up (No Bends)Straight Up is the debut solo single by East 17 singer Brian Harvey. The single was released on 23 April 2001 and reached #26 on the UK Singles Chart.-Track listing:#Straight Up...
" (2001) - #26 UK - "Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)"Loving You " is the second single from Brian Harvey's debut solo album, Solo. The track is a collaboration with The Refugee Crew...
" (Brian Harvey and The Refugee CrewWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
) (2001) - #20 UK - "I Can" (2007)
- "Going Backwardz" (2010)
External links
- Brian Harvey Official Fanpage