Briana Corrigan
Encyclopedia
Briana Corrigan is an Irish
singer. She was the first female singer
for The Beautiful South
, from 1988 to 1994.
She was born in Northern Ireland
, her family moving from Belfast
to Portstewart
, County Londonderry
when she was eleven, but her love for the theatre
made her move to Newcastle upon Tyne
in England
at the age of eighteen, to take an acting course. There she began singing with The Anthill Runaways. Go! Discs Records
, who were considering signing the band, gave her an offer to travel to Hull
and sing with Paul Heaton
and Dave Hemingway
of The Beautiful South. Soon after she was asked to go to Milan
with the band to help record
their debut album
, Welcome to the Beautiful South
. She appeared alongside Dave Hemingway on the band's only UK Singles Chart
number 1 single
, A Little Time
.
After appearing on three albums, Corrigan left the band in 1992 to pursue a solo
career. A decision that was prompted partly by a desire to record and promote her own material (which she felt was not getting enough exposure in The Beautiful South), and partly by ethical disagreements with some of Heaton's lyrics
, particularly song
s such as 36D
, which criticized British glamour models
and the industry that employed them. Hemingway later remarked, "We all agree that we should have targeted the media as sexist instead of blaming the girls for taking off their tops".
After she left the band, she recorded the solo album, When My Arms Wrap You Round, in 1996. The single, Love Me Now, did not make the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart (it peaked at #48 in the week of its release), and the album itself never charted
.
She moved to the West Country
with her partner, but eventually moved to Dublin, Ireland
where she now lives and works on making new music.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
singer. She was the first female singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
for The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
, from 1988 to 1994.
She was born in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, her family moving from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
to Portstewart
Portstewart
Portstewart is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,803 people in the 2001 Census. It is a seaside resort neighbouring Portrush. Of the two towns, Portstewart is decidedly quieter with more sedate attractions. Its harbour and scenic coastal paths form an...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
when she was eleven, but her love for the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
made her move to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the age of eighteen, to take an acting course. There she began singing with The Anthill Runaways. Go! Discs Records
Go! Discs Records
Go! Discs was a Hammersmith, London based record label, launched in 1983 by Andy MacDonald and Lesley Symons. With artists like Billy Bragg, The Housemartins and later The Beautiful South, it became a prominent label. Go! Beat Records was launched as a subsidiary for dance artists like Beats...
, who were considering signing the band, gave her an offer to travel to Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
and sing with Paul Heaton
Paul Heaton
Paul David Heaton is an English singer-songwriter. He was a member of The Housemartins, who disbanded in 1988, and a member of The Beautiful South, who disbanded in 2007. He is currently pursuing a solo career....
and Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway , is a British musician and songwriter, and was a lead vocalist for the Hull-based band The Beautiful South until they disbanded in 2007...
of The Beautiful South. Soon after she was asked to go to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
with the band to help record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Welcome to the Beautiful South
Welcome to the Beautiful South
Welcome to the Beautiful South is the debut album by The Beautiful South released in August 1989. Three singles were released from the album: "Song for Whoever" , "You Keep It All In" and "I'll Sail This Ship Alone" ....
. She appeared alongside Dave Hemingway on the band's only UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The 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 ...
number 1 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, A Little Time
A Little Time
"A Little Time" is a song by The Beautiful South, and is the band's only single to reach number 1. It consists of a duet featuring vocalists Dave Hemingway and Briana Corrigan.The single was the first to be released from the Choke album...
.
After appearing on three albums, Corrigan left the band in 1992 to pursue a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. A decision that was prompted partly by a desire to record and promote her own material (which she felt was not getting enough exposure in The Beautiful South), and partly by ethical disagreements with some of Heaton's lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, particularly song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s such as 36D
36D
36D is a song written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray and performed by The Beautiful South. The song was originally found on the album 0898 Beautiful South and later appeared on two greatest hits compilations, 1994's Carry on up the Charts and 2007's Soup. As a single it reached #46 in the UK...
, which criticized British glamour models
Glamour photography
Glamour photography is a genre of photography whereby the subjects, usually female, are portrayed in a romantic or sexually alluring way. The subjects may be fully clothed or seminude, but glamour photography stops short of deliberately arousing the viewer and being pornographic photography.Glamour...
and the industry that employed them. Hemingway later remarked, "We all agree that we should have targeted the media as sexist instead of blaming the girls for taking off their tops".
After she left the band, she recorded the solo album, When My Arms Wrap You Round, in 1996. The single, Love Me Now, did not make the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart (it peaked at #48 in the week of its release), and the album itself never charted
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
She moved to the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
with her partner, but eventually moved to Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
where she now lives and works on making new music.