Hear'Say
Encyclopedia
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars
, an ITV
reality TV show based on a New Zealand
show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple
", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of its kind in the UK. The group split eighteen months after their formation.
, Paul Adam (director of A&R at Polydor Records, who had rights to the finished group), and Nicki Chapman
, who had worked with the Spice Girls
. The judges reduced the contestants to a group of ten, before visiting each of them at their homes to reveal whether or not they had been selected for the group.
The five chosen singers — Danny Foster, Myleene Klass
, Kym Marsh
, Suzanne Shaw
and Noel Sullivan
— formed Hear’Say. The five unsuccessful finalists went on to form the group Liberty (later renamed Liberty X
after a legal dispute). Before Hear'Say, Danny Foster had appeared on the Michael Barrymore
music quiz show My Kind of Music
, as the singer from his team.
The chosen members were moved to a secret house in order to keep the group's line-up from leaking to the press. From there they were flown around the world in order to record their first album Popstars, and to prepare for the launch. The show followed the group up to the point their first single made its debut on the UK Top 40 chart.
", a cover of a Girl Thing
album track that was released only in Japan
, Australia
and New Zealand
, went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart
on 24 March 2001. It became the fastest selling non-charity single in the UK (a record that was beaten a year later by Pop Idol
winner Will Young
), and went on to sell over 1 million copies. The single was followed by an equally successful debut album entitled Popstars
. The album featured cover versions of "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas
and "Bridge over Troubled Water
" by Simon & Garfunkel, alongside original tracks purchased for the group. The album also reached number one, three weeks after the single.
After another number one single — a remix of album track "The Way to Your Love
" — Hear’Say went on to appear in the ITV show Hear’Say It’s Saturday. This followed on from a mini-series named Meet the Popstars which was intended to allow the public to get to know the group and their music away from the talent show format.
actor Jack Ryder
. Ryder was five years younger than Marsh, and she already had children from a former relationship. This caused controversy in some parts of the media, and speculation mounted that she was unhappy in the group due to lack of family time.
In February 2002, Marsh announced that she was leaving and auditions were held for her replacement, to be aired on television, mirroring the procedure through which the original members of Hear’Say were chosen. One of the group’s former dancers and member of short-lived group BOOM!, Johnny Shentall (husband of Steps singer Lisa Scott-Lee
), won these auditions, but further negative publicity followed when it was claimed that the result had been rigged. These claims were weakened as it came to light that many other people who had previously worked with the group had also auditioned, most not even making it past the first round.
With a new line-up, Hear’Say began recording a third album, cancelling the planned 2002 arena tour to give Shentall time to adjust to the group. During the summer of 2002, the group toured the UK radio roadshows circuit, where they were constantly booed and abused by members of the public – evidence of the degree of public animosity that had built up. During the tour, the group’s vehicle was threatened by an apparently armed man on the M1 motorway
in Northamptonshire
. The man, later arrested, claimed to have been playing a prank on the group.
In August 2002, Hear’Say released their only single with Shentall, entitled "Lovin’ Is Easy". The track had a new sophisticated feel in an attempt to regenerate interest in the group’s music. The single charted and peaked at number 6, falling outside of the UK Top 20 the following week. Media reports suggested that Polydor Records wanted the single to at least reach the UK Top 5. Following the disappointing sales of the single, it was thought that they would be dropped by the label, though no official word came from Polydor.
Hear’Say split up on 1 October 2002, citing negative public reaction as the main reason. A third album had been recorded, though many believe Polydor had no intention of releasing it following the poor performance of "Lovin' Is Easy".
went on to record a classical album for Polydor Records’ classical division, before becoming a presenter on CD:UK
. Klass also presented the Sunday breakfast show on Classic FM
in 2006. Klass appeared on the 2006 series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, where she came second. She went on co-host LivingTV
's Ghost Towns with Derek Acorah
, and also part of the quiz panel for the BBC's 2007 show The National Lottery People's Quiz. Klass was the second female co-host of The One Show
on BBC1, before quitting in August 2007, to give birth to a baby girl called Ava. Since 2008, Klass has hosted Last Choir Standing
, 10 Years Younger, and has co-hosted the American version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!. In January 2010 Klass presented the ITV1
show Popstar to Operastar
along with Alan Titchmarsh
. The celebrities on this show included Klass' former bandmate Kym Marsh.
Kym Marsh
, opting for an adult contemporary sound, released three UK Top 40 singles — "Cry", "Come On Over" and "Sentimental" — and an album, on Polydor's sister label Island
, before she was dropped due to low sales. She later went on to become a guest presenter of Loose Women
, and entered Making Your Mind Up
2006, the UK show devised to pick a singer and song for the Eurovision Song Contest
, but did not win. She appeared in Hollyoaks: In the City
before her character was killed, and she is now appearing in UK soap Coronation Street
as barmaid and mother Michelle Connor, for which role she won Best Newcomer at The British Soap Awards in 2007. She married EastEnders
actor Jack Ryder
in 2002, but in March 2008 it was announced that the couple were to separate. In January 2010 Marsh participated in the British ITV1
celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar
, presented by her ex-bandmate Myleene Klass.
Suzanne Shaw
has gone on to have a successful career both as a singer and actress on stage (such as in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
, The Rocky Horror Show
, White Christmas
and Chicago
) and also as a model, television presenter and popular media personality. She had a high profile relationship with Darren Day
, whom she met whilst starring in the 2003 tour of Summer Holiday. The pair now have a son, Corey Mackenzie Day, although they are no longer in a relationship. Shaw has appeared in TV shows, including dramas such as The Courtroom and The Bill
. Suzanne was a member of the Loose Women
panel, has written weekly columns for Woman
Magazine and was crowned winner of ITV1's hit show Dancing On Ice
in March 2008. In June 2009, she married long-term boyfriend Jason King
, one half of the presenting duo JK and Joel
. Since April 2010, Shaw has been appearing in the UK soap Emmerdale
as Eve Birch, granddaughter of longstanding character Edna Birch
.
Noel Sullivan
is now a stage performer. In 2005 he starred in West End musical Love Shack
with former Steps star Faye Tozer
and former S Club singer Jon Lee, before moving on in 2006 to What a Feeling, which visited all parts of Britain and received country-wide accolades. After What A Feeling, Sullivan then hosted and starred in two shows in Las Vegas
, Cover Girls and Simply Ballroom. Sullivan recently appeared in Five's reality show Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep
. Starting in July 2008, Sullivan starred alongside Bruno Langley
and Bernie Nolan in a nationwide tour of Flashdance
. He is currently appearing in the West End production of Grease
as Danny Zuko.
Danny Foster has kept a relatively low profile since the group split, although he has appeared in the Channel 4 show The Games in 2005, replacing actor Jonathon Morris
, and Channel Five's Trust Me – I'm A Beauty Therapist
in October 2006. He has been a reserve on Dancing on Ice
for 2009 and 2010.
Johnny Shentall
starred in MTV's Totally Scott-Lee
alongside his wife, and has also made a smaller name for himself starring in musicals such as Starlight Express
. Shentall also appeared on ITV2 show CelebAir
with wife Lisa Scott-Lee
, finishing in 6th and 7th place.
in the group's name was for a while open to conjecture. Some commentators said it was a deliberate attempt to appeal to a youthful audience by imitating an informal, uneducated style; others suggested it was simply a case of bad grammar on the part of its creator; but others say it was simply that the owner of the domain hearsay.com, refused to license the name to the band. In her bestselling book on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves
, the author Lynne Truss
states that "the naming of Hear’Say in 2001 was [...] a significant milestone on the road to punctuation anarchy." One explanation for its inclusion is that a Canadian band had already been using the name "Hearsay" since 1992. Interviewed on BBC1's Breakfast on June 4, 2008, Suzanne Shaw stated that the apostrophe was included because "it looked good on paper ... it was a design thing".
(UK
#1, 27 weeks on chart, March 2001)
Everybody
(UK #24, 5 weeks on chart, December 2001)
Popstars (UK series 1)
Popstars was a UK talent show series that was broadcast on ITV in early 2001. It was the first UK series of the international Popstars franchise, and was billed as a documentary on the formation of a modern pop group. The series began with audition rounds of aspiring singers performing songs...
, an ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
reality TV show based on a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple
Pure and Simple
"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of its kind in the UK. The group split eighteen months after their formation.
2000–2001: Popstars
Over the course of six weeks in late 2000, thousands of hopeful singers attended open television auditions for ITV's Popstars talent show. The contestants were judged by Nigel LythgoeNigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
, Paul Adam (director of A&R at Polydor Records, who had rights to the finished group), and Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman is an English television presenter who also works in the British pop music industry. She was also a judge on the ITV reality shows Popstars, with Nigel Lythgoe and Paul Adam, and Pop Idol, along with Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Neil Fox...
, who had worked with the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
. The judges reduced the contestants to a group of ten, before visiting each of them at their homes to reveal whether or not they had been selected for the group.
The five chosen singers — Danny Foster, Myleene Klass
Myleene Klass
Myleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
, Kym Marsh
Kym Marsh
Kimberley Gail Marsh is an English actress and singer.- Early life :Marsh was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester and raised in Garswood, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside...
, Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
and Noel Sullivan
Noel Sullivan
Noel Sullivan , is a Welsh singer and actor. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars.-Early life and career:...
— formed Hear’Say. The five unsuccessful finalists went on to form the group Liberty (later renamed Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
after a legal dispute). Before Hear'Say, Danny Foster had appeared on the Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
music quiz show My Kind of Music
My Kind of Music
My Kind of Music is a game show in the United Kingdom, produced by LWT for ITV from 8 February 1998 to 29 March 2002.The show's main theme, "My Kind of People", where presenter Michael Barrymore sang some of the lyrics when appearing at the very start, was based on the same song by Robert Palmer...
, as the singer from his team.
The chosen members were moved to a secret house in order to keep the group's line-up from leaking to the press. From there they were flown around the world in order to record their first album Popstars, and to prepare for the launch. The show followed the group up to the point their first single made its debut on the UK Top 40 chart.
2001: Pure and Simple
Hear’Say’s first single, "Pure and SimplePure and Simple
"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
", a cover of a Girl Thing
Girl Thing
Girl Thing were a British girl band, made up of members, Jodi Albert, Anika Bostelaar, Linzi Martin, Michelle Barber and Nikki Stuart. They are most famous for their song "Last One Standing" written and produced by the Steelworks production team of Tim Lever, Mike Percy and Eliot Kennedy, which hit...
album track that was released only in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, went straight to number one in the 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 ...
on 24 March 2001. It became the fastest selling non-charity single in the UK (a record that was beaten a year later by Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
winner Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
), and went on to sell over 1 million copies. The single was followed by an equally successful debut album entitled Popstars
Popstars (Hear'Say album)
Popstars is the debut album by British pop group Hear'Say. It was released in 2001 by Polydor was peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart...
. The album featured cover versions of "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
and "Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water (song)
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
" by Simon & Garfunkel, alongside original tracks purchased for the group. The album also reached number one, three weeks after the single.
After another number one single — a remix of album track "The Way to Your Love
The Way To Your Love
"The Way to Your Love" is the second single from the group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars.This song debuted at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and despite the success of the group's debut single "Pure and Simple", it only spent one week at the top of the chart and only a 10th...
" — Hear’Say went on to appear in the ITV show Hear’Say It’s Saturday. This followed on from a mini-series named Meet the Popstars which was intended to allow the public to get to know the group and their music away from the talent show format.
2001–2002: Everybody
During 2001 the group toured, performing 29 sellout arena dates across the UK, and released a live DVD. While on tour, the group were also recording a second, follow-up album, entitled Everybody. In November 2001, just a few months after their debut, Everybody was released, preceded by a single of the same name. The single debuted at number four. The album proved to be less successful, creeping in to the hugely competitive Christmas chart at number 24 and going on to sell just one fifth as many copies as Popstars.2002: Line-up changes, decline and breakup
Despite this lack of success, plans were made for an arena tour in 2002. At the time, group member Kym Marsh was prominent in the headlines because of her relationship with former 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...
actor Jack Ryder
Jack Ryder (actor)
Jack Seigfried Ryder is an English actor, best known for playing Jamie Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1998 to 2002.-Biography:...
. Ryder was five years younger than Marsh, and she already had children from a former relationship. This caused controversy in some parts of the media, and speculation mounted that she was unhappy in the group due to lack of family time.
In February 2002, Marsh announced that she was leaving and auditions were held for her replacement, to be aired on television, mirroring the procedure through which the original members of Hear’Say were chosen. One of the group’s former dancers and member of short-lived group BOOM!, Johnny Shentall (husband of Steps singer Lisa Scott-Lee
Lisa Scott-Lee
Lisa Scott-Lee is a Welsh singer. She has worked as a songwriter and is a graduate of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school. Lisa is best known as one fifth of pop group Steps from 1997 until their split on Boxing Day 2001 and recently reformed in 2011. Scott Lee released her debut...
), won these auditions, but further negative publicity followed when it was claimed that the result had been rigged. These claims were weakened as it came to light that many other people who had previously worked with the group had also auditioned, most not even making it past the first round.
With a new line-up, Hear’Say began recording a third album, cancelling the planned 2002 arena tour to give Shentall time to adjust to the group. During the summer of 2002, the group toured the UK radio roadshows circuit, where they were constantly booed and abused by members of the public – evidence of the degree of public animosity that had built up. During the tour, the group’s vehicle was threatened by an apparently armed man on the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. The man, later arrested, claimed to have been playing a prank on the group.
In August 2002, Hear’Say released their only single with Shentall, entitled "Lovin’ Is Easy". The track had a new sophisticated feel in an attempt to regenerate interest in the group’s music. The single charted and peaked at number 6, falling outside of the UK Top 20 the following week. Media reports suggested that Polydor Records wanted the single to at least reach the UK Top 5. Following the disappointing sales of the single, it was thought that they would be dropped by the label, though no official word came from Polydor.
Hear’Say split up on 1 October 2002, citing negative public reaction as the main reason. A third album had been recorded, though many believe Polydor had no intention of releasing it following the poor performance of "Lovin' Is Easy".
After Hear’Say
Following Hear’Say’s breakup, Myleene KlassMyleene Klass
Myleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
went on to record a classical album for Polydor Records’ classical division, before becoming a presenter on CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
. Klass also presented the Sunday breakfast show on Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
in 2006. Klass appeared on the 2006 series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, where she came second. She went on co-host LivingTV
LIVINGtv
Sky Living is a UK television channel owned by British Sky Broadcasting, who purchased the Living TV Group group in 2010. Originally launched as UK Living in 1993, the channel changed its name to Living TV in 1997 and then to Living in 2007. On 1 February 2011 Living changed its name to Sky Living...
's Ghost Towns with Derek Acorah
Derek Acorah
Derek Acorah is a British medium. He is best known for his work on Most Haunted, broadcast on Living, between 2002 and 2005. He recently presented the series Derek Acorah on Sky Real Lives...
, and also part of the quiz panel for the BBC's 2007 show The National Lottery People's Quiz. Klass was the second female co-host of The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
on BBC1, before quitting in August 2007, to give birth to a baby girl called Ava. Since 2008, Klass has hosted Last Choir Standing
Last Choir Standing
Last Choir Standing was a 2008 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Broadcast on BBC One in July and August 2008, the series saw amateur choirs competing each week to be the 'last choir standing'....
, 10 Years Younger, and has co-hosted the American version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!. In January 2010 Klass presented the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
show Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
along with Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
. The celebrities on this show included Klass' former bandmate Kym Marsh.
Kym Marsh
Kym Marsh
Kimberley Gail Marsh is an English actress and singer.- Early life :Marsh was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester and raised in Garswood, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside...
, opting for an adult contemporary sound, released three UK Top 40 singles — "Cry", "Come On Over" and "Sentimental" — and an album, on Polydor's sister label Island
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, before she was dropped due to low sales. She later went on to become a guest presenter of Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, and entered Making Your Mind Up
Making Your Mind Up (TV series)
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You was a BBC TV show broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest...
2006, the UK show devised to pick a singer and song 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...
, but did not win. She appeared in Hollyoaks: In the City
Hollyoaks: In the City
Hollyoaks: In the City was a British television drama series set in Liverpool and first broadcast in 2006. Hollyoaks: In the City was a spin-off of Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, originally devised by Phil Redmond...
before her character was killed, and she is now appearing in UK soap Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
as barmaid and mother Michelle Connor, for which role she won Best Newcomer at The British Soap Awards in 2007. She married EastEnders
EastEnders
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...
actor Jack Ryder
Jack Ryder (actor)
Jack Seigfried Ryder is an English actor, best known for playing Jamie Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1998 to 2002.-Biography:...
in 2002, but in March 2008 it was announced that the couple were to separate. In January 2010 Marsh participated in the British ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
, presented by her ex-bandmate Myleene Klass.
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
has gone on to have a successful career both as a singer and actress on stage (such as in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
, The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
, White Christmas
White Christmas (musical)
White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
and Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
) and also as a model, television presenter and popular media personality. She had a high profile relationship with Darren Day
Darren Day
Darren Day , is an English actor, singer and television presenter, well known for his West End theatre starring roles.-Early life:His paternal grandfather was a support and warm-up act for George Formby...
, whom she met whilst starring in the 2003 tour of Summer Holiday. The pair now have a son, Corey Mackenzie Day, although they are no longer in a relationship. Shaw has appeared in TV shows, including dramas such as The Courtroom and The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
. Suzanne was a member of the Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
panel, has written weekly columns for Woman
Woman (UK magazine)
Woman is a mainstream weekly title for 30- and 40-something women. Edited by Karen Livermore, it encompasses a mix of celebrity gossip and TV news, real-life stories, and body-confident fashion and beauty tips...
Magazine and was crowned winner of ITV1's hit show Dancing On Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
in March 2008. In June 2009, she married long-term boyfriend Jason King
Jason King
Jason King may refer to:* Jason King , cultural critic and musician* Jason King , British television programme* Jason King , ice hockey player* Jason King , British radio DJ...
, one half of the presenting duo JK and Joel
JK and Joel
Jason King and Joel Ross , known professionally as JK and Joel, are a radio show presenters and are best known for hosting the official UK chart on BBC Radio 1 between 2004 and 2007 and then presented on Virgin Radio UK, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at weekends and covering the breakfast and...
. Since April 2010, Shaw has been appearing in the UK soap Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
as Eve Birch, granddaughter of longstanding character Edna Birch
Edna Birch
Edna Birch is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Shirley Stelfox.In a village marred by affairs, double-crossing and sin, widow Edna is a paragon of virtue. She first appeared on the show in 2000, but had been living in the village for many years...
.
Noel Sullivan
Noel Sullivan
Noel Sullivan , is a Welsh singer and actor. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars.-Early life and career:...
is now a stage performer. In 2005 he starred in West End musical Love Shack
Love Shack
"Love Shack" is a single by rock band The B-52's. Originally released in 1989 from their album Cosmic Thing, the single was the band's biggest hit song and first million-copy seller...
with former Steps star Faye Tozer
Faye Tozer
Faye Louise Tozer is an English singer, songwriter and actress; famous for being a member of pop group Steps.-Music:Steps were a pop group that achieved a series of charted singles between 1997 and 2001...
and former S Club singer Jon Lee, before moving on in 2006 to What a Feeling, which visited all parts of Britain and received country-wide accolades. After What A Feeling, Sullivan then hosted and starred in two shows in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Cover Girls and Simply Ballroom. Sullivan recently appeared in Five's reality show Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep
Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep
Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep is a reality television show that was broadcast by Five in the United Kingdom.The first series ran nightly with 10 programmes over 2 weeks. It chronicles attempts by 6 celebrities to work as holiday reps for tour group Olympic Holidays...
. Starting in July 2008, Sullivan starred alongside Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street and Adam Mitchell in Doctor Who.- Early life :...
and Bernie Nolan in a nationwide tour of Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
. He is currently appearing in the West End production of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
as Danny Zuko.
Danny Foster has kept a relatively low profile since the group split, although he has appeared in the Channel 4 show The Games in 2005, replacing actor Jonathon Morris
Jonathon Morris
Jonathon Morris is an English actor and former television presenter.-Career:Morris is best known for his role as Adrian Boswell in Carla Lane's comedy Bread, in which he starred for the series' entire five-year run between 1986-1991, and which made him a well-known face on British Television.Prior...
, and Channel Five's Trust Me – I'm A Beauty Therapist
Trust Me - I'm A Beauty Therapist
Trust Me - I'm A Beauty Therapist was a reality television show broadcast on Five in which eight British celebrities trained to become beauticians in a South Wales beauty salon...
in October 2006. He has been a reserve on Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
for 2009 and 2010.
Johnny Shentall
Johnny Shentall
Johnny Shentall was a member of the British pop group Boom!! and then later became a member Hear'say in 2002 having replaced Kym Marsh...
starred in MTV's Totally Scott-Lee
Totally Scott-Lee
Totally Scott-Lee is a reality TV show from MTV Networks Europe featuring the following:* Lisa Scott-Lee * Andy Scott-Lee * Michelle Heaton...
alongside his wife, and has also made a smaller name for himself starring in musicals such as Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
. Shentall also appeared on ITV2 show CelebAir
CelebAir
CelebAir is a reality TV series in which 11 celebrities performed the duties of cabin crew and check-in attendants. The series is presented by Angellica Bell and aired on ITV2 from 2 September 2008 until 23 October 2008, when Lisa Maffia was declared the winner.For the show, Monarch Airlines...
with wife Lisa Scott-Lee
Lisa Scott-Lee
Lisa Scott-Lee is a Welsh singer. She has worked as a songwriter and is a graduate of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school. Lisa is best known as one fifth of pop group Steps from 1997 until their split on Boxing Day 2001 and recently reformed in 2011. Scott Lee released her debut...
, finishing in 6th and 7th place.
The name "Hear'Say"
The reason for the apostropheApostrophe
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritic mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet or certain other alphabets...
in the group's name was for a while open to conjecture. Some commentators said it was a deliberate attempt to appeal to a youthful audience by imitating an informal, uneducated style; others suggested it was simply a case of bad grammar on the part of its creator; but others say it was simply that the owner of the domain hearsay.com, refused to license the name to the band. In her bestselling book on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation is a non-fiction book written by Lynne Truss, the former host of the BBC Radio 4's Cutting a Dash programme. In the book, published in 2003, Truss bemoans the state of punctuation in the United Kingdom and the United States and...
, the author Lynne Truss
Lynne Truss
Lynne Truss is an English writer and journalist, best known for her popular book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.-Early life:...
states that "the naming of Hear’Say in 2001 was [...] a significant milestone on the road to punctuation anarchy." One explanation for its inclusion is that a Canadian band had already been using the name "Hearsay" since 1992. Interviewed on BBC1's Breakfast on June 4, 2008, Suzanne Shaw stated that the apostrophe was included because "it looked good on paper ... it was a design thing".
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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 ... |
IRE 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... |
NZ | SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| 2001 | "Pure and Simple Pure and Simple "Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows.... " |
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| "The Way to Your Love The Way To Your Love "The Way to Your Love" is the second single from the group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars.This song debuted at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and despite the success of the group's debut single "Pure and Simple", it only spent one week at the top of the chart and only a 10th... " |
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| "Everybody Everybody (Hear'say Song) "Everybody" is a song by Popstars winners Hear'Say, released as their third single, the only one to be taken from their second album, Everybody. It reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart. The single also was the last single for Kym Marsh as she quit the band to start a solo career.-Chart positions:... " |
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Albums
PopstarsPopstars (Hear'Say album)
Popstars is the debut album by British pop group Hear'Say. It was released in 2001 by Polydor was peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart...
(UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#1, 27 weeks on chart, March 2001)
- "Pure and SimplePure and Simple"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
" (Tim Hawes, Pete KirtleyPete KirtleyPete Kirtley is an English multi-platinum and Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter, record producer and recently established publisher. He has produced over 150 records worldwide with sales exceeding 10 million, including four number one hits worldwide, eight UK top ten hits and twenty top forty...
& Alison Clarkson) - "The Way To Your LoveThe Way To Your Love"The Way to Your Love" is the second single from the group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of Popstars.This song debuted at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and despite the success of the group's debut single "Pure and Simple", it only spent one week at the top of the chart and only a 10th...
" (Mikkel S. Eriksen, Hallgeir Rustan & Tor Erik Hermasen) - "One Step Closer" (Ray HedgesRay HedgesRay Hedges from Surrey, England is a songwriter and record producer.Ray Hedges has had over 60 top 20 singles and albums including 6 UK No 1’sas producer and or writer with many on his own record labels....
, Norman Butler, Danny Foster & Kym MarshKym MarshKimberley Gail Marsh is an English actress and singer.- Early life :Marsh was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester and raised in Garswood, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside...
) - "Another Lover" (Yoyo Olugbo & Henry Binns)
- "One" (Mikkel S. Eriksen, Hallgeir Rustan & Tor Erik Hermasen)
- "Not the Kind" ( Yoyo Olugbo & Henry Binns)
- "Make It Happen" (Ray Hedges, Norman Butler, Mylene Klass, Noel SullivanNoel SullivanNoel Sullivan , is a Welsh singer and actor. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars.-Early life and career:...
& Suzanne ShawSuzanne ShawSuzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
) - "Breathe" (Mikkel S. Eriksen, Hallgeir Rustan & Tor Erik Hermasen)
- "Carried Away" (Ray Hedges, M. Brannigan & Tracy Ackerman)
- "Sweet Alibi" (Ray Hedges, Norman Butler & Tracy Ackerman)
- "I Didn’t Want You Anyway" (A. Romdhane, J. Larossi & R. Mitra)
- "Colourblind" (S. Lee, Wayne Wilkins & A. Mackintosh)
- "Love Will Never End" (Halligeir Rustan & Tor Erik Hermansen)
- "Monday, MondayMonday, Monday"Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas & the Papas for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. It was the group's only number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100....
" (John PhillipsJohn Phillips (musician)John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
) - "Bridge over Troubled WaterBridge over Troubled Water (song)"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
" (Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
)
Everybody
(UK #24, 5 weeks on chart, December 2001)
- "EverybodyEverybody (Hear'say Song)"Everybody" is a song by Popstars winners Hear'Say, released as their third single, the only one to be taken from their second album, Everybody. It reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart. The single also was the last single for Kym Marsh as she quit the band to start a solo career.-Chart positions:...
" (Martin Harrington, Ash Howes, Richard Stannard, Julian GallagherJulian GallagherJulian Gallagher is a British songwriter and record producer, known for helping Kylie Minogue on her 2001 album, Fever. He also co-wrote songs with Gabrielle on her 2007 album, Always.-External links:**Paul Nash, , Sound on Sound, December 2001...
& A. Caine) - "Suddenly" (Cathy DennisCathy DennisCathy Dennis is a British dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter, record producer and actress...
& O. Paul) - "We Go On" (Mikkel S. Eriksen, Hallgeir Rustan & Tor Erik Hermasen)
- "Back Down to Zero" (Liz Winstanley & S. Robson)
- "Play to Win" (Mikkel S. Eriksen, Hallgeir Rustan & Tor Erik Hermasen)
- "Angel in My Heart" (Eliot Kennedy, Suzanne ShawSuzanne ShawSuzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
& Tim Woodcock) - "You're All I Need to Get ByYou're All I Need to Get By"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J...
" (Ashford & SimpsonAshford & SimpsonNickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
) - "Not the End of the World" (Eliot Kennedy, T. Lever, M. Percy, Tim Woodcock & Cawley)
- "Don’t Go Believing" (Ray Hedges, Nigel Butler & Suzanne ShawSuzanne ShawSuzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
) - "Home Again" (Cathy Dennis & Simon Ellis)
- "A Good Thing" (Ray Hedges, Nigel Butler & Hear'Say)
- "Straight from the Heart" (Tim Hawes, Pete KirtleyPete KirtleyPete Kirtley is an English multi-platinum and Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter, record producer and recently established publisher. He has produced over 150 records worldwide with sales exceeding 10 million, including four number one hits worldwide, eight UK top ten hits and twenty top forty...
& Tracy Ackerman) - "Pure and SimplePure and Simple"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
" (New Version) (Tim Hawes, Pete KirtleyPete KirtleyPete Kirtley is an English multi-platinum and Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter, record producer and recently established publisher. He has produced over 150 records worldwide with sales exceeding 10 million, including four number one hits worldwide, eight UK top ten hits and twenty top forty...
& Alison Clarkson)
B-sides
- "Bridge Over Troubled WaterBridge over Troubled Water (song)"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
" ("Pure and Simple" B-Side) - "Can’t Stop Thinkin’ About It" ("Pure and Simple")
- "Look Inside Yourself" ("The Way to Your Love")
- "Boogie WonderlandBoogie Wonderland"Boogie Wonderland" is a 1979 hit single by Earth, Wind & Fire featuring The Emotions. Boogie Wonderland was written by Allee Willis and Jon Lind, and included on the album I Am...
" ("The Way to Your Love") - "Brand New Day" ("The Way to Your Love")
- "I Knew You Were Waiting" ("Everybody")
- "The Way I’m Feeling Tonight" ("Everybody")
- "Once in a Lifetime" ("Everybody")
- "Pure and Simple 2002 Mix" ("Lovin’ Is Easy")