Sheila Nicholls
Encyclopedia
Sheila Elizabeth Nicholls (born 9 February 1970 in Colchester
, Essex
) is a British
singer-songwriter
, now residing in Echo Park
, Los Angeles
, California
.
. She first found fame for performing cartwheels
whilst streaking
at an England vs. Australia cricket
match at Lord's
in May 1989, in which she joined fellow school players Derek Pringle
and John Stephenson
on the field of play; this footage was later included in the video Streaker, narrated by George Best
.
Nicholls travelled to the United States
later in 1989 and began performing with her band, Sheila Nicholls and the Splendid Frock, in New York City
in the mid-1990s.
Shortly thereafter, Nicholls signed a deal with Hollywood Records
, which began distributing Brief Strop. The song "Fallen for You," from the album, became a hit on College Radio stations and found its way onto the best-selling soundtrack for the movie High Fidelity
. She toured extensively with the album, including several gigs alongside k.d. lang
.
In mid-2002, Nicholls released her second album, Wake, in which she worked with producers
Glen Ballard
and Jez Colin. The album's first single, "Faith," co-written with Ballard, received ample radio play and reached the pop charts.
Nicholls third album, "Songs From the Bardo" was released in August 2009.
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
) is a British
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...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, now residing in Echo Park
Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Echo Park is a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and southeast of Hollywood.-History:At the end of the 19th century, when the hills were still covered with native vegetation, a horse-drawn streetcar line served the dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Early years
Whilst growing up, Nicholls attended Felsted SchoolFelsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
. She first found fame for performing cartwheels
Cartwheel (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, a cartwheel is a sideways rotary movement performed by bringing the hands to the ground while the body inverts and the legs travel over the body, coming down to a standing position.-Terminology:...
whilst streaking
Streaking
Streaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
at an England vs. Australia cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
in May 1989, in which she joined fellow school players Derek Pringle
Derek Pringle
Derek Raymond Pringle is an English former Test and ODI cricketer for England, and is now a cricket journalist.He was educated at Felsted School and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University.-Life and career:...
and John Stephenson
John Stephenson
John Stephenson may refer to:*John Stephenson , American voice actor*John Stephenson , American baseball catcher*John Stephenson , 19th century Irish-American coachbuilder who created the street railway...
on the field of play; this footage was later included in the video Streaker, narrated by George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
.
Nicholls travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
later in 1989 and began performing with her band, Sheila Nicholls and the Splendid Frock, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the mid-1990s.
Critical acclaim
Nicholls then moved to Los Angeles where she recorded a solo album, the critically acclaimed Brief Strop, and started her own label, Essex Girl Records.Shortly thereafter, Nicholls signed a deal with Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
, which began distributing Brief Strop. The song "Fallen for You," from the album, became a hit on College Radio stations and found its way onto the best-selling soundtrack for the movie High Fidelity
High Fidelity (film)
High Fidelity is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack and the Danish actress Iben Hjejle. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, with the setting moved from London to Chicago and the name of the lead character...
. She toured extensively with the album, including several gigs alongside k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
.
In mid-2002, Nicholls released her second album, Wake, in which she worked with producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
and Jez Colin. The album's first single, "Faith," co-written with Ballard, received ample radio play and reached the pop charts.
Nicholls third album, "Songs From the Bardo" was released in August 2009.
Discography
| Album | Release date |
|---|---|
| Brief Strop | 16-Nov-1999 |
| Wake | 14-May-2002 |
| Songs from the Bardo | August 2009 |