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Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May
1975), professionally known as Melanie Brown and Mel B, is an English pop
singer and songwriter turned actress and television personality best known
as one of the members of the girl group the Spice Girls, one of the most
successful female groups of all time. She was given the nickname "Scary
Spice" by the British media because of her outrageous, "in-your-face"
attitude, 'loud' Leeds accent, throaty laugh, manner of dress (which often
consisted of leopard-print outfits), and her voluminously curly hair.
Brown was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire to a white English mother, Andrea,
and a black Nevisian father, Martin. She has a younger sister named
Danielle who is an actress. She studied performing arts at the now famous
Intake High School, in Leeds, before entering the entertainment industry.
For a time she worked as a dancer in the holiday resort, Blackpool,
Lancashire.
After seeing an advertisement for an audition in a newspaper, Brown
started her music career in a band known as Touch. The group left the
original management team and eventually teamed up with music manager Simon
Fuller. Here, she and the other girls were launched on the world as the
Spice Girls. After worldwide success in the group she embarked on a solo
music career in 1998. Her first solo album, with Virgin Records, was a
success, including a No.1 hit. In 2005 she released a second solo album
which did not attract much attention.
In 1996 Brown, along with Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton,
and Victoria Beckham (at that time Victoria Adams), shot to fame as a
member of the Spice Girls with the release of "Wannabe". The debut album,
Spice, shot to number one all over the globe, including the U.S.. Because
of the fact she was often to be found in leopard print clothing and big
wild hair and having a loud attitude, Brown received the nickname "Scary
Spice" from Top of the Pops Magazine (each member of the group was given a
humorous nickname in a small piece titled "Spice Rack"). The Spice Girls
dominated the late 1990s, selling over thirty-five million albums in just
two years. They went on to become one of the best-selling girl groups of
all time, selling more than fifty-five million records worldwide. They had
nine UK number-one singles and two number-one albums. After a third album
release, Forever (UK number-two), the members went their separate ways,
and Brown developed a solo career.
Following her rise to fame, Brown had a long relationship with Icelandic
Fjolnir Thorgeirsson, and a short relationship with Australian singer
Peter Andre.
While on the Spiceworld Tour, Brown began a romantic relationship with
Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar. They married on 13 September 1998, following
which Brown was professionally known as 'Melanie G'. Their only child
together, daughter Phoenix Chi, was born on 19 February 1999. Marriage
problems ensued, including allegations of abusive and inattentive
behaviour by Gulzar, and the marriage collapsed by the end of 1999. In
2000 Brown filed for divorce, which was finalized later that year. The
custody battle for her daughter was highly publicised; Brown won custody,
but had to pay a large alimony settlement of £1.25M to her ex-husband.
Brown's next serious relationship was with British actor Max Beesley, from
whom she split in 2002. In 2003 Brown moved to Los Angeles, CA with her
daughter Phoenix Chi, stating that she planned to live there permanently.
In 2006, Brown became the subject of many tabloid stories, on the basis of
her relationship with Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy. Unconfirmed stories
quickly came that the pair had tattoos of each other's names, were
planning a wedding, and had introduced each other to their respective
families. On 17 October 2006 AOL claimed that Brown was in fact having a
baby by Murphy. Brown was quoted as saying: "We're in love and get on
really well. All the children have met and get on too - it's like a great
big happy family. I can't wait to spend Christmas with him and I can't
wait to have this baby."
In early December 2006, news came that Brown and Murphy were no longer a
couple, and Murphy told a journalist of the Dutch TV show RTL Boulevard at
the Dreamgirls film premiere that the parentage of Brown's unborn baby
could not be proven until a paternity test has been performed, stating: "I
don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test.
You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir." Brown gave birth to Angel Iris
Murphy Brown, on 3 April 2007, which coincidentally is also Murphy's
birthday. Murphy was listed as the father on the birth certificate despite
the ongoing paternity battle. On 22 June 2007, People magazine reported
the results of a court-ordered DNA test, confirming through Brown's
publicist that Murphy was indeed the father of Brown's baby. Murphy has
since admitted paternity. Brown indicated her feelings about Murphy,
stating: "The less said about the Beverly Hills Cock the better."
However, in April 2007, Brown's friend Christa Parker revealed in British
magazine Closer that she and Brown had had a sexual relationship, and also
that Brown had a two-year relationship with a film executive named
Christine. At the time Brown said, "people can call me lesbian, bisexual
or heterosexual, but I know who's in my bed and that's it - I have a huge
libido and a great sex life." Parker said that Brown was still in love
with Eddie Murphy and would welcome him back.
In February 2007, Brown began dating long term friend and movie producer
Stephen Belafonte. Brown and Belafonte quietly married on 6 June 2007, in
Las Vegas, Nevada. |
