Belinda Carlisle

Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.

Raised in Southern California, Carlisle became the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's after the band's formation in 1978. With their chart-topping debut studio album '' Beauty and the Beat'' in 1981, the group helped popularize new wave music in the United States. The Go-Go's were the first (and to date only) all-female band in history who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to achieve a No. 1 album. The Go-Go's have sold over seven million records worldwide.

After the break-up of the Go-Go's in 1985, Carlisle went on to have a successful solo career with radio hits such as "Mad About You", "I Get Weak", "Circle in the Sand", " Leave a Light On", and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". The Go-Go's reformed in 1999, and Carlisle continues to perform with them regularly while also maintaining her solo career.

Carlisle's autobiography, ''Lips Unsealed'', published in June 2010, was a ''New York Times'' Best Seller and received favorable reviews. In 2011, Carlisle, as a member of the Go-Go's, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She and the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Early life and education

Belinda Jo Carlisle was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on August 17, 1958 to Harold Carlisle, a gas station employee, and his wife, Joanne (née Thompson), a homemaker. Her mother met her father, who was 20 years her senior, at age 18, and Carlisle was born nine months later. She was named after her mother's favorite film, '' Johnny Belinda'' (1948). Carlisle was the first of seven siblings; she has three brothers and three sisters. When she was five years old, Carlisle's father abandoned their family, and she has stated that she spent most of her childhood impoverished. As a teenager, she recalled owning "like, two outfits." According to Carlisle, her mother was very religious, while her father was not. In an interview with ''Slash'' magazine, she described herself as a reject from a Southern Baptist household.

Her mother later remarried Walt Kurczeski, who Carlisle says was an alcoholic, and with whom she had a tumultuous relationship. The family moved frequently during her childhood, from Simi Valley to Reseda, before settling in Burbank when Carlisle was seven years old. At age ten, Carlisle began to express interest in music, and recalled the Beach Boys, Cat Stevens, the Stylistics, and the Animals as being early musical influences.

The family relocated again during Carlisle's adolescence, this time to Thousand Oaks, California; she attended Colina Junior High School in Thousand Oaks, where she was a 3rd-string guard on the boys' basketball team, and later Newbury Park High School, where she was a cheerleader. During her teenage years, Carlisle became rebellious: "By the time I hit fourteen, I'd gone really wild," she said. "I ran away from home, smoked pot, dropped acid ... you name it, I'd try it." After high school, Carlisle worked at a House of Fabrics store, and as a photocopier clerk at the Hilton Hotels Corporation in Los Angeles at age 18. She took night classes attending beauty college, but dropped out in the first year. At the age of 19, Carlisle left home to pursue a career in music.

Career

Early ventures and the Go-Go's

Carlisle's first venture into music was in 1977 as drummer for the punk rock band the Germs, under the name Dottie Danger. She was recruited into the band by Lorna Doom, whom she had met in an art class while a student at Newbury Park High School. However, her time in the band was short owing to her contracting mononucleosis, and she never recorded or performed live with the Germs. According to Germs guitarist Pat Smear, upon quitting, she introduced her friend, Donna Rhia, who became her replacement. Carlisle does appear on one recording introducing the band at a 1977 performance at the Whisky a Go Go, heard on the live album ''Germicide'' (1977). Around this time, Carlisle provided some backing vocals for Black Randy and the Metrosquad.

Soon after leaving the Germs, she co-founded the Go-Go's (originally named the Misfits) with friends and fellow musicians Margot Olavarria, Elissa Bello, and Jane Wiedlin. Olavarria and Bello were soon out of the group, and the new line-up included Carlisle, Weidlin, bassist-turned-guitarist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock. All five women were largely untrained musicians, and Carlisle recalls having to use tape as fret markers during their initial songwriting: " harlottehad to show us how to plug in our amps," she said.

The Go-Go's went on to become one of the most successful American bands of the 1980s, helping usher new wave music into popular American radio, and becoming the first and only all-female band that wrote their own music and played their own instruments to ever achieve a No. 1 album, '' Beauty and the Beat'' (1981), which featured the hits "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed". The Go-Go's recorded two more studio albums on I.R.S. Records, including 1982's ''Vacation'', which went gold. " Head over Heels", from their 1984 album ''Talk Show'', made it to No. 11.

In 1984, Carlisle made a foray into acting in the movie '' Swing Shift'', appearing as a band singer alongside Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

Solo career

1985–1990

The Go-Go's broke up in 1985, and Carlisle embarked on a solo career. Carlisle's debut solo studio album ''Belinda'' was released in 1986, also on I.R.S. Records. This album was successful in North America and was certified Gold in the United States and Platinum in Canada. Her summer hit "Mad About You" peaked at No. 3 in the United States, topped the Canadian Singles Chart, and charted in the top 10 in Australia. "Mad About You" was followed by the Motown-influenced single "I Feel the Magic" written by Charlotte Caffey, and by a cover version of the Freda Payne song " Band of Gold". All three songs were included on her debut studio album. The single " Since You've Gone", co-written by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, was used only for promotion. Susanna Hoffs co-wrote the single "I Need a Disguise" in which she also sang backing vocals along with Jane Wiedlin. Duran Duran's Andy Taylor played guitar on some album tracks and appeared in her "Mad About You" music video.

During this time, Carlisle also had songs featured on movie soundtracks, notably "In My Wildest Dreams" from the movie ''Mannequin'' (1987), "Shot in the Dark" from the Anthony Michael Hall thriller ''Out of Bounds'' (1986), as well as "Dancing in the City" from the Whoopi Goldberg movie ''Burglar'' (1987).

The musical style of 1987's '' Heaven on Earth'' eschewed the 1960s-influenced pop of Carlisle's debut studio album in favor of slickly produced 1980s power pop. It was released in the United States through MCA, and in the United Kingdom through Virgin Records. The album became a Top 5 bestseller in the UK and Australia, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

The album's first single, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", topped the single charts in the United States and the UK, with the dance mix of the song also topping the ''Billboard'' dance chart in the United States. The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning American actress Diane Keaton. The second single from the album was the Diane Warren-penned "I Get Weak", which peaked at No. 2 in the United States and No. 10 in the UK. The third single from the album was "Circle in the Sand", another Top 10 hit in the United States, the UK, and Germany. "World Without You" was another British hit. Following the success of the album, Carlisle embarked on the ''Good Heavens'' world tour, which sold out Wembley Arena in London.

Carlisle's follow-up to the success of ''Heaven on Earth'' was ''Runaway Horses'', released on October 23, 1989. The album hit the Top 5 in both Australia and the UK, certified double platinum in Australia and platinum in the UK and in Canada. The first release, " Leave a Light On", peaked at No. 11 in the United States, and became another Top 5 smash in the UK, Australia and Canada.

1989 also saw Carlisle performing co-lead vocals with the Smithereens in a duet with the band's lead vocalist Pat DiNizio on the song "Blue Period". The song was featured on their third studio album '' 11''.

The second United States single, " Summer Rain", reached No. 30 in early 1990. The song reached No. 6 in Australia. It was the final release from ''Runaway Horses'' in the UK where it was released as the album's sixth single in December 1990, peaking at No. 23 in January 1991. Three further singles were released: the title track; " La Luna", which reached the Top 10 in Switzerland and Top 20 hit in Germany and Australia; and " (We Want) The Same Thing", which reached No. 6 in the UK. (Default is single history; may require users to click "album" tab to view album chart history).

In the late autumn of 1990, the Go-Go's reunited for a tour to support their first greatest hits album, '' Greatest'', including a new recording of the cover song "Cool Jerk" (The Go-Go's original cover was featured on their 1980 European EP, with a second version being released in 1982). A notable feature of the tour was an anti-fur campaign, where the band members supported the animal rights organization PETA.

1991–1999

In 1991, Carlisle released her fourth solo studio album, ''Live Your Life Be Free''. The album marked somewhat of a return to 1960s-influenced music for Carlisle and included songs mainly written and produced by Rick Nowels" was accompanied by a music video inspired by the B movie ''Attack of the 50 Foot Woman'' (1958). The title track, "Live Your Life Be Free", released as first single outside the United States, was a Top 20 hit single in many countries reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 13 in Australia. Subsequent releases " Half the World" and " Little Black Book" (co-written by Marcella Detroit under her real name Marcy Levy) were also hits outside the United States. The album was also a success in Europe (Top 10 in the UK and Gold certification). To date, "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" is Carlisle's final single to enter in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 73.

Still active in Europe and Australia with a recording contract at Virgin Records, her 1992 greatest hits album ''The Best of Belinda, Volume 1'' reached No. 1, and was certified double platinum in the UK and platinum in Australia. This first greatest hits album included all the hits taken from ''Heaven on Earth'', ''Runaway Horses'', and ''Live Your Life Be Free''. The United States version of the album was named ''Her Greatest Hits'' and also included songs from her debut studio album ''Belinda''.

Carlisle's fifth solo studio album, ''Real'', was released in 1993 on the Virgin label in the United States and in Europe. Produced without Nowels, the album was a departure from Carlisle's polished pop music formula. Even the album's cover photograph featured her with little or no make-up. Carlisle co-produced and co-wrote much of the album, collaborating heavily with friend and ex-Go-Go member Charlotte Caffey. The album was Carlisle's fifth consecutive to reach the UK Top 10 peaking at number 9. It peaked also at number 23 in Sweden. Its lead single, "Big Scary Animal", peaked at No. 12 in the UK. The second single from ''Real'' was " Lay Down Your Arms", which made the Top 30 in the UK. Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals co-wrote the single "Here Comes My Baby". Also in 1993, Carlisle provided guest vocals on the Lemonheads sixth studio album ''Come on Feel the Lemonheads''.

The Go-Go's reunited in 1994 to support the retrospective double-CD ''Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's'', their second collection, which featured three new songs, including the single "The Whole World Lost Its Head". However, the band broke up again, soon after the promotional tour.

Carlisle returned to the recording studio, and resumed working again with Rick Nowels

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