Melissa Cecelia Ewen Bell (5 March 1964 – 28 August 2017) was an English singer. From 1993 to 1996, Bell was one of the lead singers of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

R&B act

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

, with whom she released a single titled "Wish". She also created her own band called Soul Explosion, which started in 1999. Bell also worked with Liza Minnelli,

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

and Stevie Wonder.

Early life

A native of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Bell was of African and Indian descent through her Jamaican-born parents. She was a graduate of

Southwark College Southwark College is a further education college located in the London Borough of Southwark. The college at one time had seven sites; it is now based at a building on The Cut, opposite Southwark tube station. The college has been part of Newcastl ...

London Borough of Southwark The London Borough of Southwark ( ) in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas ...

. She later began working in customer service for Marks and Spencer from 1982 until 1991.

Career

In 1987, she was featured on Bobby E and the Midi City Crew's single "Walk on the Wild Side". In 1991, she appeared on the song "The Dancer" from the

Bingoboys Bingoboys was an Austrian dance music trio from Vienna consisting of DJs Klaus Biedermann, Paul Pfab and Helmut Wolfgruber. They had two chart entries on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1991. Their debut single, " How to Danc ...

' album ''The Best of Bingoboys''. She released her debut single "Reconsider" in 1992, which received major radio play. In the same year, she released another single titled "Crystal Clear". In 1993, Bell joined British musical group

after Jazzie B heard her single "Reconsider" and asked her to join the group. She recorded a single called "Wish", which was released on their greatest hits album ''

Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93 ''Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93'' is the first compilation album by British group Soul II Soul, released in 1993. Along with the band's biggest hit singles released up to 1993, the album also includes one new song, "Wish". Track listing ...

'' in 1993. The single peaked at number 24 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Following the success of the song she was invited to perform the song, while heavily pregnant with her son, on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

''. She continued to record and tour with the group as one of their featured singers. In 1995, she performed lead vocals on the song "Be a Man" on their fourth studio album ''Volume V: Believe''. In 1996, she departed from the group to continue her solo career. In 1997, Bell released four singles "Rumbled Sex", "Surrender", "Mixed Up", and "Nothing Gonna Stop Me Now"; which featured Potential Bad Boy. In 1999, she formed a new

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

band called Soul Explosion. In 2000, she released two singles "Into My World" and "Love's in Need of Love Today" with a group called Dazz. In 2002, she released another single "(No More) Searching". In June 2010, she released her autobiography ''Heart and Soul: The Emotional Autobiography of Melissa Bell''.

Personal life

Bell was the mother of four children including singer Alexandra Burke. She suffered from

diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

. She also suffered

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

, and struggled to attend many of her daughter's live performances during her time on ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

''. On 29 August 2017, her daughter Alexandra announced the death of the singer, her family asked for privacy. During the BBC1 One Show on 25 November 2020, Burke confirmed the proceeds of her 2020 Christmas record, "Silent Night" which features the voice of her mother, would all go to 'The Melisa Bell Foundation". The Foundation supports aspiring youngsters wishing to attend the "Sylvia Young Theatre School."

Discography

;Singles * 1991: "Walk on the Wild Side" (Bobby E and the Midi City Crew featuring Melissa Bell) * 1992: "Reconsider" * 1992: "Crystal Clear" * 1993: "Wish" (with Soul II Soul) * 1997: "Rumbled Sex" * 1997: "Surrender" * 1997: "Mixed Up" * 1997: "Nothing Gonna Stop Me Now" (featuring Potential Bad Boy) * 2000: "Into My World" (with Dazz) * 2001: "Love's in Need of Love Today" (with Dazz) * 2002: "(No More) Searching" * 2009: "Innocent Till Proven Guilty"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Melissa 1964 births 2017 deaths 20th-century Black British women singers English dance musicians Bell, Melissa English people of Jamaican descent Singers from London Place of death missing 21st-century Black British women singers Soul II Soul members