Deborah Anne Dyer (born 3 August 1967), known

mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

by the stage name Skin, is a British singer, songwriter and electronic music DJ. She is the lead vocalist of British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie are a British rock band whose members include Skin (lead vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Ace (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion). Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded in 2 ...

, a band often grouped as part of the

Britrock British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by the Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the develop ...

movement in the UK and gained attention for her powerful, wide-ranging

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

voice and striking look. In 2015, she joined the judging panel of the Italian version of the talent show ''

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 ...

'' for one season, and 2016 was on the cover of the UK lesbian magazine ''Diva''. After releasing new music and touring with Skunk Anansie, in 2018 Skin was featured as one of the cover stars of ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

'' magazine's special "She Rocks" issue and was honoured with the Inspirational Artist Award at the Music Week Awards ahead of celebrating 25 years of Skunk Anansie. She also appeared on the cover of ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'' magazine in November 2018. Mavis Bayton, author of ''Frock Rock'', stated that "women like Skin,

Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas ( ar, نتاشا أطلس}; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern popular music). Her mu ...

Yolanda Charles Yolande Christina Charles is a British musician and teacher. She has played bass guitar with Paul Weller, David A. Stewart, Robbie Williams, Mick Jagger, The Waterboys, Hans Zimmer and from July 2017 through early 2020 she was a member of Sque ...

, and Debbie Smith are now acting as crucial role models for future generations of black women".

Early life

Deborah Ann Dyer was born on 3 August 1967 in

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

, London, to Jamaican parents. Her father was in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

and later worked on

oil rig {{about, , the mnemonic OIL RIG, Redox An oil rig is any kind of apparatus constructed for oil drilling. Kinds of oil rig include: * Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling * Drillship, a floating apparatus for offshore oil drilling ...

s. Her mother was a nurse before taking a government position in the environmental department. She describes her parents as "very strict, very Jamaican". At the age of 6, she moved in with her grandfather into a

two-up two-down Two-up two-down is a type of small house with two rooms on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs. There are many types of terraced houses in the United Kingdom, and these are among the most modest. Those built before 1875, the pre-regulat ...

Acre Lane List of A roads in zone 2 in Great Britain starting south of the River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the ...

, Brixton, who ran a nightclub in the basement, in which she mentions there was "always music and rum" and posters of

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

and

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

, which inspired her. As a child, she wanted to be a pianist. At the age of 14, she read ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'', later stating that she loved the "intricacy and complexity of

Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

play".

Skunk Anansie

After forming in 1994, the band released three albums, ''

Paranoid & Sunburnt ''Paranoid & Sunburnt'' is the debut studio album by British rock band Skunk Anansie, first released in 1995 via One Little Indian Records. It was re-released in 2005 with a DVD featuring the videos to the singles. This album was recorded wit ...

'', ''

Stoosh ''Stoosh'' is the second studio album by British rock band Skunk Anansie, released on 7 October 1996. Critical reception AllMusic's Tom Demalon stated: "Skunk Anansie's full-frontal charge can be wearing at times, but for a good dose of aggr ...

'' and ''

Post Orgasmic Chill ''Post Orgasmic Chill'' is the third studio album by British rock band Skunk Anansie, first released in 1999. Two album covers exist: the European version with the band lounging in an oceanside apartment, and the American version with the ban ...

'', which sold more than 4 million copies worldwide; their biggest hit was the single " Weak". The band disbanded in 2001 after which she embarked a solo career and reformed in 2009. they are still recording and touring. Skunk Anansie have been unapologetic in their reluctance to alter their substance or aesthetic to satisfy others around them since their inception in 1994. Their early singles established the tone. First, an anti-fascist anthem, Little Baby Swastikkka. The sequel, Selling Jesus, is a critical examination of organized religion and corporate avarice. The band hit it off right on, releasing six studio albums and touring with

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, U2, and Lenny Kravitz.

Solo career

After Skunk Anansie split, Skin released her debut solo album ''

Fleshwounds ''Fleshwounds'' is the debut solo album from Skunk Anansie lead singer Skin. Not entirely satisfied with its initial release, Skin re-released it with new album artwork and a slightly different track listing. "As Long as That's True" was replac ...

''. The album was toned down from her Skunk Anansie days and did not gain the same acclaim from Skunk Anansie fans. She even ditched her trademark bald look and grew her hair into a boyish crop. While the album was not a massive success in the UK, two singles were released from it: "Trashed" and "

Faithfulness Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited by a husband or wife who does not engage in sexua ...

". "Lost", a double A-side with "

Getting Away with It "Getting Away with It" is the first single by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner of New Order, ex- Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, and guesting vocalist Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. It was first released in 1989. Comp ...

", was a planned third single but was pulled shortly before release; promo CDs were sent out to radio stations but it received no airplay. Elsewhere in Europe the album's success was greater. For example, in Italy it peaked at number 6 in the album chart and in Germany at number 18. After releasing ''Fleshwounds'', Skin went on to perform various solo gigs around Europe. She was also support for the European leg of

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

' and Placebo's world tours. Soon after touring she began to record her second album, ''

Fake Chemical State ''Fake Chemical State'' is the second solo album by Skunk Anansie lead vocalist Skin. Released on 20 March 2006, the album was produced by Gordon Raphael and Skin herself, except for the first single "Alone in My Room" which Skin produced with f ...

'', which was released for sale on 20 March 2006, preceded by new single " Just Let the Sun" two weeks earlier. The first single actually issued from this album was " Alone in My Room", a download-only track released on 7 November 2005. "Alone in My Room" was also the name given to Skin's first solo tour in two years, which commenced in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in November 2005. For this album she shaved her head bald again, returning to the look she had in her Skunk Anansie days. Skin's next solo outing was a small promotional "Fake Chemical State" tour. It started in Glasgow on 17 March 2006. She went on to perform many festivals around Europe including Rock Werchter in Belgium and the

Southside Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

festivals in Germany. She performed on the main stage at most of these festivals. In February 2008, she announced that she was working with

Timo Maas Timo Maas (born July 27, 1969, Bückeburg, West Germany) is a German DJ/ producer and remixer whose career in electronic music spans well over 30 years. His remix of Azzido Da Bass's single "Dooms Night" helped launch his career in 2000. In ...

and Martin Buttrich on a side project called "Format-3". Her 2008 song "Tear Down These Houses" was released as a part of the soundtrack to ''Parlami d'Amore'', directed by Silvio Muccino. She sings in the opening musical piece "Renaissance", in '' Medici: Masters of Florence'', a Netflix original series released in October 2016. Skin has always had a love of

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

and she moved into the genre when her friend

Damian Lazarus Damian Lazarus is a DJ and electronic music producer. He released his first album ''Smoke the Monster Out'' in May 2009, after two years of writing content for it. Discography Albums *''Smoke the Monster Out'', 2009. *''Fabric 54 From November ...

gave her a mixer in 2009. Going under the moniker D-Dyer she made her first steps into the DJ world which she has now been doing for the past decade. She plays

Techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

Tech House Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines stylistic features of techno with house. The term ''tech house'' developed as a shorthand record store name for a category of electronic dance music that combined musical aspects of techno, ...

and Minimal all over the world at classic venues such as Output in New York, Sound Nightclub in LA and

Fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

in London. In 2015 Skin collaborated with

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

icon

Nicole Moudaber Nicole Moudaber is a Lebanese/British event promoter, record label founder, radio personality, and DJ/ producer. She is the head of her own imprint MOOD Records and runs an award-winning weekly radio show, In The MOOD. Biography Nicole Moud ...

and they released the Breed EP on Nicole's Mood Records. It features five tracks including "Don't Talk To Me I'm Dancing". In 2016 she DJ-ed at

Carl Cox Carl Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, as well as radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Hove, Sussex, England. Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has performed at numerous clubs and e ...

's Revolution in

Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...

Coachella Coachella may refer to: * Coachella, California * Coachella Canal, in California * Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California * "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey See also

* Coachell ...

and also released Techno music under the guise of Juvenal through Mood Records. In 2020, Skin participated in the UK version of ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', appearing as Duck. Her identity was revealed in episode six, when she was eliminated. A memoir, ''It Takes Blood and Guts'', co-written with

Lucy O'Brien Lucy O'Brien (born 13 September 1961)Author Biography, O'Brien, Lucy – She Bop: The definitive history of women in rock, pop, and soul, London: Penguin, 1995 is a British author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music. Early musi ...

, was published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

in September 2020. On 18 October 2020, Skin began presenting a Sunday-night radio show titled ''The Skin Show'' on

Absolute Radio Absolute Radio is a British National radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via Digital audio broadcasting and on 1215 kHz MW. History 1993–1997: Virg ...

Personal life

Skin graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Interior Architecture & Design from Teesside Polytechnic in 1989 and received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Teesside University in 2000. Skin is openly

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

. In 2013, she entered into a civil partnership with Christiana Wyly, daughter of American billionaire

Sam Wyly Samuel Evans Wyly (born October 4, 1934) is an American businessman. He first appeared on ''Forbes''s list of richest Americans in 2000 with a net worth of $750 million, and he remained on that list throughout 2010 with a net worth of $1 billio ...

. The couple split in 2015. In September 2020, Skin announced her engagement to Rayne Baron. In June 2021, the couple announced they are expecting their first child. In January 2021, Skin assumed the role of

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Leeds Arts University Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds. History It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Scho ...

in Leeds, England. Since the

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...

in 2016, Skin has talked against Brexit and its effect in terms of rise in racism, labour shortage and impoverishment of British culture in numerous interviews. She was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music. After the results of the 2022 Italian election were announced, Skin said that she was disappointed that the Italian people voted for

Giorgia Meloni Giorgia Meloni (; born 15 January 1977) is an Italian politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Italy since 22 October 2022, the first woman to hold this position. A member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2006, she has led the ...

and said that Italy was "sinking towards

fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

" once again.

Discography

Solo studio albums

*''

'' (2003) *''

'' (2006)

Guest appearances

* Vocals on "Carmen Queasy" from

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...

's (of

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...

) 2000 solo album, ''Hell's Kitchen'' – UK Chart Number 33 * Vocals on "

Licking Cream Licking Cream is the third single by American rock band Sevendust from their second album ''Home''. Also the song is the first single from Sevendust that was released in Europe. The song features additional vocals by singer Skin Skin is the la ...

" from

Sevendust Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and rhythm guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and lead guitarist Clint Lowery ...

's second album, ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

'' * Vocals on "You Can't Find Peace", by Pale3, which was made for the

Tom Tykwer Tom Tykwer (; born 23 May 1965) is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing the thriller films ''Run Lola Run'' (1998), ''Heaven (2002 film), Heaven'' (2002), ''Perfume: The St ...

film (''The Princess and the Warrior'') * Vocals on "Good Times", by Ed Case – UK Chart Number 49 * Vocals on "If This Ain't Love" by Erick Morillo & Eddie Thoneick – released 2012 * Contributes vocals to "Still Standing" from ''Unity – The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album'' * Performs "Kill Everything" on the OST of * Contributes vocals to "" on the album by

Marlene Kuntz Marlene Kuntz are an Italian Rock music, rock band formed in Cuneo in 1990. Initially they were inspired by the noise rock of Sonic Youth. History Marlene Kuntz began forming in 1987 consisting of Luca Bergia on drums and Riccardo Tesio on guita ...

* Contributes vocals on "" (Seasons of Love) from the cast album to the Italian production of''Rent'' * Vocals on "Meat" from

Tony Iommi Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...

's album '' Iommi'' * Vocals on "Comfort of Strangers" on the OST to ''

Timecode A timecode (alternatively, time code) is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing synchronization system. Timecode is used in video production, show control and other applications which require temporal coordinatio ...

'' * Contributes to charity single "It's Only Rock And Roll" * "

Not an Addict "Not an Addict" is a song by Belgian rock band K's Choice from their second studio album, '' Paradise in Me'' (1996). It was written by the band's core members—siblings Gert and Sam (then known as Sarah) Bettens—produced by Jean Blaute, and ...

" (with

K's Choice K's Choice is a Belgian rock band from Antwerp, formed in the mid-1990s. The band's core members are brothers Sam Bettens (lead vocals, guitar) and Gert Bettens (guitar, keyboard, vocals). They are joined by Bart Van Lierde (bass), Tom Lodewyckx ...

) – live at Pinkpop 1996 * "Army of Me" (with

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

) – live version on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, 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 ...

'', 5 May 1995 * "Anti Love Song" (

Betty Davis Betty Davis (born Betty Gray Mabry; July 26, 1944 – February 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and model. She was known for her controversial sexually-oriented lyrics and performance style, and was the second wife of trumpeter Mile ...

cover; live on

Taratata ''Taratata'' is a French television music show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the show was initially shown on France 2. The show often involved surprise and unlikely duets, as ...

with Lenny Kravitz) * Vocals on "Nothing Matters" by Mark Knight.

References

Sources

External links

Official Skin websiteSkin at V2 MUSIC UK
– her record label *
The Skin Show on Absolute RadioOfficial Instagram ProfileBBC Radio 4 Front Row : Skin on her new memoir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skin Living people 1967 births 20th-century Black British women singers 21st-century Black British women singers Alternative metal musicians Alumni of Teesside University Bisexual musicians Bisexual women Black British rock musicians British autobiographers British people of Jamaican descent Women heavy metal singers Women rock singers LGBT Black British people English LGBT musicians British LGBT singers People from Brixton Singers from London Officers of the Order of the British Empire