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Melanie Brown, also known as "Mel B," was previously known as "Scary Spice," a member of the all-girl, British pop group the Spice Girls.
Videos see all videos
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Spice Girls - Full Biography (44:48)
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Spice Girls - Mini Biography (3:11)
Spice Girls - Mini Biography
Chosen at an audition,the five members of the Spice Girls--nicknamed Sporty, Scary, Posh, Baby, and Ginger--grew to symbolize “girl power,” and their music’s message struck a chord with thousands of young women.
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Play NowMelanie Brown. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 03:44, May 24, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837.
Melanie Brown. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837 [Accessed 24 May 2013].
"Melanie Brown." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 24 2013, 03:44 http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837.
"Melanie Brown," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837 [accessed May 24, 2013].
"Melanie Brown," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837 (accessed May 24, 2013).
Melanie Brown [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 24] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837.
Melanie Brown, http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837 (last visited May 24, 2013).
Melanie Brown. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/melanie-brown-20866837. Accessed May 24, 2013.
Synopsis
Melanie Brown was born on May 29, 1975 in Harehills, Leeds, England. In 1994, she became "Scary Spice" in the all-girl, British pop group the Spice Girls. In 1998, Brown released her first single, "I Want You," with Missy Elliott, which reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts. She has also appeared in theatre productions and feature films, and hosted the Australian version of The X Factor. In 2013,
Quotes
"I'm always down for a Spice Girls reunion. I love the Scary hair and platforms. Any time of day or night, I'll be there."
she began appearing as a judge on America's Got Talent.
Early Life
Melanie Janine Brown, also known as "Mel B" and "Sporty Spice," was born on May 29, 1975, in Harehills, Leeds, England. She was raised by her English mother, Andrea, and her Nevisian father, Martin, in Burley, Leeds. After studying performing arts at Intake High School in Leeds, Brown went on to become a songwriter, dancer, actress and author.
Commercial Success
Brown started her music career after responding to an advertisement in The Stage magazine for an all-female pop act and recording deal. She sang "Greatest Love of All" at her audition and was chosen, along with Geri Halliwell, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton and Melanie Chisholm, to become a member of the Spice Girls. The group signed with Virgin Records in September 1995, and released their debut single, "Wannabe," in 1996, which hit No. 1 in more than 30 countries, and instituted them as a global phenomenon. The song became the biggest-selling single by an all-female group. In November 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut album, Spice in Europe, which was enormously successful.
After drifting apart in the late '90s to pursue other projects, the Spice Girls reunited for a series of concerts in 2007 and 2008. In June 2012, the group reunited again, this time to announce the creation of a new musical about the rise and fall of the Spice Girls. Viva Forever!, named after the group's 1998 No. 1 single, is slated to open in London by the end of 2012.
Solo Career
After the Spice Girls broke up in 1998, Brown pursued a solo career. Her first single, "I Want You," with Missy Elliott sold 80,000 copies in the first week, giving Mel B a solo No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart. Hot, her debut solo album, was released in 2000, and produced three Top 5 singles. Her second album, L.A. State of Mind, was released in 2005, and included the single "Today." The album was considered a flop.
In 2002, Brown starred on the BBC3 sitcom Burn It, and in 2003, she made her theatre debut with The Vagina Monologues in London. She then went on to star as Mimi in the Broadway musical Rent. Brown has also appeared in feature films such as LD 50 and The Seat Filler, and hosted the television shows This Is My Moment, Top of the Pops, Access Hollywood, Dancing With the Stars and the Australian version of The X Factor.
In 2002, Brown released her autobiography, Catch a Fire, which chronicles her experiences as a Spice Girl and pop star. The book reached No. 7 on book sales charts. She also launched a signature fashion line, Catty Courture, and was contracted to be the face of Ultimo Underwear in the United Kingdom.
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Spice Girls
View groupThe British all-female pop group the Spice Girls dominated the music charts in the 1990s with their catchy lyrics and fierce attitudes. The group began with five, young aspiring performers, and blew up into a '90s frenzy of platform shoes, choreographed dance numbers, and of course, "Girl Power." Under the personas of "Sporty," "Baby," "Scary," "Ginger" and "Posh," the five superstars sold 65 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling girl group of all time. To this day, their fan base still proves strong, as they reunited in 2007 for a sold out tour, the first since 1999. Explore this collection for full biographies, photos and videos, of the five girls who make up this iconic group.
Spice Girls 5 people in this group
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Cool Britannia - Cultural Icons: 1990s
View groupIn the 1990s, London's artists and cultural tastemakers embraced their British roots. Pop acts like Oasis, Elastica and the Spice Girls dominated 90's music, and reinforced British pride with symbolic use of the Union Flag—Oasis member Noel Gallagher famously used a Union Jack guitar while "Ginger Spice" Geri Halliwell wore the symbol on her trademark, flashy dress. The period was also marked by influential designers like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, whose unique designs established numerous fashion trends for the decade. Biography.com celebrates these prominent figures, and the many others who led the way for "Cool Britannia."
Cool Britannia - Cultural Icons: 1990s 22 people in this group
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Famous Geminis 529 people in this group
