Lennox's vocal range is contralto. She has been named "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by VH1 and one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone. In June 2013 the Official Charts Company called her "the most successful female British artist in UK music history". By June 2008, including her work with Eurythmics, Lennox had sold over 80million records worldwide. As part of a one-hour symphony of British Music, Lennox performed "Little Bird" during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London. At the 2015 Ivor Novello Awards Lennox was made a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (The Ivors Academy), the first woman to receive the honour. Lennox and her Eurythmics partner Dave Stewart were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, and the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
In addition to her career as a musician, Lennox is also a political and social activist, raising money and awareness for HIV/AIDS as it affects women and children in Africa. She founded the Sing campaign in 2007 and founded a women's empowerment charity called The Circle in 2008. In 2011 Lennox was appointed an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for her "tireless charity campaigns and championing of humanitarian causes". On 4 June 2012 she performed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of Buckingham Palace. In 2017, Lennox was appointed Glasgow Caledonian University's first female chancellor.[3]
Early life
Lennox was born on Christmas Day 1954 in Torry,[4]Aberdeen, Scotland. She is the daughter of Dorothy Farquharson (née Ferguson; 1930–2003) and Thomas Allison Lennox (1925–1986).[5][6]
Lennox went to the Aberdeen High School for Girls (which since became Harlaw Academy secondary school) where she was encouraged by her parents to explore her artistic qualities. She excelled at music, poetry and artwork. Here she learned to play the flute and the piano. She also sang in the choir and later played in symphony orchestras and military bands, and each year took part in the Aberdeen Music Festival. Lennox attended Dalcroze Eurhythmics classes while at high school.[7]Eurhythmics, with its English spelling, is an approach to music education developed by the Swiss composer Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. The word Eurhythmics is derived from Greek and means "good flow".[8] The band, Eurythmics, adopted the French spelling.
The Royal Academy of Music in London, where Lennox abandoned her classical studies in the early 1970s. She became a Fellow of the Academy in 2007 and was awarded an honorary Doctorate from its affiliated college, the University of London, in 2017.
In 1971, Lennox began studying on a three-year Music Performance degree course at the Royal Academy of Music in London. It is one of a small number of quite elite British music conservatories predominantly for classical music study at third level.[9] At college in London she studied flute, piano and harpsichord for nearly three years. Although Lennox studied for close to the duration of the course she did not finish her studies at the college. She found the amount of time devoted to music practice required to become a professional classical musician obsessive and felt that she was unconnected with the "whole cultural aspect".[10] Lennox lived on a student grant and worked at part-time jobs for extra money. She was unhappy with the direction she was going in and doubted her own talent when compared to her student contemporaries[11] while at the Royal Academy and deliberated on what other direction she could take.[12]
Lennox's flute teacher's final report stated: "Ann has not always been sure of where to direct her efforts, though lately she has been more committed. She is very, very able, however."[13] Two years later, Lennox reported to the academy: "I have had to work as a waitress, barmaid, and shop assistant to keep me when not in musical work."[13] Lennox attended the Dalcroze Eurhythmics Spring Course of 1974.[citation needed] She also played and sang with a few bands, such as Windsong, during the period of her course.[14][15]
In 2017, the academy awarded her an honorary degree of Doctorate. In her acceptance speech of her honorary Doctorate, Lennox said, "Many of my life experiences can be described as unconventional, idiosyncratic and synchronistic – as this event [graduation ceremony] proves to be no exception. By rights, I feel I’m not entitled to be here – but as John Lennon once famously said…'Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.'"[16]
Career
1976–1990: Dragon's Playground, the Tourists and Eurythmics
In 1976, Lennox was a flute player with a band called Dragon's Playground, leaving before they appeared on ITV's talent show New Faces.[17] From 1977 to 1980, she was the lead singer of the Tourists, a British pop band and her first collaboration with Dave Stewart.[18]
Lennox and Stewart reconvened Eurythmics in the late 1990s, resulting in the 1999 release of Peace, the band's first album of new material in ten years. A subsequent concert tour was completed, with profits going to Greenpeace and Amnesty International.[2] Lennox has received eight Brit Awards, including being named Best British Female Artist a record six times.[23] Four of the awards were given during her time with Eurythmics, and another was given to the duo for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1999.[24]
The album entered the UK album chart at no.1 and has since sold over 1.2million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum.[33] It was also a success in the US where it was a top 30 hit and has sold in excess of 2,700,000 copies.[28] In 1993, the album was included in Q magazine's list of the "50 Best Albums of 1992". Rolling Stone magazine (25 June 1992, p.41) described the album as "...state-of-the-art soul pop..." and it is included in Rolling Stone's (13 May 1999, p.56) "Essential Recordings of the 90's" list. The album won Best British Album at the 1993 Brit Awards.[34]
Although Lennox's profile decreased for a period because of her desire to bring up her two children outside of the media's glare, she continued to record. Her second album, Medusa, was released in March 1995. It consisted solely of cover songs, all originally recorded by male artists including Bob Marley, The Clash, and Neil Young. It entered the UK album chart at No.1 and peaked in Australia at No.5, and in the US at number 11, spending 60weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over 2,000,000 to date in the United States.[28] It has achieved double platinum status in both the UK and the US.[33][35] The album yielded four UK singles: "No More 'I Love You's'" (which entered the UK singles chart at No.2, Lennox's highest ever solo peak),[26] "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Waiting in Vain" and "Something So Right". The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards of 1996,[36] losing to Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell and instead winning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "No More 'I Love You's'".[37] Although Lennox declined to tour for the album, she did perform a large scale one-off concert in New York's Central Park, which was filmed and later released on home video.[38] Lennox provided an extensive solo vocal performance (without lyrics) for the soundtrack score of the film Apollo 13 in 1995.[39]
Managed by Simon Fuller since the beginning of her solo career, he said that Lennox played an important but unheralded role in the success of the Spice Girls, encouraging the group to "ham up" their characters, which helped them top the charts around the world.[40] In 1997, Lennox re-recorded the Eurythmics track "Angel" for the Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute album, and also recorded the song "Mama" for The Avengers soundtrack album. In 1998, following the death of a mutual friend (former Tourists member Peet Coombes), she re-united with Dave Stewart.[41] Following their first performance together in eight years at a record company party, Stewart and Lennox began writing and recording together for the first time since 1989. This resulted in the album Peace. The title was designed to reflect the duo's ongoing concern with global conflict and world peace. The record was promoted with a concert on the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior II, where they played a mixture of old and new songs. "I Saved the World Today" was the lead single, reaching number eleven on the UK singles chart.[42] Another single, released at the beginning of 2000, "17 Again", made the UK top 40, and topped the US dance chart.[43] In 2002, Lennox received a Billboard Century Award; the highest accolade from Billboard magazine, with Editor-in-Chief Timothy White describing her as one of "the most original and unforgettably affecting artists in the modern annals of popular music."[2]
In 2003, Lennox released her third solo album, Bare. The album peaked at No.3 in the UK, No.10 in Australia, and No.4 in the US – her highest-charting album in the US to date.[44] She embarked on her first tour as a solo artist to promote the album. The tour, simply titled Solo Tour, pre-dated the release of the album and visited both the US and Europe, with only a two-night stop in the UK at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. The album has been certified Gold in both the UK and the US and was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 46th Grammy Awards. The album was released with a DVD which included interviews and acoustic versions of songs by Lennox.[45]
In 2004, Lennox won the Academy Award for Best Song for "Into the West" from the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,[46] which she co-wrote with screenwriter Fran Walsh and composer Howard Shore. Lennox performed the song live at the 76th Academy Awards. The song also won a Grammy award and a Golden Globe award. She had previously recorded "Use Well the Days" for the movie, which incorporates a number of quotations from Tolkien in its lyrics. This features on a bonus DVD included with the "special edition" of the movie's soundtrack CD. In mid-2004, Lennox embarked on an extensive North American tour with Sting.[2] In July 2005, Lennox performed at Live 8 in Hyde Park, London, along with Madonna, Sting, and other popular musicians.[47]
In 2005, Lennox and Stewart collaborated on two new songs for their Eurythmics compilation album, Ultimate Collection, of which "I've Got a Life" was released as a single in October 2005. The promotional video for the song features Lennox and Stewart performing in the present day, with images of past Eurythmics videos playing on television screens behind them. The single peaked at number fourteen in the UK Singles Chart and was a number-one US Dance hit.[25][26] On 14 November 2005, Sony BMG repackaged and released Eurythmics' back catalogue as 2005 Deluxe Edition Reissues.[48] Lennox also collaborated with Herbie Hancock doing the song "Hush, Hush, Hush" on his collaboration album, Possibilities in August 2005.[49]
2007–2008: Songs of Mass Destruction and AIDS activism
After releasing "Sing" with 23 other invited singers, Lennox launched the Sing campaign in 2007
Ending her long association with Stephen Lipson, Lennox's fourth solo album, Songs of Mass Destruction, was recorded in Los Angeles with veteran producer Glen Ballard (known for producing Alanis Morissette's album, Jagged Little Pill). It was released on 1 October 2007, and was the last studio album of Lennox's contract with BMG. It peaked at No.7 in the UK and No.9 in the US.[25][26] Lennox stated that she believed the album consisted of "twelve strong, powerful, really emotive songs that people can connect to". If she achieves that, she says, "I can feel proud of [it], no matter if it sells ten copies or 50 million."[50] Lennox described it as "a dark album, but the world is a dark place. It's fraught, it's turbulent. Most people's lives are underscored with dramas of all kinds: there's ups, there's downs – the flickering candle."[51] She added, "Half the people are drinking or drugging themselves to numb it. A lot of people are in pain."[51]
Finishing out her contract with Sony BMG, Lennox released the compilation album The Annie Lennox Collection. Initially intended for release in September 2008, the release date was pushed back several months to allow Lennox to recuperate from a back injury.[54] The compilation was eventually released in the US on 17 February 2009, and in the UK and Europe on 9 March 2009. Included on the track listing are songs from her four solo albums, one from the Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack, and two new songs. One of these is a cover of Ash's single, "Shining Light". The other is a cover of a song by the English band Keane, originally the B-side of their first single in 2000. Lennox renamed the song from its original title "Closer Now" to "Pattern of My Life". A limited 3-disc edition of the album included a DVD compilation featuring most of Lennox's solo videos since 1992, and also featured a second CD of rarer songs including a version of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" with Alicia Keys and Lennox's Oscar-winning "Into the West" from the third Lord of the Rings film. The album entered the UK Album Chart at No.2 and remained in the top 10 for seven weeks.[55]
Lennox's recording contract with Sony BMG concluded with the release of Songs of Mass Destruction and the subsequent retrospective album The Collection, and much was made in the press in late 2007/early 2008 about the apparent animosity between Lennox and the record company. Lennox stated that while on a trip to South Africa in December 2007 to appear at the 46664 campaign in Johannesburg, the regional company office of the label failed to return phone calls and e-mails she made to them for three weeks, and had completely failed to promote the Sing project as planned. Upon her return to the UK, Lennox met with the head of Sony BMG UK, Ged Docherty, who was "mortified" by the problems she had encountered with the South African branch. The debacle (partly inflamed by her blogging her dissatisfaction with the South African office) led to press reports that she was "dropped" by Sony BMG, which quickly clarified that their contract had been fulfilled and that it hoped she would consider signing a new one. The British tabloid, Daily Mirror, subsequently printed a retraction of its story about her being dropped by the label.[56]
2010–2013: Island Records and A Christmas Cornucopia
A music video was produced for a second single from the album, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Lennox also performed the track on the UK chat show Loose Women in December 2010, and was also interviewed.[59] According to Metacritic, A Christmas Cornucopia has gained "generally favourable reviews".[60] Ian Wade of BBC Music gave the album a very positive review, saying "this collection could find itself becoming as much a part of the holiday season as arguments with loved ones."[61] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine awarded the album 3.5/5 and said "Lennox seems more inspired on A Christmas Cornucopia than she has in years."[62] John Hunt of Qatar Today magazine gave the album 9/10 and said "in particular, the vocal work and musical arrangement of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' are impactful to the point of being intimidating."[63]
In October 2014, Lennox released her sixth solo album, Nostalgia.[65] The album is a collection of Lennox's childhood favourite soul, jazz and blues songs.[66] Critic Mike Wass of Idolator stated that Lennox "puts her own inimitable spin" on the selected tracks.[67] The lead single "I Put a Spell on You" received its first radio play on 15 September 2014 by Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2.[68] Upon release, the album entered the UK and US Top 10, and reached number one on the US Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. On 28 January 2015, Lennox performed a live concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles entitled An Evening of Nostalgia with Annie Lennox. The show aired on PBS in the US in April 2015, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray internationally in May 2015.[69]
2019–present: Lepidoptera
In May 2019, Lennox released Lepidoptera, an EP containing four extemporised piano songs. The album serves as a companion piece to her art installation "Now I Let You Go..." at MASS moca. It is Lennox's first independently distributed record.[70]
Public image
Charity and political activism
HIV campaigner Lennox in Germany ahead of World AIDS Day in 2008
Lennox appeared on stage at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert and commenced activist work with the Sing Foundation afterwards.[71] In 1990, Lennox recorded a version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" for the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, a benefit for AIDS awareness. A video was also produced.[72] Lennox has been a public supporter of Amnesty International and Greenpeace for many years, and she and Dave Stewart donated all of the profits from Eurythmics' 1999 Peacetour to both charities.[73] Concerned by Tibet freedom,[74] she supported Amnesty International campaigns for the release of Tibetan prisoners Palden Gyatso and Ngawang Choephel.[75]
Lennox was a signatory to the "No war on Iraq" campaign started in 2003,[76] her album "Songs of Mass Destruction" and her rendition of "Dark Road" were deeply critical of the war. In conversation with Melvyn Bragg in 2006, she expressed her anger at how the UK was misled over Iraq's alleged 'weapons of mass destruction'.[11]
After being forced to pull out of performing at Live Aid held at Wembley Stadium in 1985 due to a serious throat infection, Lennox appeared at Live 8 held in Hyde Park, London in 2005.[77] In 2006, in response to her humanitarian work, Lennox became patron of the Master's Course in Humanitarian and Development Practice for Oxford Brookes University.[2] In October 2006, Lennox spoke at the British House of Commons about the need for children in the UK to help their counterparts in Africa.[2] On 25 April 2007, Lennox performed "Bridge over Troubled Water" during the American Idol "Idol Gives Back" fundraising drive.[78] Lennox's 2007 song "Sing" was born out of her involvement with Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), both of which are human rights groups which seek education and health care for those affected by HIV.[2][52] In December 2007, Lennox established The SING Campaign, an organisation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for women and children affected by HIV and AIDS.[79]
On 11 December 2007, she performed in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast to over 100 countries.[80] Lennox appeared at the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute in June 2008[81] and then led a rally against the Gaza War in London on 3 January 2009.[82]
In 2008, Lennox founded The Circle of Women, known as The Circle, a private charitable organisation to network and fund-raise for women's projects around the world.[83] Also in 2008, Lennox backed the principle of an independent Scotland.[84]
Lennox opened the 2009 Edinburgh Festival of Politics with commentary on Pope Benedict XVI's approach to HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa. She said that the Pope's denunciation of condoms on his recent tour of Africa had caused "tremendous harm" and she criticised the Roman Catholic Church for causing widespread confusion on the continent. Lennox also condemned the media's obsession with "celebrity culture" for keeping the AIDS pandemic off the front page. During her address, Lennox wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "HIV positive". Lennox wore similar T-shirts at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert at Madison Square Garden on 30 October 2009,[85] during her appearance on The Graham Norton Show on 30 November 2009 (where she performed the new song "Full Steam", a duet with singer David Gray), during a recorded performance for American Idol during a 21 April 2010 fundraiser, entitled Idol Gives Back, and during a performance on the live Comic Relief show on 18 March 2011.
"She is one of those exemplary human beings who chose to put her success in her chosen career to work in order to benefit others. She is a true friend of Africa and of South Africa. Her Aids activism in general, and support for the treatment action campaign in-particular, contributed significantly to turning the pandemic around in our country."
—Archbishop Desmond Tutu pays tribute to Annie Lennox in November 2013.[86]
In November 2013, Lennox received the Music Industry Trusts Award for her career achievements in music and her charity commitments.[86]Elton John said of her award; "It is so well deserved and not only for your extraordinary contribution to music and songwriting but also for your outstanding and tireless work as an HIV and AIDS activist and supporter of women's rights," while Adele stated; "Annie Lennox has been a constant part of my life. An example of a brilliant talent that exudes excellence and influence on everyone."[86]
In 2015, Lennox attended, performed at and hosted several charitable events including: the 50th Amnesty International Annual Conference where she was a guest speaker, Elton John and David Furnish's at home Gala in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation where she performed, held a screening of He Named Me Malala, and hosted a Mothers2mothers 15th Anniversary gala. In 2016 Lennox was awarded the Elle Style Awards 'Outstanding Achievement' award, and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society award, the Livingstone Medal, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the fight against AIDS and support of women's rights.[93]
In 2023, Lennox became the Patron of Dalcroze UK, a charitable organisation that promotes Dalcroze Eurhythmics, the approach to music education that inspired the band name, Eurythmics.[96]
Relationship with the LGBTQ+ community
Lennox was known for her androgyny during the 1980s
Lennox's longtime support for LGBT rights has helped garner a significant following within the LGBTQ+ community.[97] According to The Advocate, "her distinctive voice and provocative stage persona have made Lennox a longtime gay icon."[98]
Known for her androgynous look in the 1980s–first widely seen in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" where she had close-cropped, orange-coloured hair, and wore a man's suit brandishing a cane, a video which made her a household name. The BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze".[99] Lennox was viewed as the female version of Boy George and they appeared together on the front cover of the British music magazine Smash Hits in December 1983.[100][101] This was followed by Newsweek magazine in the US who ran an issue which featured Lennox and George on the cover of its 23 January 1984 edition with the caption Britain Rocks America– Again, marking the Second British Invasion.[102][103] Her gender-bending image was also explored in other Eurythmics videos such as "Love Is a Stranger" and "Who's That Girl?" and she impersonated Elvis Presley at the 1984 Grammy Awards.[21]
Exhibition
In conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Lennox put many items from her collection—costumes, accessories, photographs, awards, ephemera from her political campaigns, and personal belongings—on display. This collection, which spanned her entire career, along with music videos and interviews, became The House of Annie Lennox at the institution from 15 September 2011 to 26 February 2012.[104] An expanded version of the exhibit was later installed at The Lowry in Salford, England from 17 March 2012 to 17 June,[105][106] before moving to Aberdeen for twelve weeks.[107]
The video accompanying "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", in which Annie Lennox appeared with closely cropped orange hair and wearing a man's business suit, was both striking and surreal. Lennox's extraordinary image was at odds with her female contemporaries.
—Sweet Dreams: remembering the music video that broke the mould for female pop stars, BBC.[99]
Both as part of Eurythmics and in her solo career, Lennox has made over 60 music promo videos. The 1987 Eurythmics album Savage and her 1992 solo album Diva were both accompanied by video albums, both directed by Sophie Muller.[110] The music video for "Missionary Man" featured stop-animation techniques and received five nominations at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.[111] Actors Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich appeared in the music video for "Walking on Broken Glass" in period costume, while the video for "Little Bird" paid homage to the different images and personas that have appeared in some of Lennox's previous videos.[31] The clip features Lennox performing on stage with several lookalikes (male and female) that represent her personas from "Why", "Walking on Broken Glass", "Sweet Dreams", "Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)", "I Need a Man", "Thorn in My Side", "There Must Be an Angel", and even her stage image from the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.[112]
Personal life
Lennox has been married three times. She and Dave Stewart were in a relationship for three years in the late 1970s, before they formed Eurythmics. They never married.[113]
Her first marriage, from 1984 to 1985, was to German Hare Krishna devotee Radha Raman.[114] From 1988 to 2000, Lennox was married to Israeli film and record producer Uri Fruchtmann and they lived in The Grove, Highgate.[115] The couple have two daughters, Lola and Tali. A son, Daniel, was stillborn in 1988.[116]
While fundraising in 2009, Lennox met Mitch Besser, who had started an AIDS charity in Africa.[117][118] Besser had divorce proceedings brought against him in April 2012.[119] On 15 September 2012 Lennox married Besser at a private ceremony in London.[120][121][119] Besser is the brother of Richard E. Besser.[122]
In September 2012, Lennox featured in Series 9 of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, in which she discovered that her great-great-grandmother Jessie Fraser worked at the Broadford Flax Mill in Aberdeen. Her maternal grandmother, Dora Paton, was a dairy maid at the Balmoral Royal Estate and her maternal grandfather, William Ferguson, was a gamekeeper also at Balmoral.[123]
Both of Lennox's parents died of cancer.[12] Lennox is agnostic[124] and a feminist.[125] Lennox became a vegetarian at age 29.[126][127] In the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List of British millionaires from the world of music, Lennox was estimated to have a fortune of £30million.[128]
Eurythmics were a British pop duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band that broke up in 1980. They released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but achieved global acclaim with their second album, Sweet Dreams (1983). The title track became a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one in Canada and the US Billboard Hot 100. Eurythmics went on to release a string of hit singles and albums, including "Love Is a Stranger", "There Must Be an Angel " and "Here Comes the Rain Again", before splitting in 1990.
David Allan Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for Eurythmics, his successful professional partnership with Annie Lennox. Sometimes credited as David A. Stewart, he won Best British Producer at the 1986, 1987 and 1990 Brit Awards. Stewart was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 and the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Outside of Eurythmics, Stewart has written and produced songs for artists such as Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger and Tom Petty.
Medusa is the second solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 6 March 1995 by RCA Records. It consists entirely of cover songs. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and peaked in the United States at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200. It has since achieved double platinum status in both the United Kingdom and the United States. As of 2018, Medusa had sold over six million copies worldwide.
Revenge is the fifth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 June 1986 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom and on 14 July in the United States. Following on from their previous album, Be Yourself Tonight, Revenge continued further in this direction as the duo embraced a more "rock band" style. The album spawned four singles and was a commercial success. The fourth and final single, "Missionary Man", won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Its release was supported by an extensive world tour. A 1987 concert from the Australian leg of the tour was also released on home video as Eurythmics Live.
Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller is an English music video director who has directed over 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 Diva video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's song "Why" from the same album. In 1993, she received a BRIT Award for "Stay" by Shakespears Sister. She won another MTV Award in 1997 for "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Muller is a longtime collaborator of Sade, Annie Lennox, Gwen Stefani, Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Garbage and Shakespears Sister.
"Why" is the debut solo single of Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, released on 16 March 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album, Diva (1992), and reached number five in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Why" peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a big hit internationally, reaching number one in Italy and peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and five other countries. Its music video was directed by Sophie Muller. Stereogum ranked "Why" number one on their list of "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs" in 2015.
"Never Gonna Cry Again" is the debut single by the British new wave duo Eurythmics, released in 1981. It was taken from their debut album In the Garden. Co-produced by krautrock producer Conny Plank, the track also featured two members of the krautrock band Can. The sleeve design of the single features a picture of Annie Lennox.
Diva is the debut solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 6 April 1992 by RCA Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and has since sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum. Diva was the 7th best selling album of 1992 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified double platinum.
"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics and American singer Aretha Franklin. A modern feminist anthem, it was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight (1985) and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) albums. The duo originally intended to perform with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so they flew to Detroit and recorded with Franklin instead. The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers: Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in March 1983, and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 six months later; it was their first single released in the US.
"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a 1983 song by British duo Eurythmics and the opening track from their third studio album Touch. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released on 13 January 1984 as the album's third single in the UK and in the United States as the first single.
"Missionary Man" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). The song features Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on backing vocals.
"Love Song for a Vampire" is a song composed and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. It was recorded for Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film, Bram Stoker's Dracula based on the 1897 gothic horror novel, where it plays during the end credits. Produced by Stephen Lipson, it was released in February 1993 by RCA and BMG as a double A-side with "Little Bird" in Ireland, the United Kingdom and several other countries in Europe. The single was a hit, peaking at number three on the UK and Irish Singles Charts. "Love Song for a Vampire" by itself reached number four in Spain and number ten in France. The music video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller, featuring footage from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
"Walking on Broken Glass" is a song written and performed by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, included on her debut solo studio album, Diva (1992). Released on 10 August 1992, the single peaked at number one in Canada, number eight in the United Kingdom and Ireland and number 14 in the United States.
Songs of Mass Destruction is the fourth solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 1 October 2007 by RCA Records and 19 Recordings. It was her first album of new material since 2003's Bare and to date her most recent of original material.
"No More 'I Love You's'" is a song written by British musicians David Freeman and Joseph Hughes and recorded by them as the Lover Speaks. It was released in June 1986 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album. The song was covered by the Scottish singer Annie Lennox and became a commercial success for her in 1995, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart.
"Sing" is a song recorded by Scottish singer Annie Lennox for her fourth solo studio album, Songs of Mass Destruction (2007). It was released as the second single from the album on 1 December 2007 by RCA Records. Lennox was inspired to write the track after seeing South African activist Zackie Achmat at Nelson Mandela's 46664 HIV/AIDS concert. She wanted the track to be a source of empowerment for people without a voice of their own. It also gave rise to her SING Campaign which aimed to raise funds and awareness for issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. "Sing" was produced by Glen Ballard and interpolates the South African tune "Jikelele"; the music was given to Lennox by an activist group called The Generics.
"Little Bird" is a song composed and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. Taken from her debut solo album, Diva (1992), it was produced by Stephen Lipson and released in February 1993 by RCA and BMG as a double A-side with "Love Song for a Vampire" in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and various other European countries. In other territories, "Little Bird" was released alone.
This article is the discography of the Scottish pop and rock singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. After a decade of major international success as part of Eurythmics, Lennox began her solo career in earnest in 1992 with the release of her first album Diva, which produced several hit singles including "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". The same year, she performed "Love Song for a Vampire" for Bram Stoker's Dracula. To date, she has released six solo studio albums, three of them being covers albums and a compilation album, The Annie Lennox Collection (2009).
↑ Davidson, A. From Hellerau to Here: Tracing the Lineage and Influence of Dalcroze Eurhythmics on the Family Tree of Theatre Pedagogy. Arts 2023, 12, 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040134
1 2 "Blurring the boundaries of gender". Maclean's. 23 July 1984. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Nowhere was the wave of androgyny in pop music more vividly apparent than last February at the Grammy music awards in Los Angeles. A worldwide television audience of 65 million witnessed Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox's stunning impersonation of Elvis Presley.
↑ Martin Strong (1996). "The Wee Rock Discography". p. 155., Canongate
↑ DeGeneres, Ellen (Host); Bocelli, Andrea (Performer); Carey, Mariah (Performer); Cosgrove, Miranda (Performer); Maxwell (Performer); Morrison, Matthew (Performer); Lennox, Annie (Performer) (17 December 2010). "Christmas in Washington 2010". Christmas in Washington. TNT. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010.
↑ Steward, Sue (1984). Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: True Life Stories of Women in Pop. South End Press. p.51.
↑ "Boy George, The Man". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 November 2021. Newsweek put Boy George and Eurythmic Annie Lennox on a cover heralding a second British Invasion, pop's gender benders
↑ Simon Reynolds, Rip It Up and Start Again Postpunk 1978–1984, pp. 340, 342–3.
↑ "Annie Lennox Interview". British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
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