Sinitta Malone known mononymously as Sinitta, is a British-American singer. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single "So Macho" and had several other hits during the decade. In the 2000s, she became known for television appearances, including Loose Women, The Xtra Factor and This Morning. She took part in the ITV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2011.
She was born in Seattle, Washington.[1] Sinitta's mother is Miquel Brown, who was a popular Canadian disco-soul singer in the 1970s and 1980s and a member of the cast of Hair. Sinitta's father's name is Anthony.[2][3]
She has a sister, Gretta, who was adopted by a relative. Sinitta was born and raised in Seattle and later Detroit, but frequently travelled with her mother on tour including to Sydney. Her mother then directed the London production of Hair; Sinitta was sent to boarding school in East Sussex, and ballet school in Tunbridge Wells from the age of 9.[2] She auditioned for musical roles in London, performing in The Wiz at age 12 while still in school.[2]
In 1986, Sinitta released the single "So Macho", which debuted at 59 on the UK charts;[8] the single remained rather low in the charts but, later that year, reached number 16, climbing to number 5 the following week.[9][10] The subsequent week, "So Macho" reached number 2 in the UK, scoring its highest position on the charts and also giving Sinitta her first Top 3 charting single.[11][12][13] "So Macho" spent the following six weeks in the Top 20 in the UK. Alongside this success in the UK, "So Macho" also reached the Top 20 in Sweden, Australia and Austria. "So Macho" subsequently became the highest-charting of Sinitta's career to date. Sinitta's second single "Feels Like the First Time" was less commercially successful, charting at number 45.
In 1987, Sinitta released the lead single from her upcoming debut album, after seeking the help of producers Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW).[14] The product of that collaboration, "Toy Boy", was based on a tabloid headline about Sinitta's love life, and featured a rap written by the singer.[14] It debuted at number 41 and climbed to number 4 in the UK, where it remained for three consecutive weeks.[15][16] The single remained in the Top 20 for eight weeks. The track also reached number 3 in Switzerland, reaching the Top 20 in Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Finland and Germany. Sinitta then released the second single from the album, "GTO"; the single reached number 15 on the UK chart.[17]
"GTO" also became Sinitta's first hit in Spain, reaching number 3. The track reached number 11 in Switzerland, number 9 in Norway and number 13 in Ireland. The success of the track came despite the singer initially expressing her dissatisfaction with the subject matter of the song when first presented with the idea by record label boss, Simon Cowell.[18] Fearing that the title would mean nothing to her core audience of gay men and younger record buyers, Sinitta had unsuccessfully begged producers Stock Aitken Waterman to retitle the track before recording.[18] Sinitta later released her debut album Sinitta!, which performed moderately, charting at number 34 in the UK.[19] This album also reached number 69 in Australia.
In 1988, Sinitta released "Cross My Broken Heart", taken from Sinitta!, which reached number 6 in the UK and number 7 in Ireland. The track charted at number 12 in Spain, becoming her second Top 20 single in Spain.[20] Sinitta then released "I Don't Believe In Miracles", which reached number 22 in the UK.
1989–1990: Wicked and "Right Back Where We Started From"
In 1989, Sinitta moved away from working directly with producers Stock Aitken Waterman amid creatives differences and the producers' changing priorities following the rise of their in-house superstar Kylie Minogue.[21] However, Sinitta did continue to work with Pete Hammond, Phil Harding and Ian Curnow with PWL,[22] in co-operation with German producer Ralf-René Maué who was responsible for such hits of the Hamburg-based eurodisco duo London Boys as "Harlem Desire", "Requiem" and "London Nights". The second album was confirmed as Wicked. The lead single of the album was a cover of Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From", which debuted at number 19 in the UK and rose to number 6.[23][24] The following week the track climbed to number 4 in the UK, holding this position for the subsequent week.[25][26]
For the subsequent four weeks, the single remained in the Top 40. It also charted across the rest of Europe, including reaching number 7 in Finland and the Top 40 in Denmark, Spain and Germany. "Right Back Where We Started From" also charted successfully in Oceania, reaching number 7 in Australia and number 2 in New Zealand, thus becoming her highest charting single in both countries. In addition to this success, the track made the year-end charts, at number 45 in Australia, number 38 in New Zealand and number 49 in the UK.[27][28][29] As a follow-up single, Sinitta released "Love on a Mountain Top", which charted at number 20 in the UK and number 81 in Australia.[30]
The final single of the album, however, was the least successful out of the three, failing to chart.[citation needed] In 1990, Sinitta released the single "Hitchin' a Ride", which performed moderately, charting at number 20 in the UK, whilst "Love and Affection" peaked at number 62.
1992–1997: "Shame Shame Shame" and "Naughty Naughty"
In July 1992, "Shame Shame Shame" debuted at number 31 in the UK,[31] and later peaked at number 28.[32]
The following April, Sinitta released the 4 track EP The Supreme, containing covers of 4 songs originally by The Supremes[33] which charted at number 49 in the UK.[34] In 1995, Sinitta released a covers album called Naughty Naughty, which was also the only album of hers to be released in Asia.[citation needed]
She appeared on the cast recording album for What a Feeling, a live recording taken from the Apollo Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh, in May 1997, and replaced Irene Cara to tour with Sonia (a fellow former SAW artist) and Luke Goss (formerly of Bros) in the rock and pop musicals concert, What a Feeling[35] the same year.
In 1997, Sinitta recorded vocals for a cover of the Limmie & Family Cookin' hit "You Can Do Magic" with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, believing it to be her comeback single.[21] However, the track was in fact an elaborate stunt by TV show The Cook Report, which aimed to expose alleged chart rigging by attempting to hype the track into the charts.[36] The record was fronted by reporter Debbie Currie, who pretended to sing to Sinitta's vocal. Sinitta only discovered this when the show was aired, leaving her feeling used and betrayed.[21]
2004–2023: The X Factor era, television and judging
In 2004, Sinitta made her premiere appearance on The X Factor in the first series, when she assisted Simon Cowell at the Judges' Houses stage, helping to select his final three acts for the live show, choosing Verity Keays, Rowetta Satchell and the eventual series winner Steve Brookstein.[37][38] In 2005, Sinitta helped Cowell once more during the second series, this time choosing the final four groups Addictiv Ladies, 4Tune, The Conway Sisters and Journey South. In 2006, she returned in the third series and helped Cowell select his final four acts including Ashley McKenzie, Nikitta Angus, Ray Quinn and Leona Lewis, who became the second winner chosen by them, with Lewis becoming one of the most successful acts from the show.[39][40][41] In 2009, Sinitta returned to the show again during the sixth series for the Judges' Houses stage, and then helped Cowell select Jamie Archer, Danyl Johnson and Olly Murs. In 2007, Sinitta became a judge on the ITV show Grease Is the Word.[42][43][44]
The following year, Sinitta joined the cast of the daytime ITV show Loose Women as a presenter.[45][46] In 2010, Sinitta returned to The X Factor for series 7 and helped Cowell again by choosing F.Y.D, Belle Amie and One Direction who have since become the biggest act to have come out of the X Factor.[47][48][49][50] In 2011, however, Sinitta assisted Louis Walsh for the first time, rather than Cowell, when she returned in series 8, selecting Jonjo Kerr, Sami Brookes, Johnny Robinson and Kitty Brucknell. In November that year, Sinitta was confirmed to be taking part in the eleventh series of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! as one of the contestants and she entered the jungle on Day 3.[51][52]
The following year, Sinitta was announced as joining the cast of the first series of the Channel 4 reality TV show The Jump.[56] Sinitta was eliminated fourth overall, placing seventh.[57][58][59][60]
Sinitta returned to her music career in 2014, with her comeback single being a cover of her mother Miquel Brown's song "So Many Men, So Little Time".[61] She later performed the single at Pride in London.[62][63][64] Sinitta returned to The X Factor on series 11 to assist Simon Cowell again that year, when she helped to choose Jay James, second place finalist Fleur East and eventual winner Ben Haenow.[65][66][67]
In 2009, Sinitta became one of the main presenters on The Xtra Factor, on which she interviewed the contestants' friends and family.[68] In 2011, she returned to the show during the live show stages as one of the presenters who visited the finalists' home towns. Her segment on the show became regular, and carried on into 2012 and subsequently 2013 and 2014. In 2016, she was announced as the producer and one of the lead presenters of the Xtra Factor; she stated that she had "revamped" the whole show.[69][70]
Sinitta's first Christmas track, "I Won't Be Lonely This Christmas", was released on 3 December 2021.[76]
Sinitta took part in the 11th series of Celebs Go Dating but opted to leave the show in episode 14 after failing to find love. The final episode in the series took place in Cyprus, where Sinitta appeared for a surprise performance.[77]
Personal life
Sinitta was married from 2002 to 2010 to Andy Willner, and has two adopted children.[78] A series of autobiographical videos document her life, and a book is due to follow.[when?][2] Her past relationships and documentation of sexual assaults received media attention in 2018.[citation needed]
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol (2001–2003), The X Factor UK, and Britain's Got Talent (2007–present), as well as the American television talent competition shows American Idol (2002–2010), The X Factor US (2011–2013), and America's Got Talent (2016–present). Cowell founded the British entertainment company Syco in 2005, as well as its now-defunct predecessor, Syco Music in 2002.
Michael Stock is an English songwriter, record producer, musician, and member of the songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman. He has been responsible for over a hundred top-40 hits in the UK, including 16 Number One's and is recognised as one of the most successful songwriters of all time by the Guinness World Records. As part of Stock Aitken Waterman in the 1980s and 90s, he holds the UK record of 11 number one records with different acts. In the UK Singles Chart he has written 54 top-ten hits including 7 number ones.
Sonia Evans, known mononymously as Sonia, is an English pop singer from Liverpool. She had a 1989 UK number one hit with "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" and became the first female UK artist to achieve five top 20 hit singles from one album. She represented the United Kingdom in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, where she finished second with the song "Better the Devil You Know".
Stock Aitken Waterman are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through to the early-1990s. SAW is considered one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all time by the Guinness World Records, scoring more than 100 UK Top 40 hits and earning an estimated £60 million in royalties. The trio had thirteen UK No. 1 singles including three consecutive UK No. 1's and three US No. 1 singles. They also had at least one record in the UK Top 100 Singles Chart every week between March 1986 and October 1990.
Peter Alan Waterman is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An avid railway enthusiast, Waterman is the owner of significant collections of both historic and commercial railway locomotives and rolling stock.
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"Better the Devil You Know" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue, taken from her third studio album Rhythm of Love (1990). The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and was released as the album's lead single on 30 April 1990 by PWL and Mushroom Records. "Better the Devil You Know" is known as the song that re-invented Minogue with more sex appeal, as her previous albums were presented with her "girl next door" persona. Her music onwards presented a more independent approach.
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Fanfare Records was a British record label that was founded by Iain Burton and Simon Cowell. Burton and Cowell worked together at Fanfare Records for eight years. The label was most successful during the 1980s. The label's biggest success came with Sinitta.
Sinitta! is the debut studio album by British singer Sinitta, released in 1987. It features her biggest and best-known international hit single "So Macho".
"So Macho" is a song by American-British singer Sinitta. The song was released in 1985 as her self-titled debut album's second single.
"Toy Boy" is a song by American-British singer Sinitta. Written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, it was released on 25 July 1987 and became the fourth single in her self-titled debut album, which came out on 26 December of the same year. It became a hit in the UK and in other European countries where it reached the top ten.
"GTO" is a song by American-born singer Sinitta. Produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, it was released in 1987 as the fifth single from her self-titled debut album. The song is about a girl whose boyfriend cares more about his car, in the music video a Ferrari 250 GTO, than her. The song was a top-20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 15, and reached the top ten in several European countries.
"I Don't Believe In Miracles" is a song by American-British singer Sinitta, released in September 1988 by Fanfare Records as the first single from her second album, Wicked (1989). The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, and was a top 30 hit in UK and Ireland. It was also her last single produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, as after this release, Sinitta moved away from working directly with them although she continued to record at PWL under the direction of mixmasters Pete Hammond, Phil Harding and Ian Curnow.
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Lucy Honour Ruby Spraggan is an English singer-songwriter. Spraggan was a contestant on The X Factor in 2012, and she was the first contestant in the show's history to score a Top 40 single and album before the live shows aired, with her independently released album Top Room at the Zoo. Following the show Spraggan signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, and she has released seven studio albums in total.
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