Natasha Hamilton | |
|---|---|
 Hamilton in 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Natasha Maria Hamilton |
| Also known as | Tash |
| Born | 17 July 1982 Kensington, Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Member of | Atomic Kitten |
| Spouse(s) | Riad Erraji (m. 2006–2013)Charles Gay (m. 2021) |
| Website | www |
Natasha Maria Hamilton Gay (born 17 July 1982) [1] is an English singer and stage actress. She is best known as member of girl group Atomic Kitten. [2]
Hamilton was born in Kensington, Liverpool, and started singing and performing from the age of 12 in the Starlight Show Group. [3] Her father is mixed race, being of white and black ancestry. [4]
Hamilton attended St. Sebastian's Catholic Primary School and then Broughton Hall Technology College, both situated in her home city of Liverpool.[ citation needed ]
In May 1999, Hamilton joined Atomic Kitten, a girl group founded by OMD frontman Andy McCluskey, replacing Heidi Range who left the early line up. With Hamilton, Liz McClarnon and Kerry Katona, the group released their first record in 1999. Katona left the group in 2001 and was replaced by Jenny Frost. Atomic Kitten had three UK number one singles, "Whole Again", "Eternal Flame", and "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)". They also had two UK number one albums, Right Now , and Feels So Good , both being certified double-platinum in the UK for sales of over 600,000 copies each. The total worldwide sales are estimated at 6.2 million singles and 4 million albums. [5] Hamilton was also winner of the annual Rear of the Year award. [6]
In 2006, Hamilton appeared on the BBC1's talent show Just the Two of Us , paired with Mark Moraghan, finished in second place. Hamilton announced that she was recording solo songs and intended to release her first solo album in 2007, but she failed to sign with a label and the project was postponed. [7] In 2007, under the nickname Tash, Hamilton was featured artist in Mischa Daniels's hit song "Round & Round", which samples Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" and has been included on the Ministry of Sound compilation Housexy: The Afterparty. In 2009, Hamilton appeared on Celebrity Come Dine with Me Celebrity . [8] From December 2009 to January 2010, she played the title role in the musical Peter Pan at the Liverpool Empire. [9]
On 30 October 2010, Hamilton released her debut single solo, "Ms Emotional", as an independent artist. [7] In the interview, she again announced her intention to release her debut solo album soon, but nothing happened. [10] In 2011 she played Mrs Johnstone at the West End musical Blood Brothers . In 2012 Hamilton appeared as the title character in Cinderella in Southport theatre.
In 2013, the original line-up of Atomic Kitten – Hamilton, McClarnon and Katona – reformed for The Big Reunion , along with five other pop groups of their time – 911, Honeyz, B*Witched, Five and Liberty X. They have been performing live and touring Europe ever since. [11] In 2015, Hamilton joined the Celebrity Big Brother , reaching the third place. [12] In 2023, she joined the reality docu-series The Real Housewives of Cheshire .
From 2001 to 2002 Hamilton dated businessman Fran Cosgrave, with whom she had her first child, Josh, born on 24 August 2002. [13] In 2003 she started dating professional dancer Gavin Hatcher, with whom she had her second child, Harry, born on 31 December 2004. [14] They broke up briefly between July and December 2005, when Hamilton got back together with Cosgrave. [15] Hamilton and Hatcher got back together from February 2005 to February 2006. [16] In 2006 she started dating Riad Erraji and they were married on 23 November 2007 at Crewe Hall Hotel. [17] In January 2008, Hamilton found out she was expecting her third child, but she miscarried after six weeks. [18] Hamilton's third child, Alfie, was born on 14 June 2010. The couple announced their separation in July 2013. [19]
From 2013 to March 2016, Hamilton dated singer Ritchie Neville, member of pop group Five, with whom she had her fourth child, Ella Rose, born on 22 September 2014. [20] [21] [22] On 28 November 2016, Hamilton announced her engagement to Charles Gay and the couple married in Lake Como, Italy on 25 September 2021. [23] In February 2023, Hamilton announced that she is expecting her fifth child, a girl. [24] Her daughter, Kitty Iris, was born on 16 August 2023.
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Ms. Emotional" [25] | 2010 | non-album single |
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Round & Round" [26] (Mischa Daniels featuring Tash) | 2007 | non-album singles |
| "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" [27] (among Homeless Worldwide and Friends) | 2019 | |
| "I Can't Wait to Spend Christmas with You" [28] (Tom Seals featuring Natasha Hamilton) | 2020 | |
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "You're My World" | 2008 | Liverpool: The Number Ones Album [29] |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2010 | Peter Pan | Peter Pan |
| 2011 | Blood Brothers | Mrs Johnstone |
| 2012 | Cinderella | Cinderella |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Just the Two of Us | Contestant | Series 1 |
| 2010 | The Weakest Link | Contestant | Pop and Rock Special, winner |
| 2015 | Celebrity Big Brother | Contestant | Series 16, 3rd place |
| 2023 | The Real Housewives of Cheshire | Herself | Reality Show |
Liberty X are an English/Irish pop group originally consisting of Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. Since 2017, Heaton, Taylor and Young have performed as a girl group trio.
Atomic Kitten are an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, who served as principal songwriters during Atomic Kitten's early years. The group's debut album Right Now was released in October 2000 and charted at number 39 in the United Kingdom. After five top ten singles, original member Kerry Katona quit – four weeks before "Whole Again" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart – and was replaced by former Precious singer Jenny Frost. "Whole Again" became the group's most successful single, staying at number one for four weeks in the UK and six weeks in Germany, and reaching number one in many other territories; in Britain, it was the 13th-best-selling single of the 2000s. The group re-released their debut album, with some tracks re-recorded with Frost's vocals: it peaked at number one in the UK and was certified double platinum after selling over 600,000 copies.
Kerry Katona is an English television personality and former singer. She was an original member of the pop girl group Atomic Kitten (1998–2001), before the group's success. Katona has appeared on various reality television shows, including I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here (2004), Celebrity Big Brother (2011), Dancing on Ice (2011), Celebs on the Farm (2021), and her own shows about her life on MTV UK.
Jennifer "Jenny" Frost is an English singer and television presenter. She is best known as member of girl groups Precious and Atomic Kitten, replacing Kerry Katona in the latter.
Jessica Pietersen is an English singer. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.
Michelle Christine Heaton is an English singer, stage actress and television presenter. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.
Elizabeth Margaret McClarnon-Cho is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She is the longest serving member of the girl group Atomic Kitten, with whom she has scored three number-one singles and also two number-one albums. McClarnon co-wrote several Atomic Kitten songs, including the UK top 10 hits "See Ya", "I Want Your Love" and "Someone Like Me".
Heidi India Partakis is an English singer, best known as a former member of the girl group Sugababes. She was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, however she left the group before they released any material. In 2001, Range replaced original member Siobhán Donaghy in the Sugababes, after which the group enjoyed higher commercial success and accumulated six UK number-one singles as well as two number-one studio albums over the course of a decade, before the line-up at the time disbanded in 2011.
"The Tide Is High" is a 1967 rocksteady song written by John Holt, originally produced by Duke Reid and performed by the Jamaican group the Paragons, with Holt as lead singer. The song gained international attention in 1980, when a cover version by the American band Blondie became a US and UK number one hit. The song topped the UK Singles Chart again in 2002 with a version by the British girl group Atomic Kitten, while Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall had a minor hit with his interpretation in 2008.
Richard "Ritchie" Neville Dobson is a British singer and restaurateur from Solihull, England. He is most noted for being a member of the boy band Five.
Kelli Young is an English singer. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.
Right Now is the debut studio album by English girl group Atomic Kitten, released on 16 March 2000. The first release of the album originally peaked at number 39, putting the group at risk of being dropped by their record label. Following the departure of Kerry Katona in January 2001, the album was re-released on 6 August 2001 featuring vocals from new member Jenny Frost with additional new tracks featured on the album. The re-release was a success, peaking at number 1. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark members and Atomic Kitten founders, Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, were among the album's principal songwriters.
"Whole Again" is a song by British girl group Atomic Kitten for their debut studio album, Right Now (2000). It was co-written by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark members and Atomic Kitten founders Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, along with Jem Godfrey and Bill Padley, with production helmed by McCluskey and Kershaw under their production moniker Engine. Godfrey and Padley are credited as additional producers.
"Follow Me" is a song by British girl group Atomic Kitten. It was written by Lucy Abbot, Sara Eker, Dawn Joseph, Steve Robson, and Peter Kearney for their debut album, Right Now (2000), with production helmed by Trevor Steel, John Holliday, and additional producer Quiet Money. "Follow Me" was released as the album's fourth single in October 2000. A departure from the bubblegum pop of Atomic Kitten's first three singles, it introduced a more mature and mellow, R&B-influenced pop sound but was less successful than their previous top 10 hits, peaking at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.
"I Want Your Love" is a song by Atomic Kitten, released as the third single from their debut album, Right Now (2000). The song samples the theme to the 1958 film The Big Country, and it was produced, arranged, recorded, and mixed by Damien Mendis at Metropolis Studios in London.
"Right Now" is the debut single of English girl group Atomic Kitten from their first album of the same name (2000). The song was re-recorded twice: once for the album's 2001 re-issue with new member Jenny Frost and again in 2004 for the group's Greatest Hits album. The 2004 version, titled "Right Now 2004", proved to be a greater international chart success. The song was written by Atomic Kitten founders and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark members Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw.
"The Last Goodbye" is a song by British girl group Atomic Kitten. It was written by Daniel Poku, Espen Lind, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Hallgeir Rustan, and Peter Björklund and recorded by the band for their second album Feels So Good (2002), while production of the song was overseen by Rustan, Eriksen and Hermansen under their under their production moniker Stargate. "The Last Goodbye" is built upon a flute motif and an acoustic guitar loop. Lyrically, the break-up song finds the trio thinking deeply over a relationship with their love interests from whom they parted.
"Cradle 2005" is a song recorded by English girl group Atomic Kitten from their compilation The Greatest Hits. It was released as a single on 14 February 2005, in aid of World Vision. It is a re-recorded version of a song that was previously included on their debut album, Right Now (2000). "Cradle" was released a year after the group's announcement of their split in 2004. "Cradle 2005" reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number 46 in Ireland.
The Big Reunion is a British reality-documentary series that began airing on ITV2 on 31 January 2013. The show featured chart-topping bands who were big in the UK pop music scene between the 1990s and early 2000s, and the programme followed them as they reunited for the first time in a decade and went through their two weeks of intensive rehearsals before finally stepping back on stage for a comeback performance.
The first series of the British reality-documentary series The Big Reunion began airing on ITV2 on 31 January 2013 until 28 March 2013. The show features chart-topping bands who were big names in the UK pop music scene between the 1990s and early 2000s, and the programme follows them as they reunite for the first time in a decade and go through their two weeks of intensive rehearsals before finally stepping back on stage for a comeback performance. The bands who reunited for the first series were Five, 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Honeyz and Liberty X. Blue also joined later on.
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