Dane Bowers

Dane Bowers (born 29 November 1979, Croydon, London) is an English pop singer, songwriter and record producer. He has performed on eleven Top 10 singles, seven of them as part of the R&B boyband, Another Level.

Career

After leaving the BRIT School, Bowers started his career with Another Level, and went on to collaborate with Truesteppers and Victoria Beckham.

Another Level had seven Top 10 singles in two years in the United Kingdom, including 1998's UK Number one "Freak Me"; and a platinum selling, self-titled debut album. 1999's gold selling Nexus followed, along with BRIT Awards nominations and the opening slot on Janet Jackson's European tour.

After the group split, Bowers wrote and fronted two UK Top 10 hits, for the UK garage act Truesteppers in 2000, "Buggin'" and "Out Of Your Mind". The latter featured the first solo outing of Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham.

"Out Of Your Mind" reached number two, but was beaten to the number one spot by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor with "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". A bootleg was later made of the two records (with Bowers and Beckham's vocals set against the "Groovejet" backing track) and received underground interest.

In 2001, two solo singles released under the moniker of 'Dane', "Shut Up And Forget About It" (allegedly written about his relationship with Jordan) and "Another Lover", both stalled at number nine on the UK Singles Chart; and an album, Facing The Crowd remained unreleased. Bowers subsequently went on to focus on behind the scenes work, writing and producing, including a collaboration for Victoria Beckham's debut solo album, in the autumn of that year. He also ventured into presenting in 2002, co-hosting Popstars: The Rivals "Extra" show with the former Pop Idol contestant, Hayley Evetts.

In 2004, Bowers wrote and starred in a sitcom pilot called "Bow to the Bowers." It was a satirical look at the music industry, casting Bowers as an egotistical, vain version of himself. It also starred former Steps member Lee Latchford-Evans and ex-Brother Beyond star Nathan Moore. The show received lukewarm reviews and was not picked up. One critic said "it was difficult to tell the fake Bowers from the real one." Bowers later confessed on MTV News that this comment had hurt him deeply.

Bowers appeared in the follow up TV show to Totally Scott-Lee, called Totally Boyband, in which five boyband members from past groups were modelled into a new singing act. The group featured him alongside Lee Latchford Evans of Steps, Jimmy Constable of 911, New Kids on the Block's Danny Wood and S Club's Bradley McIntosh. The series commenced on MTV in the UK in September 2006, but their first single charted at Number 35 and the group subsequently disbanded.

Personal life

Bowers had a son Kai, born 1997 with ex-girlfriend Emma-Jane North, who he dated while at the Brit School.

He also had a publicised relationship with model Katie Price in 2000.

Bowers married his agent Chrissy Johnston in Las Vegas in November 2007.

On 27 May 2009, Bowers and an unnamed man were involved in a car crash near to Price's home. Police stated that Bowers, who was driving a Vauxhall was over the legal drink drive limit and the pair are currently being held in police custody.

Discography

Singles

(as a member of Another Level)

• "Be Alone No More" (February 1998) #6 UK
• "Freak Me" (July 1998) #1 UK
• "Guess I Was A Fool" (November 1998) #5 UK
• "I Want You For Myself" (January 1999) (featuring Ghostface Killah) #2 UK
• "Be Alone No More" (Remix) (April 1999) (featuring Jay-Z) #11 UK
• "From The Heart" (June 1999) #6 UK
• "Summertime" (September 1999) (featuring TQ) #7 UK
• "Bomb Diggy" (November 1999) #6 UK

(as Dane Bowers)

• "Buggin'" (April 2000) (with True Steppers) #6 UK
• "Out Of Your Mind" (August 2000) (with True Steppers and Victoria Beckham) #2 UK
• "Shut Up And Forget About It" (March 2001) #9 UK
• "Another Lover" (July 2001) #9 UK

(as Upper Street)

• "The One" (October 2006) #35 UK

Albums

(as a member of Another Level)

• Another Level (1998)
• Nexus (1999)
• From the Heart
• Love Songs (2002)

(as Dane)

• Facing The Crowd (2001 promo - unreleased) RELEASE IT PLEASE...WTIH BUGGIN, OUT OF YOUR MIND AND SHUT UP AND FORGET ABOUT IT......a plead by a fan.....but in reality the album is to bad to realease...we thank the record lacel for not deastroying our ears....Amen....

External links

• Official Dane Bowers Website.