Jade Ewen
Jade Ewen |
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Jade Almarie Louise Ewen (born 24 January 1988) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes.
Ewen began her singing career in a girl group signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released. In 2009, she represented the UK at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest performing the Andrew Lloyd Webber penned "It's My Time" after winning the UK national selection. She achieved fifth place, cementing her as the most successful British Eurovision act since 2002. She replaced Keisha Buchanan in the Sugababes in September 2009, while at the time still signed to Polydor Records.
Early life
Ewen was born and brought up in Plaistow, London, to a Jamaican mother, Carol and a Scottish-Sicilian father, Trevor. Trevor is blind and partially deaf, while Carol is partially blind. Because of her parents' disabilities, Ewen is a carer to both her parents and two younger siblings, Shereen and Kiel.[1][2] She received a scholarship to the Sylvia Young Theatre School. As a student at Sylvia, she appeared in The Bill, Casualty and Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle.[1][2] Ewen also auditioned for and won the part of Nala in The Lion King at the West End at the age of twelve.[1] Ewen appeared in the children's dance DVD, entitled How To Dance. She also featured briefly in the video for pop rock band Busted's "What I Go to School For".
Career
Between 2003 and 2004, she appeared in the Australian series Out There.[3] In 2005, Ewen became a member of the girl group Trinity Stone which was signed to Sony BMG.[1][2] The group disbanded in 2007.[3] She later recorded with rapper Kwamé, who was impressed with her work on MySpace.[1] She released a digital single, "Got You" in 2008 under Kwame's Make Noise label.[3] Ewen co-wrote the song "A Little Bit" for the girl group Booty Luv and also "Let Me Be Me" for Jessica Mauboy. In early 2009, Ewen acted in the first episode of the series, Myths.
In January 2009, Ewen was approached and participated in the UK national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.[1][3] She was eventually selected to represent the UK with the song "It's My Time" composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber who accompanied her on piano onstage.[1] Ewen was signed with Polydor Records in February and began working on her debut album.[3] In May Ewen finished in fifth place, the highest placing for the United Kingdom since 2002.[4]
In September 2009, it was announced that Ewen had joined the Sugababes as the replacement for Keisha Buchanan.[5] While her second single, "My Man" had been released in the same week, promotional activities for the single were cancelled.[6] In an interview with the BBC, Ewen confirmed her commitment to the Sugababes as her main priority and that her solo album was put on hold. It was also revealed Ewen had not met the remaining members of the Sugababes until two days before the video shoot for their single "About a Girl" in Los Angeles. She had been flown there without being notified that she would be replacing Buchanan.[7] "About a Girl" later debuted at number eight in the UK.[8] Sweet 7 was released in early 2010 after multiple delays from late 2009.
Personal life
Since 2009, Ewen has been in a relationship with actor Ricky Norwood.[9]
Discography
Singles
Year | Single | Peak positions |
---|---|---|
UK [10] | ||
2009 | "It's My Time" | 27 |
"My Man" | 35 |
Music videos
Year | Single | Director |
---|---|---|
2009 | "It's My Time" | Pop Club[11] |
"My Man" | Urban Strom[12] |
Filmography
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003–2004 | Out There | Aggie Thackery | 25 episodes |
2005 | Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle | Donna | |
Casualty | Carrie Fletcher | 1 episode | |
The Bill | Shanti Das | 2 episodes | |
2009 | Myths | Athene | 1 episode |
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You! | Contestant | 5 episodes (Won) | |
2010 | Eurovision: Your Country Needs You! | Judge | 1 episode |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "About Jade Ewen", Eurovision, EBU, retrieved 2009-12-04
- ^ a b c Eurovision Acts - Jade, BBC, retrieved 2009-12-02
- ^ a b c d e Klier, Marcus (24 April 2009). "Part thirty-seven Introducing the 2009 entries: United Kingdom". esctoday.com. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ "London's Jade Ewen grabs fifth place for the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest", thelondonpaper, NI Free Newspapers Ltd, 17 May 2009, retrieved 2009-12-04
- ^ Sugababes Statement, 21 September 2009, retrieved 2009-12-02
- ^ Davies, Russell (21 September 2009), Official confirmation UK: Jade joins the Sugababes, esctoday.com, retrieved 2009-12-04
- ^ Sugababes deny Keisha pushed out, BBC, 25 September 2009, retrieved 2009-12-04
- ^ TOP 40 SINGLES ARCHIVE, The Official UK Charts Company, retrieved 2009-11-29 Week 47 : 15/11/2009 - 21/11/2009
- ^ Piper, Dean (20 December 2009). "Sugababes' Jade Ewen bags new boyfriend in EastEnders Ricky Norwood". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ Jade Ewen - Music Charts, αCharts.us, retrieved 2009-12-04
- ^ Knight, David (21 April 2009). "Jade Ewen's It's My Time by Pop Club". Promo News. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ^ Knight, David (14 September 2009). "Jade Ewen's My Man by Urban Strom". Promo News. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
External links
- 1988 births
- 2000s singers
- Black British actors
- Black British musicians
- British Eurovision Song Contest entrants
- British people of Sicilian descent
- English female singers
- English people of Jamaican descent
- English pop singers
- English singer-songwriters
- English television actors
- Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2009
- Living people
- London actors
- People from Plaistow
- Sugababes members
- Sylvia Young Theatre School pupils