Pauline Black

Bio:

.... Pauline Black is a singular woman with a multi-faceted talent. She has spent the last 30 years maintaining the fierce independence that she first forged in her early days with legendary, platinum selling, 2-Tone band The Selecter. During that time she has always tried to do what she feels is right, honest and true. She considers her female mixed race status gives her a unique insight into the twin evils of racism and sexism that still beset the world and render the original message of the 2-tone movement as relevant today as it was in 1979. Since then, she has built her considerable reputation through singing, songwriting, acting, presenting & broadcasting. She has garnered several singing and acting awards along the way. Never content to just rest on her laurels or pursue the road of easy celebrity, Pauline has delivered 10 studio albums, throughout her career, chronicling her particular view of the precious world that we inhabit. During 2010 Pauline will perform concerts & festivals throughout the year, showcasing new and old material from her entire career, with her new 6-piece band. Highlights of her new show include new song “Eyes On The Prize” and a brilliant reggae/ska salute to Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” (“obviously written for me”, jokes Pauline at concerts). She refers to her “raison d’etre” as “putting the soul into ska”! In May 2010, Oli Munson of the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency sold world English language rights to Pauline’s memoir, “Black by Design” to Pete Ayrton, publisher, and John Williams, editor at Serpent’s Tail. It will be published in late summer 2011. A new album, “Pigment Of My Imagination” is due for release prior to her book and a new film featuring the life of Pauline, alongside those of Neville Staple (the Specials) & Errol Christie( professional British boxer from Coventry), “Ghost Town” is in development for 2011 by Emu Films. In Autumn 2010, Pauline & her fellow lead singer in legendary 2-Tone band The Selecter, Gaps Hendrickson, will join forces to front two spectacular concerts celebrating “30 Years Of Too Much Pressure”, their hugely successful debut album. The first concert is 31st October 2010 @ “The Sinner’s Day Festival” Ethias Arena, Hasselt, Belgium and the second concert is on November 13th 2010 @ The Bloomsbury Ballroom, London. A Spring 2011 tour is earmarked for The Selecter featuring original singers Pauline Black & Gaps Hendrickson. Press Release for Bloomsbury Ballroom,London Ska Heroes The Selecter return for an exclusive performance of seminal debut album On November 13th 2010 The Selecter will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal debut album, ‘Too Much Pressure’, by performing the whole album live at one of London’s premiere venues, Bloomsbury Ballroom. “Too Much Pressure” released by this important and influential band in Feb 1980 remains a classic touchstone for a generation of Ska lovers and the band are excited to announce they will be playing the album in its entirety plus a selection of other much loved Selecter tracks for the first time in nearly three decades. Mixing punk, ska and reggae, ‘Too Much Pressure’ successfully reflected the social and political issues of the early Thatcher years and gave a voice to disaffected youth across the racial divide. This exclusive show will see the band fronted by the original duo of Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson and the female icon of the two-tone era Pauline Black. Classic hits like ‘Three Minute Hero’, ‘Missing Words’’ “ On My Radio” and of course ‘Too Much Pressure’ will fill the beautiful, art-deco Bloomsbury Ballroom as one of the most vital, visceral and important Ska acts ever, deliver what promises to be a stunning performance and a must see for any Two-Tone fan. The Selecter Saturday 13 November 2010 Bloomsbury Ballroom, London Doors 7pm Tickets: http://www.agmp.co.uk/ http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/ http://www.seetickets.com/ http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ http://www.seetickets.com/agmp http://www.ents24.com/web/event/2007621/Too_Much_Pressure.html For more information regarding the concert or to arrange interview opportunities with Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson please contact: Tom Doyle Big Machine Media Tom@bigmachinemedia.com 0203 178 6640 / 07506 861 854 Reviews: ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE: “Hands down Pauline Black possessed the best voice that ever graced a 2-tone release. Blessed with a bewitching soprano and dramatic panache, Black’s voice reached plateaus that made every other musical detail sound like part of a backdrop painted just to set the stage for her entrance” Contacts: Booking Agent: mcgodwin@hotmail.co.uk Websites: www.paulineblack.co.uk www.myspace.com/paulineblack www.theselecter.net www.twitter.com/paulineblack www.twitter.con/se1ect0r www.facebook.com/pauline.black

Member Since:

July 19, 2006

Members:

Guitar: Anthony Harty Bass: John Thompson Keyboards: Greg Coulson Drums: Winston Marche Horns: Neil Pyzer-Skeete & Orlando LaRose

Influences:

nina simone, billie holiday, doreen shaffer, millie small, nora dean, rosa parks, zora neale hurston, angela davies, marsha hunt.

Sounds Like:

no-one else(sui generis)

Record Label:

various