Eternal (band)
Encyclopedia
Eternal were an English
R&B girl group
formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding
. Eternal became an international success and achieved fifteen Top 20 hits in the UK, and have sold about 10 million records worldwide.
, after Eddie Gordon
showed him how the success of En Vogue
was built in the United Kingdom. Eternal were quickly signed to EMI Records
and released their debut single, "Stay
", in September 1993. The song was a success and it reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.
Eternal released their debut album, Always & Forever
in November 1993, and it reached number 2. The album sold over a million copies in the United Kingdom, making this one of 1994's biggest selling albums. They were named Best Group at the Smash Hits
Poll Winners Party, and were nominated for four Brit Awards
. Louise decided to leave the group before the recording of Eternal's second album, and went on to pursue a successful solo career.
Power of a Woman
was the first album to feature without Louise, and entered the charts at number 5. Another great success for the group, it produced four hit singles, including "Power of a Woman", "I Am Blessed
", and a remixed version of "Good Thing
", continuing Eternal's string of Top 20 Hits.
In 1997, Eternal achieved their first ever UK number one, a duet with BeBe Winans
, "I Wanna Be the Only One
", which became the second most played song on UK Radio in 1997, and stayed at the top spot for 1 week. It was taken from their third album Before the Rain
, which also included "Don't You Love Me
". Eternal's Greatest Hits package was released in the later part of 1997, and became the highest selling Greatest Hits package of the year. It featured their last Top 10 single "Angel of Mine", which reached number 4.
In 1998, a week after their Party In The Park performance, Kelle Bryan was controversially sacked by the Bennett Sisters via a fax from their solicitor. Their reasons cited "a break down in professional communications". A short time later Bryan was diagnosed with Lupus
and was forced to abandon plans for a solo career. Easther & Vernie recruited a new member, TJ, but she left after a matter of days and the sisters carried on as a duo but it was rumored that singer Michelle Gayle
was to step in as Kelle's replacement but proved untrue. "Whatcha Gonna Do" was released from their fourth album Eternal
and hit number 16. With lack of promotion the album charted at number 87, despite positive reviews. "Treat Me Like A Lady", "I Cry Real Tears" and "If She Breaks Your Heart" were scheduled for release but plans were scrapped due to Easther and Vernie deciding it was time to pursue other projects. Eternal then parted ways with EMI in 2000.
Now Louise Redknapp, she was the first member of the band to leave to pursue a solo career, scoring a string of Top 10 singles and albums and two UK tours from 1995 to 2003. She married football player Jamie Redknapp
in 1998, and she has also presented a number of television shows including SMTV Live
, CD:UK
and most notably The Clothes Show
, Something for the Weekend
and So You Think You Can Dance
.
Kelle Bryan
As a singer, Bryan experienced minor success after leaving Eternal in the form of a no. 14 single called "Higher Than Heaven" in October 1999, but her debut solo album, Breakfast in Bed, was never released. A second single, "I Wanna Know", was canceled due to further health issues.
Easther Bennett
Easther Bennett teamed up with reggae band Aswad to record a cover of Diana King's "Shy Guy
", which was released as a single in August 2002. Easther then decided to turn to songwriting and has written for many different artists including Girls Aloud
.
Vernie Bennett
Vernie Bennett stepped out of the limelight following the split of Eternal. She went back to finish studying law
and, in 2006, gave birth to her first child. In August 2010, Bennett signed with ASM Artist Management.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
R&B girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding
Louise Redknapp
Louise Elizabeth Redknapp is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of the girl group Eternal from 1992 to 1995, before becoming a solo singer . She has presented several television shows and served as a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance...
. Eternal became an international success and achieved fifteen Top 20 hits in the UK, and have sold about 10 million records worldwide.
Group biography (1993–1999)
Eternal were formed in 1992 by music manager Denis Ingoldsby of First Avenue RecordsFirst Avenue Records
First Avenue Records was a record label which was acquired by Arista Records....
, after Eddie Gordon
Eddie Gordon
Eddie Gordon is an English music journalist, a producer, DJ and music business personality.-Beginnings:...
showed him how the success of En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
was built in the United Kingdom. Eternal were quickly signed to EMI Records
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and released their debut single, "Stay
Stay (Eternal song)
"Stay" is a single by Eternal. It was the first single to be released from their debut album Always & Forever. The single entered at #16 on 26 September 1993 on the UK Singles Chart, eventually peaking at #4 on 17 October 1993. The single was also a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, peaking...
", in September 1993. The song was a success and it reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.
Eternal released their debut album, Always & Forever
Always & Forever (Eternal album)
Always & Forever is the debut album by the British R&B vocal group Eternal.- Overview :Always & Forever was a huge success, peaking at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified 4x Platinum by the BPI for sales of over 1.2 million copies. It was one of 1994's best selling albums in the...
in November 1993, and it reached number 2. The album sold over a million copies in the United Kingdom, making this one of 1994's biggest selling albums. They were named Best Group at the Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
Poll Winners Party, and were nominated for four Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
. Louise decided to leave the group before the recording of Eternal's second album, and went on to pursue a successful solo career.
Power of a Woman
Power of a Woman
Power of a Woman is the second studio album by the British R&B vocal group Eternal and was the first to feature without former member Louise who left to the group to pursue a solo career.-Overview:...
was the first album to feature without Louise, and entered the charts at number 5. Another great success for the group, it produced four hit singles, including "Power of a Woman", "I Am Blessed
I Am Blessed
"I Am Blessed" is a single by Eternal. It was the second single released from Power of a Woman. The single was released just after the girl group just had scored their third #1 hit in Japan with "Who Are You". The single did very well and peaked at #7, spent 12 weeks in the UK Singles Chart and was...
", and a remixed version of "Good Thing
Good Thing (Eternal song)
"Good Thing" is the third song off the band Eternal's second album, Power of a Woman. It is an up-tempo pop/RnB song and did very well on the charts placing at no. 8 in the UK and staying in the top 75 for 6 weeks. It was their 7th top 10 single in the UK and 3rd release from their 2nd album....
", continuing Eternal's string of Top 20 Hits.
In 1997, Eternal achieved their first ever UK number one, a duet with BeBe Winans
BeBe Winans
Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:...
, "I Wanna Be the Only One
I Wanna Be the Only One
"I Wanna Be the Only One" is a single by Eternal. It was the third single released from their album Before the Rain. In May 1997, the group joined forces with US singer BeBe Winans and scored their first - and only - UK chart-topper with this song...
", which became the second most played song on UK Radio in 1997, and stayed at the top spot for 1 week. It was taken from their third album Before the Rain
Before the Rain (album)
Before the Rain is the third album by the British R&B vocal group Eternal. It was released in March 1997 and peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart...
, which also included "Don't You Love Me
Don't You Love Me
Don't You Love Me*1990 song by 49ers*1997 song by Eternal...
". Eternal's Greatest Hits package was released in the later part of 1997, and became the highest selling Greatest Hits package of the year. It featured their last Top 10 single "Angel of Mine", which reached number 4.
In 1998, a week after their Party In The Park performance, Kelle Bryan was controversially sacked by the Bennett Sisters via a fax from their solicitor. Their reasons cited "a break down in professional communications". A short time later Bryan was diagnosed with Lupus
Lupus
Lupus most commonly refers to the disease systemic lupus erythematosus.Lupus may also refer to:-Medicine:* Lupus erythematosus, a chronic autoimmune disease with several different forms...
and was forced to abandon plans for a solo career. Easther & Vernie recruited a new member, TJ, but she left after a matter of days and the sisters carried on as a duo but it was rumored that singer Michelle Gayle
Michelle Gayle
Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"...
was to step in as Kelle's replacement but proved untrue. "Whatcha Gonna Do" was released from their fourth album Eternal
Eternal (Eternal album)
Eternal is the fourth and final studio album by the British R&B group Eternal. Released in November 1999, The Album charted at #87. It was the first album without former member Kelle Bryan who was sacked from the band in 1998. The album had very little promotion, but was praised for its more modern...
and hit number 16. With lack of promotion the album charted at number 87, despite positive reviews. "Treat Me Like A Lady", "I Cry Real Tears" and "If She Breaks Your Heart" were scheduled for release but plans were scrapped due to Easther and Vernie deciding it was time to pursue other projects. Eternal then parted ways with EMI in 2000.
Solo achievements (1995–present)
Louise NurdingLouise Redknapp
Louise Elizabeth Redknapp is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of the girl group Eternal from 1992 to 1995, before becoming a solo singer . She has presented several television shows and served as a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance...
Now Louise Redknapp, she was the first member of the band to leave to pursue a solo career, scoring a string of Top 10 singles and albums and two UK tours from 1995 to 2003. She married football player Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
in 1998, and she has also presented a number of television shows including SMTV Live
SMTV Live
SMTV Live , also written SM:TV Live and in early promotional material SMTV://live, was a British Saturday morning children's television programme, first broadcast on ITV on 29 August 1998 and last broadcast on 27 December 2003.On the surface, the programme did not seem to stray away from the format...
, CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
and most notably The Clothes Show
The Clothes Show
The Clothes Show is a British television show about fashion that can currently be seen weeknights on Really. It was formerly broadcast on BBC One from 1986 to 2000.-BBC series :...
, Something for the Weekend
Something for the Weekend (2000s BBC TV series)
Something for the Weekend is a British television series, broadcast on BBC Two on Sunday mornings. It features cookery, drinks, interviews with celebrity guests and clips from the week's television, as well as classic clips in the 'Deja View' section...
and So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (UK)
So You Think You Can Dance is a televised dance competition and reality show that launched in the United Kingdom in January 2010 and similar to the version of the program that has began airing in the USA in 2005. The show is broadcast on BBC One. The content of the show is similar premise to the...
.
Kelle Bryan
Kéllé Bryan
Kéllé Bryan is a British singer turned actress and television personality, best known as a member of the girl group Eternal.-Biography:...
As a singer, Bryan experienced minor success after leaving Eternal in the form of a no. 14 single called "Higher Than Heaven" in October 1999, but her debut solo album, Breakfast in Bed, was never released. A second single, "I Wanna Know", was canceled due to further health issues.
Easther Bennett
Easther Bennett teamed up with reggae band Aswad to record a cover of Diana King's "Shy Guy
Cool Summer Reggae
Cool Summer Reggae is an album by Aswad, released in 2002. The collection features re-recordings of their hits "Don't Turn Around" and "Shine", plus cover versions that are given the commercial Aswad treatment, including the album's first single, "Shy Guy", featuring vocals from ex-Eternal singer...
", which was released as a single in August 2002. Easther then decided to turn to songwriting and has written for many different artists including Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
.
Vernie Bennett
Vernie Bennett stepped out of the limelight following the split of Eternal. She went back to finish studying law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and, in 2006, gave birth to her first child. In August 2010, Bennett signed with ASM Artist Management.
Discography
- 1993: Always & ForeverAlways & Forever (Eternal album)Always & Forever is the debut album by the British R&B vocal group Eternal.- Overview :Always & Forever was a huge success, peaking at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified 4x Platinum by the BPI for sales of over 1.2 million copies. It was one of 1994's best selling albums in the...
- 1995: Power of a WomanPower of a WomanPower of a Woman is the second studio album by the British R&B vocal group Eternal and was the first to feature without former member Louise who left to the group to pursue a solo career.-Overview:...
- 1997: Before the RainBefore the Rain (album)Before the Rain is the third album by the British R&B vocal group Eternal. It was released in March 1997 and peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart...
- 1997: Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Eternal album)Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by the British R&B girl group Eternal. Released in October 1997, it peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified 3x Platinum by the BPI for sales of over 900,000 copies....
- 1999: EternalEternal (Eternal album)Eternal is the fourth and final studio album by the British R&B group Eternal. Released in November 1999, The Album charted at #87. It was the first album without former member Kelle Bryan who was sacked from the band in 1998. The album had very little promotion, but was praised for its more modern...