Keedie
Encyclopedia
Keedie Green is a British
classical
crossover soprano
, with three octave
s in her voice that reaches a top A above a top E.
.
The family moved to Torquay
when she was three years old and she subsequently attended White Rock Primary school in Paignton
.
Her father had an intermittent work as a painter and decorator, paying for his daughter's vocal lessons while narrowly avoiding bankruptcy, until one Christmas when bankruptcy made the family temporarily homeless. Keedie left school when she was 14 years old to pursue a singing career, signing her first record contract when she was 16 years old, but soon became disillusioned and left to pursue her career alone.
event at the Coronet theatre in London together with Liberty X
in aid of Crusaid.
In 2004, Keedie signed a seven figure music deal with EMI Classics
, after she duetted with former Blue
member Duncan James
, on "I Believe My Heart
", the soundtrack to the Andrew Lloyd Webber
Musical
, The Woman in White
. The single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart
. She also performed at the Miami and Washington Film Festivals.
Her second single, a cover version
of the hymn
"Jerusalem
", was released as a charity single in the UK on 18 December 2005, and entered the UK chart at #19. The single featured the victorious English cricket team
who had just won the Ashes Test Series
. Proceeds of the single were split equally between the Save the Children
’s "Children in Emergencies Appeal" and two cricket charities.
Her debut album I Believe My Heart
was released on 18 November 2004, and met with positive reviews. It includes a variety of contemporary tracks and arrangements, and also featured the title theme "My Reason", from the film Modigliani
; the video for which Keedie filmed on location in Bucharest
. The album includes two pop covers: Madonna
's "You'll See
" and Enya
's "Only Time
", seven original songs and nine aria
s. After her album was released, Keedie went on to record Puccini's Nessun Dorma
.
and Anthea Turner
. On 4 September 2005, she appeared at the Grand Finale of the Kent Music Festival along with Katherine Jenkins
and G4
.
On 26 February 2006, Keedie sang the National Anthem
at the Carling Cup
final at the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
. In May 2006, Keedie was asked to sing "Time To Say Goodbye" at former Newcastle United footballer Alan Shearer
's testimonial at St James' Park
. She performed the song after the game during the finale, and also performed earlier before the game.
in a one-off concert, The Bedrock Ball, in aid of the charity, Caudwell Children, at the National History Museum
. It was the first live concert Tina Turner had performed in seven years. Keedie was the only artist to support Turner at the charity gig and she performed in front celebrities such as Richard Hammond
, Tara Palmer Tompkinson and David Gest
.
Keedie said after landing the gig:
Keedie was then invited to sing before David Beckham
's first match for Los Angeles Galaxy
in the United States
. She was also booked for a private party for George Clooney
and another charity gig in Moscow
which was organised by Nelson Mandela
.
In May 2007, a special charity album entitled KN21 was released in aid of Children's Hospice South-West. The album consisted of live recordings of Keedie and her sister Nadine from 1993 - when they were 11 and 10 years old, and called themselves KN21 - a name using the first initials of their names plus their combined age at the time. The tracks are mainly covers from the 1960s which were recorded during the girls "Swinging Sixties" show at the Great Western Hotel in Paignton. The album also has two exclusive bonus tracks which Keedie recorded in 2005 - "Nessun Dorma" and "Would I Know", an original song penned by American
songwriter
, Diane Warren
, and previously used in the Charlotte Church
film I'll Be There. Diane Warren, is said to be in the process of writing a song for Keedie to sing on a forthcoming album.
In 2010, it was revealed Keedie had auditioned for The X Factor
under her marital name of Keedie Green, unfortunately she did not go through to the judges houses round.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
crossover soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, with three octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s in her voice that reaches a top A above a top E.
Background
She was baptised as Keedie because her father is a fan of Kiki DeeKiki Dee
Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
.
The family moved to Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
when she was three years old and she subsequently attended White Rock Primary school in Paignton
Paignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
.
Her father had an intermittent work as a painter and decorator, paying for his daughter's vocal lessons while narrowly avoiding bankruptcy, until one Christmas when bankruptcy made the family temporarily homeless. Keedie left school when she was 14 years old to pursue a singing career, signing her first record contract when she was 16 years old, but soon became disillusioned and left to pursue her career alone.
2003-2005
In 2003 Keedie appeared in a local Torquay talent show, "Stairway to the Stars"; this appearance brought her to fame. On 30 November 2003, Keedie performed at a World AIDS DayWorld AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
event at the Coronet theatre in London together with Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
in aid of Crusaid.
In 2004, Keedie signed a seven figure music deal with EMI Classics
EMI Classics
EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases....
, after she duetted with former Blue
Blue (boy band)
Blue are an English pop vocal group, whose members are Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Duncan James and Antony Costa. Blue originally formed in 2001 before splitting in 2005. In 2009, it was confirmed that the band would reform. In April 2009, the group reunited and a Best of Blue Tour was announced...
member Duncan James
Duncan James
Duncan Matthew James Inglis is an English singer, actor and television presenter. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Early life:...
, on "I Believe My Heart
I Believe My Heart (song)
"I Believe My Heart" is the debut single from Blue member Duncan James. The song also features Keedie. The song was written by David Zippel for use in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Woman in White, which premiered the same year...
", the soundtrack to the Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
Musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, The Woman in White
The Woman in White (musical)
The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones, based on the novel The Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins...
. The single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. She also performed at the Miami and Washington Film Festivals.
Her second single, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
"Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date on the title page of 1804 for Milton is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808...
", was released as a charity single in the UK on 18 December 2005, and entered the UK chart at #19. The single featured the victorious English cricket team
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
who had just won the Ashes Test Series
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
. Proceeds of the single were split equally between the Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
’s "Children in Emergencies Appeal" and two cricket charities.
Her debut album I Believe My Heart
I Believe My Heart
I Believe My Heart is an album by British singer Keedie. It was released on 18 November 2004. The album has a mixture of genres and songwriters. Two classics; "Ave Maria" and the aria "Un bel dì vedremo" are sung in English. Seven other arias feature on the album...
was released on 18 November 2004, and met with positive reviews. It includes a variety of contemporary tracks and arrangements, and also featured the title theme "My Reason", from the film Modigliani
Modigliani (film)
- Plot :Set in Paris in 1919, biopic centers on the life of late Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, focusing on his last days as well as his rivalry with Pablo Picasso. Modigliani, a Jew, has fallen in love with Jeanne, a young and beautiful Catholic girl. The couple has an illegitimate child, and...
; the video for which Keedie filmed on location in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. The album includes two pop covers: Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's "You'll See
You'll See
"You'll See" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her ballads compilation Something to Remember . The album was released with the intention of tone down the image of Madonna, who was being heavily criticized at the time. The singer decided to work with producer David Foster, who...
" and Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
's "Only Time
Only Time
"Only Time" is a song that was recorded, and whose music was composed, by Irish singer Enya, first released in November 2000. The release of this single coincided with the release of the album A Day Without Rain. In 2001 "Only Time" was released again as a remix. The track was remixed by S.A.F. ...
", seven original songs and nine aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s. After her album was released, Keedie went on to record Puccini's Nessun Dorma
Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...
.
2005-2006
Keedie parted ways with her record company, EMI classics, at the end of 2005. During this time she was able to secure gigs at sporting events and celebrity private parties, such as Michael ParkinsonMichael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
and Anthea Turner
Anthea Turner
Anthea Millicent Turner is an English television presenter and media personality.-Education:Turner was educated at the independent St. Dominic's High School in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent....
. On 4 September 2005, she appeared at the Grand Finale of the Kent Music Festival along with Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
and G4
G4 (band)
G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV's talent show The X Factor in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.-The X Factor:G4 auditioned for the...
.
On 26 February 2006, Keedie sang the National Anthem
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
at the Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. In May 2006, Keedie was asked to sing "Time To Say Goodbye" at former Newcastle United footballer Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
's testimonial at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
. She performed the song after the game during the finale, and also performed earlier before the game.
2007-present
In 2007 Keedie performed alongside Tina TurnerTina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
in a one-off concert, The Bedrock Ball, in aid of the charity, Caudwell Children, at the National History Museum
National History Museum
The National History Museum or Muzium Sejarah Nasional was the second national museum in Malaysia after the National Museum. It was located opposite Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. As of November 2007 it is closed and the collection has been moved to the National Museum.-History:This building was...
. It was the first live concert Tina Turner had performed in seven years. Keedie was the only artist to support Turner at the charity gig and she performed in front celebrities such as Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
, Tara Palmer Tompkinson and David Gest
David Gest
David Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
.
Keedie said after landing the gig:
Keedie was then invited to sing before David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
's first match for Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was also booked for a private party for George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
and another charity gig in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
which was organised by Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
In May 2007, a special charity album entitled KN21 was released in aid of Children's Hospice South-West. The album consisted of live recordings of Keedie and her sister Nadine from 1993 - when they were 11 and 10 years old, and called themselves KN21 - a name using the first initials of their names plus their combined age at the time. The tracks are mainly covers from the 1960s which were recorded during the girls "Swinging Sixties" show at the Great Western Hotel in Paignton. The album also has two exclusive bonus tracks which Keedie recorded in 2005 - "Nessun Dorma" and "Would I Know", an original song penned by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, and previously used in the Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
film I'll Be There. Diane Warren, is said to be in the process of writing a song for Keedie to sing on a forthcoming album.
In 2010, it was revealed Keedie had auditioned for The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
under her marital name of Keedie Green, unfortunately she did not go through to the judges houses round.
Singles
- "I Believe My Heart" (2004) (duet with Duncan JamesDuncan JamesDuncan Matthew James Inglis is an English singer, actor and television presenter. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Early life:...
) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#2 - "JerusalemAnd did those feet in ancient time"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date on the title page of 1804 for Milton is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808...
" (2005) (& the England Cricket TeamEnglish cricket teamThe England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
) - UK #19