Lisa Moorish
Encyclopedia
Lisa Moorish is an English
singer-songwriter
most notable for having had children fathered by musicians Liam Gallagher
and Pete Doherty
. She had a solo career beginning in 1989, and was the lead singer of the indie band
Kill City in the early 2000s. She has been working on her first new material as a solo
artist in almost a decade.
, South London
. She is mixed race - her father Henry Watt is a black Jamaican "mixed with Irish
, Scottish
, Asian", whilst her mother Iris is white
and from Middlesbrough
. They met in a Hammersmith club.
. She released two singles with Jive, but they were not hits and she was dropped. In 1991 she released two singles with Polydor, but again commercial success eluded her. Signing to Go! Discs in the mid 1990s yielded an album (I've Gotta Have It All, 1996), as well as a collaboration with George Michael
on a version of his Wham!
hit I'm Your Man, but neither achieved much success.
In 1996, Moorish provided backing vocals
on Irish
indie band Ash
's hit single, "Oh Yeah", which reached #6 in the UK charts.
In the early 21st century, Moorish was a member of indie band Kill City. They were a four-piece consisting of Moorish, fellow songwriter "Welsh" Pete Jones on bass and guitarists Tom Bowen and Stuart Le Page. In 2004, they released their debut EP
White Boys, Brown Girl on Alan McGee
's Poptones
label.
In 2005, Moorish recorded a cover of "Fairytale of New York
" with Johnny Borrell
. She has frequently performed with Drew McConnell
. In 2006, Moorish appeared on the Strummerville
charity
single, a cover of The Clash
's "Janie Jones
" which peaked at #17 in the UK Singles Chart
.
and conceived a week after Gallagher married Patsy Kensit
. She had initially claimed that Justin Welch
, of Elastica
, was the baby's father. In 2003 she gave birth to a son, Astile Louis, fathered by Pete Doherty
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
most notable for having had children fathered by musicians Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
. She had a solo career beginning in 1989, and was the lead singer of the indie band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Kill City in the early 2000s. She has been working on her first new material as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist in almost a decade.
Origins
Moorish was born in Walworth, but grew up in BrixtonBrixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. She is mixed race - her father Henry Watt is a black Jamaican "mixed with Irish
Irish people in Jamaica
Irish people in Jamaica is a Jamaican person who is of Irish descent. The legacy of the Irish is still seen in the places names, such as Dublin Castle, Irish pen. Irish town, Sligoville, Kildare, Leinster Road and Belfast. Their connection in Jamaica goes beyond the names of places...
, Scottish
Scottish Jamaican
A Scottish Jamaican is a Jamaican with Scottish ancestry. Scottish Jamaicans include those of European and mixed Asian and African ancestry with Scottish ancestors, and date back to the earliest period of post-Spanish, European colonisation....
, Asian", whilst her mother Iris is white
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and from Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
. They met in a Hammersmith club.
Music career
Moorish began her musical career in 1989, aged 17, when she signed to Jive RecordsJive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. She released two singles with Jive, but they were not hits and she was dropped. In 1991 she released two singles with Polydor, but again commercial success eluded her. Signing to Go! Discs in the mid 1990s yielded an album (I've Gotta Have It All, 1996), as well as a collaboration with George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
on a version of his Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
hit I'm Your Man, but neither achieved much success.
In 1996, Moorish provided backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
on Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
indie band Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
's hit single, "Oh Yeah", which reached #6 in the UK charts.
In the early 21st century, Moorish was a member of indie band Kill City. They were a four-piece consisting of Moorish, fellow songwriter "Welsh" Pete Jones on bass and guitarists Tom Bowen and Stuart Le Page. In 2004, they released their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
White Boys, Brown Girl on Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
's Poptones
Poptones
Poptones is a record label launched by Alan McGee after the demise of Creation Records in 1999. Named after a Public Image Limited song, it is seen as something of a return to the staunchly independent roots of Creation...
label.
In 2005, Moorish recorded a cover of "Fairytale of New York
Fairytale of New York
"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
" with Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the band Razorlight.-Early life and career:...
. She has frequently performed with Drew McConnell
Drew McConnell
Drew McConnell is the bass guitarist and backing vocalist with Babyshambles, the band formed and fronted by frontman of The Libertines, Pete Doherty. He lived in Tenerife, Spain, for much of his childhood, and he speaks Spanish fluently...
. In 2006, Moorish appeared on the Strummerville
Strummerville
Strummerville is the Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music. It was established shortly after Strummer's death in the winter of 2002 by his wife Lucinda, who serves as a trustee...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
single, a cover of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's "Janie Jones
Janie Jones
Marion Mitchell , better known by her stage name, Janie Jones, was an English singer. She became renowned for being a madame in London during the 1970s, and was jailed for her involvement in the BBC Radio One 'sex for airplay' payola scandal...
" which peaked at #17 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 ...
.
Children
In March 1998, Moorish gave birth to a daughter, Molly, fathered by Liam GallagherLiam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and conceived a week after Gallagher married Patsy Kensit
Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
. She had initially claimed that Justin Welch
Justin Welch
Justin Steven Welch is an English musician, best known as the drummer in the Britpop band, Elastica....
, of Elastica
Elastica
Elastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...
, was the baby's father. In 2003 she gave birth to a son, Astile Louis, fathered by Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
.