Toyah Willcox

Infobox musical artist
Name = Toyah Willcox


Img_capt =
Img_size =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Toyah Ann Willcox
Alias = Toyah
Born = Birth date and age|1958|5|18|df=yes
Died =
Origin = Kings Heath, Birmingham, England
Instrument = vocals (plus guitar, keyboards occasionally)
Genre = Punk rock, Rock music, New wave
Occupation = musician, actress, songwriter, producer
Years_active = 1977-present
Label = Safari Records, E.G. Records
Associated_acts = Toyah, Robert Fripp, Sunday All Over The World, Kiss Of Reality
URL = http://www.toyahwillcox.com
Current_members =
Past_members =

Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958 in Kings Heath, Birmingham) is an English actress and singer. She currently lives in Pershore, Worcestershire, UK, with her husband Robert Fripp. [ [http://archive.worcesternews.co.uk/2007/10/18/489194.html Worcester News website] ]

Early life and career

Toyah's father ran successful joinery businesses. She attended Edgbaston C of E College where she gained a GCE pass in music and trained as an actress at the Old Rep Drama School in her home town of Birmingham.

Punk era

She first became well-known during the punk rock era, her appearances in Derek Jarman's 1977 film "Jubilee" and 1979's Who album-inspired "Quadrophenia" launching her as a provocative and anti-establishment figure, an image she eventually abandoned.

Singer

Fronting a band known as Toyah, her singing career was slow to take off and the band released six singles in the UK before finally hitting the charts in 1981, with "It's A Mystery" and "I Want To Be Free". These singles were also successful on an international level. In 1982, she was voted Best Female Singer at the British Rock and Pop Awards — since restyled as The BRIT Awards, or "BRITs" — and in 1986 she married UK guitarist Robert Fripp. She was one of the first acts to score regularly in the UK Singles Chart with EPs. Also in 1986, Willcox sang lead on the Tony Banks track "Lion of Symmetry". In 1987 she made the top fifty with her version of "Echo Beach".

Television and Theatre

Since then, she has become a well-known (and more conventional) face on television and in theatre. She has played straight roles, including in "Quatermass" (1979), "Minder", and in Shakespeare plays, and appeared as a presenter of programmes such as "Songs of Praise", "Holiday" (BBC), and "Good Sex Guide Late" as well as being a guest panellist on several shows. In 1984 she starred opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in "The Ebony Tower" and the same year, opposite Katharine Hepburn in the made-for-television movie "The Corn is Green", directed by George Cukor. She also appeared in "Tales from the Vienna Woods" at the National Theatre and in "Trafford Tanzi" at the Mermaid Theatre.

In 1999, she took the lead in the children's television series, "Barmy Aunt Boomerang". She also provided the voices for the children's television programmes "Teletubbies" and "Brum". She has also appeared in the reality television series "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" and "I'm Famous and Frightened!".

Autobiography

Following her 2000 autobiography "Living Out Loud", Toyah had a further autobiographical book published in 2005 documenting her experience of cosmetic surgery, "Diary of a Facelift".

Radio

She has been heard on radio including the 2002 BBC Radio 4 series "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". In December 2006, she joined the radio drama series "Silver Street" on the BBC Asian Network as Siobhan Brady.

Recent activities

In 2002, Toyah became a prominent opponent of planned accommodation centres for asylum seekers near the Worcestershire village, Throckmorton. Protesting together with more than a 1000 villagers, Willcox said, "The villagers are not anti-asylum seekers and they are not racists," adding that "It was not a simple black and white issue." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1996293.stm BBC News website] ] Commenting on the Government's plans to build asylum centres in other rural areas, Toyah said "This is only the first of 15. The sheer scale is mind-boggling. This is a small country - it's all happening illegally." [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1395284/From-punk-rocker-to-village-protester.html Telegraph website] ]

She continues to perform with her band, releasing a live DVD in 2005, and has a busy schedule with theatre commitments, including appearing on stage in London's West End performing the title role of "Calamity Jane" at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2003.

In 2007, she collaborated with Bill Rieflin as "The Humans" for live dates in Estonia. Previews of this material can be heard at cite web | url = http://www.myspace.com/wearethehumans | title = The Humans Myspace page.

Toyah is writing, recording and co-producing new solo material with long-term collaborator Simon Darlow. A preview of one of these songs, "Latex Messiah", can be heard at Toyah's official MySpace page as well as clips of new songs "Lesser God" and "Heal Ourselves". Toyah is currently negotiating a worldwide publishing deal with Zomba. "Latex Messiah" was released as a single on 29 October 2007; the associated album, "In The Court Of The Crimson Queen", is scheduled for release on 12 September 2008.

In November 2007, Toyah took on the role of sponsoring the Black Country Urban Park for the [http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/projects/black-country Peoples £50M BIG Lottery] .

In April 2008, Toyah took part in the Great Walk To Beijing alongside other celebrities to raise money for Olivia Newton-John's Cancer charity.

In June 2008 she appeared on Living With The Dead on LivingTV to share her experiences living in her haunted home.

On 24 July 2008 Toyah appeared on the UK ITV1 This Morning (TV series) to discuss her role as a vampire in a new rock musical.

Discography

Albums

With Toyah (band):

Filmography

* "Jubilee" (1977) Mad
* "The Corn is Green" (1979) Bessie Watty
* "The Tempest" (1979) Miranda
* "Quadrophenia" (1979) Monkey
* "The Ebony Tower" (1984) Anne
* "Anchoress" (1993) Pauline Carpenter
* "Julie and the Cadillacs" (1999) Barbara Gifford
* "The Most Fertile Man in Ireland" (1999) Dr Johnson

TV Appearances

* "Quatermass" (1979) Sal
* "Shoestring" (1979)
* "Tales of the Unexpected" (1982) Marigold - "Blue Marigold" episode
* "The Ebony Tower" (1983) Anne (The Freak) - with Sir Laurence Olivier
* "French & Saunders" (1988) Herself
* "Thirty Years in the TARDIS" (Doctor Who Documentary. VHS release AKA "More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS) (1993) Herself
* "Proud Parents". Channel 4 (2006) Herself
* "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" (2007) ["TV Easy magazine", Issue 22-28th Sept, page 4]

Music videos

* "Toyah at the Rainbow" (1981) (live recording from Rainbow Theatre)
* "Good Morning Universe" (1982) (live BBC recording from Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)
* "Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!" (1984) (companion to K-tel LP of same name; compilation of four pop videos and one live track)
* "Wild Essence - Live in the 21st Century" (2005) (live recording)

Other music compilations

* "Urgh! A Music War" (1981) (live performances by various artists, featuring Toyah's "Danced")

Notes

References

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

External links

* [http://www.toyahwillcox.com/ The Official Toyah Willcox Web Site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/toyahofficial The Official Toyah MySpace]
*
* [http://www.toyah.org Tellurian Online - a Toyah Wiki]
* [http://www.toyah.net Dreamscape - a comprehensive Toyah fansite and forum]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SDFzD9VA6E&search=Toyah%20Willcox%20music%20video 'Toyah' the 1980 documentary on YouTube]
* [http://www.geocities.com/mermaiddays/ Mermaid Days - Toyah Willcox in "Trafford Tanzi"]

Persondata
NAME = Willcox, Toyah Ann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Singer, actress
DATE OF BIRTH = 18 May 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH = Kings Heath, Birmingham, England, UK
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =