Keedie Babb

Keedie Babb (born 21 October, 1982, in Wolverhampton) is a British classical crossover soprano,cite news
last =
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title = Seven-figure deal for Keedie
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Birmingham Mail
date = 2004-11-04
url = http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=14833017&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=seven-figure-deal-for-keedie-name_page.html
accessdate = 2007-08-27 ] with three octaves in her voice that reaches a top A above a top E.cite web
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title = Keedie
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publisher = Last FM
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url = http://www.last.fm/music/Keedie
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ]

Background and early career

Keedie moved to Torquay when she was three years old. She was baptised as Keedie because her father is a fan of Kiki Dee.cite news
last =
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coauthors =
title = Rock me, Verdi
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pages =
language =
publisher = The Guardian
date = 2004-12-09
url = http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1369683,00.html
accessdate = 2007-08-27 ] She 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 finally caught up with him, and the entire family found themselves 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 dissillusioned and left to pursue her career alone.cite web
last =
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title = Keedie
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publisher = Classic FM TV
date = 2005
url = http://www.classicfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=251315
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ]

Career: Rise To Fame

In 2003, Keedie appeared in a local talent show in Torquay, "Stairway to the Stars" and it was her appearance in the show that shot her to fame.cite web
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title = Herman's Habits - Page the Songbird
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publisher = Elton John World
date = 2004-10-29
url = http://www.eltonjohnworld.com/coranto/herman/200410.html
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ] On 30 November 2003, Keedie performed at a World AIDS Day event at the Coronet theatre in London together with Liberty X in aid of Crusaid.cite web
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title = Liberty X to play the Coronet at World AIDS Day event
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publisher = London SE1 community website
date = 2003-10-30
url = http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/697
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ]

In 2004, Keedie signed a seven figure music deal with EMI Classics,cite news
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title = Singer Keedie signs classical album deal
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publisher = BBC Entertainment
date = 2004-11-07
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3982257.stm
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ] 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 charts. She also performed at the Miami and Washington Film Festivals.

Her second single, a cover of the famous hymn "Jerusalem", was released as a charity single in the UK on 18 December 2005 and entered the charts at number 19. The single features 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.cite web
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title = England team link up with Keedie to release charity single
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publisher = England and Wales Cricket Board
date = 2005-12-18
url = http://www.ecb.co.uk/england/jerusalem-charity-record-to-aid-earthquake-victims,710,BP.html
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ]

Keedies 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: Madonnas "You'll See" and Enyas "Only Time", seven original songs and nine arias. After her album was released Keedie went on to record Puccini's Nessun Dorma.

Career: 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 Parkinson and Anthea Turner.fact|date=August 2007 On 4 September 2005, she appeared at the Grand Finale of the Kent Music Festival along with Katherine Jenkins and G4.cite news
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title = Gigs and concerts coming to Kent
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publisher = BBC Entertainment
date = 2005
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/entertainment/music/events.shtml
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On 26 February 2006, Keedie sang the National Anthem at the Carling Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.cite news
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title = Carling Cup final clockwatch
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publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-02-26
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/4752806.stm
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accessdate = 2007-08-27 ] 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.cite web
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title = Keedie sings for the testimonial game
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publisher = Newcastle United F.C.
date = 2006
url = http://www.nufcpics.com/pictures_232390/Keedie-sings-for-the-Testimonial-game.html
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Career: 2007-present

In 2007 Keedie performed alongside Tina Turner 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 Tina at the charity gig and she performed in front celebrities such as Richard Hammond, Tara Palmer Tompkinson and David Gest.cite news
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title = Like Tina, Keedie is "Simply the best"
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publisher = Torquay Herald Express
date = 2007-05-22
url = http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134844&command=displayContent&sourceNode=134828&contentPK=17379455&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
accessdate = 2007-08-27 ]

Keedie said after landing the gig:

Keedie was then invited to sing before David Beckhams first match for LA Galaxy in the United States.fact|date=August 2007 She was also booked for a private party for George Clooney and another charity gig in Moscow which was organised by Nelson Mandela.fact|date=August 2007

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 pluse 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.cite news
last =
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title = Keedie's classic charity effort
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Torquay Herald Express
date = 2007-05-16
url = http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134844&command=displayContent&sourceNode=134828&contentPK=17331562&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=filtersearch
accessdate = 2007-08-27 ] Diane Warren, is said to be in the process of writing a song for Keedie to sing on a forthcoming album.

Albums

* I Believe My Heart (2004)For tracklisting see I Believe My Heart article
* "KN21" Keedie & Nadine Sing... (2007)"Tracklisting:"
* Be My Baby
* Then He Kissed Me
* Da Do Ron Ron
* Baby Love
* Stupid Cupid
* I'm So Excited
* It Takes Two
* Dancin' In The Street
* When You Tell Me
* Hold On Together
* Would I Know (as Keedie)
* Nessun Dorma (as Keedie)

ingles

* I Believe My Heart (duet with Duncan James) #2 UK"CD One:"
* I Believe My Heart
* I Believe My Heart (Instrumental)"CD Two:"
* I Believe My Heart
* I Believe My Heart (Instrumental)
* I Believe My Heart (Video)

* Jerusalem (feat. England Cricket Team) #19 UK"CD One:"
* Jerusalem (Radio Edit)
* I Vow To Thee My Country"CD Two:"
* Jeruasalem (Radio Edit)
* Jerusalem (Gospel Mix by ConfiDance
* Jerusalem (SingaLong Mix)+ Video, 2005 Ashes Series souvenir video, Photo Gallery & Wallpaper

References

External links

* [http://www.keedie.info Keedie Information]
* [http://www.keedieonline.com Keedie Fansite]
* [http://www.myspace.com/keediebabb Keedie's Myspace]
* [http://www.keedie.com Keedie] official website - No longer updated
*imdb name|1731461|Keedie Babb