Sheyla Bonnick

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Sheyla Bonnick


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Background = solo_singer
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Origin = Jamaica
Occupation = Singer
Genre = Dance-pop, dance, soul
Years_active = 1975–present
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Associated_acts = Boney M.

Sheyla Bonnick is a singer and performer, born in Jamaica and brought up in England. She was a short-time member of an early line-up of pop group Boney M. in 1975. Her name was previously spelled as "Sheila Bonnick" and "Sheila Bonnique".

Biography

Sheyla and her friend Maizie Williams came to Germany in the early 70s in search of fame and fortune. One day in 1975, while at a restaurant, the two were approached by an agent who asked if they were interested in fronting a group called Boney M. for lip-sync performances for television and discothek appearances for a single called "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" which was recorded by producer Frank Farian. The two accepted and went on the road with two others. Sheyla, however, saw little future in the group and left after just a few months. Little was she to know what a mistake she'd just committed ... one year later, in September 1976, Boney M. - still with her friend Maizie in the line-up - were on top of the charts everywhere with "Daddy Cool" and the group became one of the most successful pop acts of the 70s.

Sheyla's attempt at getting a record deal was unsuccessful. One 1979 single on Boney M.'s record label Hansa International, a disco cover of "Proud Mary" sank like a stone and little is known about her whereabouts in the 80s. In the early 90s, she moved to Denmark with her Icelandic husband and manager where she had a show called "Money Talks" on the Lindenborg inn, promoting herself as "The original star from Boney M.".

In 1993 when Boney M. were enjoying a revival with their compilation album "Gold - 20 Super Hits", Sheyla appeared in a Danish gossip magazine "Se & Hør", promising she'd soon publish her memoires about her time in the group: "There are gonna be a lot of revelations!" She also told she had been offered to rejoin the group but she declined. Although "she still loved the songs", that time of her life was now over.

It was, however, just one year till Sheyla changed her mind. Original Boney M. members lead singer Liz Mitchell and dancer Bobby Farrell had each formed their respective Boney M. line-up to tour the cabaret circuit, and when Sheyla's former friend Maizie Williams decided to do so as well, Sheyla accepted the offer to become the lead singer of Maizie's group. The group toured the world for 10 years. Sheyla left the group as she needed "creative challenges" which was apparently met when she formed her own "Sounds of Boney M.", never shy of crediting herself as an "original member of the real Boney M.", much to the anger of many Boney M. fans. After all, Sheyla's claim to fame only boils down to a few months of lip-syncing to that one song back in 1975 (of which no known TV footage exists) and two early promotional photos.

References

* http://www.tributesabroad.co.uk/tune/info_boneyM_sounds.html
* http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/sheila_bonnique