- Donna Lewis
-
Donna Lewis 
Background information Born 6 August 1973
Cardiff, WalesGenres Pop, adult contemporary Occupations Singer-songwriter Instruments Vocals, piano, keyboard Years active 1995–present Labels Atlantic, Peruzzi Website www.donnalewis.com Donna Lewis (born 6 August 1973, Cardiff) is a Welsh singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", and the adult contemporary chart-topper "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx. After releasing her second LP Blue Planet, Lewis left Atlantic Records and independently released LPs Be Still and In the Pink. Currently, Lewis is working on her next LP, as well as performing with her side project, Chute.
Contents
Biography
At the age of six, Lewis began playing the piano.[1] Her father, a jazz pianist lent encouragement, and while still a teenager, she began composing original songs.[1] Her formal training was at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, where she majored in classical composition for piano and flute.[1] Lewis then went on to teach music for a year in Sussex before moving to Birmingham to sing in a bar band.[1] During that time she set up a home studio [1][2] and began recording demos. Before long she became a popular live attraction and circa 1993 began sending her demos to record labels.[1]
The U.S. based Atlantic Records took an interest in Lewis and subsequently released her first single, "I Love You Always Forever", a synthpop-driven love song which went on to become a major hit on VH1.[1] It was also successful on U.S. radio, staying at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100[3] for nine consecutive weeks,[3] and spending 13 consecutive weeks at #1 on the airplay chart.[3] It exceeded one million "spins" on radio, to claim its place in music industry history as the most-played single up to that point, until Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" broke the record two years later.[citation needed] The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1996, and spent 14 weeks in the chart.It helped her debut album, Now in a Minute, to #6 in the U.S. Billboard 200[4] chart, and #52 in the UK Albums Chart.It was certified platinum in the U.S.[5]
In 1997 Lewis appeared as herself in the Season 7 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, "The Phantom of CU".
Lewis recorded "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx for the 1997 film Anastasia. Her second LP, Blue Planet (1998), won critical acclaim, but it was largely overlooked by the public. Although it produced a minor hit in continental Europe and Asia, "I Could Be the One", and a U.S. #1 dance single, "Love Him", Lewis parted ways with Atlantic Records[2] and independently produced her third LP, Be Still (2002), which featured her on an almost entirely acoustic set. During the early 2000s Lewis was featured as a guest vocalist on several trance music/house music recordings. Her fourth LP, In the Pink, was released in 2008; its first single was "Shout," which was included in the soundtrack to the Marian Quinn film 32A. Lewis also sang lead vocals for her side project, Chute. which released their debut EP in April 2010. She is currently working on her next studio album, and an EP with Ryan Farish.
Discography
Studio albums
Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)AUS
[6]AUT
[7]GER
[8]SWI
[9]UK
[10]US
[11]Now in a Minute - Release date: 7 May 1996
- Label: Atlantic Records
- Formats: CD, cassette
47 — 66 43 52 6 Blue Planet - Release date: 14 July 1998
- Label: Atlantic Records
- Formats: CD, cassette
— 33 — — — — Be Still - Release date: 2002
- Label: Peruzzi Music
- Formats: CD, cassette
— — — — — — In the Pink - Release date: 1 April 2008
- Label: Peruzzi Music
- Formats: CD, music download
— — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions Album AUS
[13]AUT
[14]NZ
[15]NOR
[16]SWI
[17]UK
[18]US
[19]US Adult
[20]US AC
[21]US Dance
[22]1996 "I Love You Always Forever" 2 3 9 3 6 5 2 1 2 — Now in a Minute "Without Love" — — 47 — — 39 41 36 — — 1997 "Mother" — — — — — — — — — — "Fool's Paradise" — — — — — 169 — — — — "Love & Affection" — — — — — 123 — — — — 1998 "I Could Be the One" — 9 — — — — — — — — Blue Planet "Love Him" — — — — — — — — — 1 1999 "Falling" — — — — — — — — — — 2007 "Shout" — — — — — — — — — — In the Pink 2008 "You to Me" — — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart Featured singles
Year Single Artist Peak chart
positionsAlbum US
[23]US AC
[24]1997 "At the Beginning" Richard Marx 45 2 Anastasia (soundtrack) Collaborations
- The Seduction of Claude Debussy - Art of Noise [guest vocalist] (2000)
- Take Me Over - Dino Lenny [guest vocalist] (2001)
- When the Rain Comes Down - [guest vocalist] (2001)
- Dancing Angel - Ryan Farish [guest vocalist] (2010)
- Chute (EP) - [lead singer] (2010)
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Biography by John Bush". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p189104. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
- ^ a b bbc.co.uk/wales/music
- ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 366. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
- ^ Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards
- ^ US certifications riaa.com Search "Donna Lewis"
- ^ "australian-charts.com - Australian charts portal". Hung Medien. http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Donna+Lewis&cat=a. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "austriancharts.at - Austria Top 40". Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/search.asp?search=Donna+Lewis&cat=a. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts - German Albums". Hung Medien. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/LEWIS%2CDONNA/?type=longplay. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community". Hung Medien. http://swisscharts.com/search.asp?search=Donna+Lewis&cat=a. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: DJ Steve L. - LZ Love". The Official Charts Company. http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_L.HTM. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Donna Lewis Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/donna-lewis/chart-history/161429?f=305&g=Albums. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - April 15, 2011: Now in a Minute certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Donna%20Lewis&title=Minute&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- ^ "australian-charts.com - Australian charts portal". Hung Medien. http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=donna+lewis&cat=s. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "austraiancharts.at - Austria Top 40". Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/search.asp?search=donna+lewis&cat=s. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. http://charts.org.nz/search.asp?search=donna+lewis&cat=s. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". Hung Medien. http://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?search=donna+lewis&cat=s. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community". Hung Medien. http://hitparade.ch/search.asp?search=donna+lewis&cat=s. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ Peak chart positions for releases charting in the United Kingdom:
- "Chart Stats - Donna Lewis". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=7879. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- "Chart Log UK: DJ Steve L. - LZ Love". The Official Charts Company. http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_L.HTM. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Donna Lewis Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/donna-lewis/chart-history/161429. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Donna Lewis Album & Song Chart History - Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/donna-lewis/chart-history/161429?f=343&g=Singles. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Donna Lewis Album & Song Chart History - Adult Contemporary". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/donna-lewis/chart-history/161429?f=341&g=Singles. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Donna Lewis Album & Song Chart History - Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/donna-lewis/chart-history/161429?f=359&g=Singles. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Richard Marx Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/richard-marx/chart-history/84143. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
- ^ "Richard Marx Album & Song Chart History - Adult Contemporary". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/richard-marx/chart-history/84143?f=341&g=Singles. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Donna Lewis on Myspace
- Donna Lewis at the Internet Movie Database
- Biography from BBC Wales
- Donna Lewis on Discogs.com
- People Magazine feature on Donna Lewis
Singles "I Love You Always Forever" · "I Love You Always Forever (Remixes)" · "Fool's Paradise" · "Without Love" · "Mother" · "At the Beginning" · "I Could Be the One" · "Love Him" · "Falling" · "Shout"Collaborations Categories:- 1973 births
- Living people
- Welsh female singers
- Welsh pop singers
- Welsh singer-songwriters
- British dance musicians
- Welsh pop pianists
- British record producers
- People from Cardiff
- Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
- Atlantic Records artists
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