Yazz

: "This article is about the solo artist 'Yazz'. For the synthpop duo known as 'Yaz' in the US, see Yazoo (band). For other uses of the word 'Yaz', see Yaz."

Infobox musical artist
Name = Yazz


Img_size = 400
Img_caption = Yazz on the cover of her album "Wanted".
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Yasmina Evans
Alias = Yasmin Evans
Born = birth date and age|1960|5|19 Shepherd's Bush, London, UK
Origin = London, UK
Genre = Pop, Funk
Instrument = vocals
Occupation = musician, model
Years_active = 1988–present
Label = Big Life
URL = [http://www.yazzmusic.co.uk/ http://www.yazzmusic.co.uk]

Yazz (born Yasmina Evans, 19 May 1960, in Shepherd's Bush, London) is a British pop singer, who remains best known for her successful 1988 dance track, "The Only Way Is Up". Her father is Jamaican, her mother English.

Career

Yazz attended Holland Park School. After a spell as a catwalk model, she scored a number of club hits after recording with the group, Biz, in 1983. Her first commercial success came in early 1988, when she supplied the vocals on Coldcut's "Doctorin' the House". She soon launched a solo career on Big Life records, a label set up by her future husband Jazz Summers, releasing her debut single "The Only Way Is Up" in the summer of 1988. It went on to spend five weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart, eventually becoming the biggest selling UK single of the year. Suddenly one of Britain's biggest pop acts, her follow up was another big hit ("Stand Up For Your Love Rights", UK number 2), whilst her debut album went Top Ten.

She continued to have hits into 1989 (and had her last Top Ten hit with the number 9 hit "Fine Time") but has since recorded only sporadically, releasing one single during 1990 and not releasing another until 1992. Her last Top 20 single was 1990's "Treat Me Good", which made number 20 in the UK. She returned to the charts in 1993, performing with Aswad on the Top 40 hit "How Long". She continued to release singles throughout the 1990s, including a cover version of The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye". In 1997 she recorded the album "Natural Life", which was only released in some parts of Europe and Asia.

Her 2008 album "Running Back to You", distributed in the UK by ICC Records, charts her spiritual journey and her new-found Christian faith. Yazz is now based in Spain and is an active member of the Calahonda Baptist Church

Discography

Albums

ingles

References

* "Smash Hits" magazine.
* Betts, Graham: "Collins' Complete UK Hit Singles: 1952 - 2004". London: HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN 0-00-717931-6
* Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7

External links

* [http://www.yazzmusic.co.uk Yazz information and details of the new 2008 album 'Running back to you' at Yazzmusic.co.uk]
* [http://www.premier.tv/?void=95219 Interview with Yazz at Premier.tv]