Alison Moyet | |
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Moyet performing in Hanover, 2011
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Background information | |
Birth name | Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet |
Also known as | Alf |
Born | 18 June 1961 |
Origin | Billericay, Essex, England |
Genres | New wave, synthpop, pop, R&B, pop rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Years active | 1978–present |
Labels | Columbia, Sanctuary, W14 Music, Sony Music, Cooking Vinyl, Mute Records |
Associated acts | Yazoo, The Vandals, Jools Holland, Van Morrison |
Website | alisonmoyet |
Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet (/ˈmɒjeɪ/; born 18 June 1961) is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy contralto voice. She came to prominence as half of the duo Yazoo, but has since mainly worked as a solo artist.
Her UK album sales have reached a certified 23 million, with over a million singles sold. All seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 30 UK Album Chart, with two of the albums reaching number one. She has also achieved nine Top 30 singles and five Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart. Her most recent album The Minutes was released in the UK on 6 May 2013.
Moyet was born in the Essex town of Billericay to a French father and English mother. She grew up in the nearby town of Basildon, where she attended Markhams Chase Junior School and then Nicholas Comprehensive at secondary level. After leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop assistant and trained as a piano tuner. She also worked for the cosmetic company Yardley. She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Vandals,the Screamin' Ab Dabs, the Vicars and the Little Roosters (the latter featuring Garrie Lammin, formerly of Cock Sparrer).
At the age of 21, her mainstream pop career began in 1982 with the formation of the synthpop duo Yazoo with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. In the United States, the band operated under the name Yaz, due to trademark issues with the Yazoo Records record label already operating in the region. Yazoo had several hits, including "Only You", "Don't Go", "Situation" and "Nobody's Diary", and recorded two albums, Upstairs at Eric's and You and Me Both.