Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first singles, Stansfield, along with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, formed Blue Zone in 1983. The band released several singles and one album, but after the success of

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

's " People Hold On" in 1989, on which Stansfield was featured, the focus was placed on her solo career. Stansfield's first solo album ''

Affection Affection or fondness is a "disposition or state of mind or body" commonly linked to a feeling or type of love. It has led to multiple branches in philosophy and psychology that discuss emotion, disease, influence, and state of being. Often, " ...

'' (1989) and its worldwide chart-topping lead single " All Around the World" were major breakthroughs in her career. She was nominated for two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s, and ''Affection'' is her best-selling album to date. In the following years, Stansfield released '' Real Love'' (1991), '' So Natural'' (1993), and ''

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

'' (1997). In 1999 she appeared in her first film, '' Swing'', and also recorded the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

for it. Her next albums included '' Face Up'' (2001), '' Biography: The Greatest Hits'' (2003), and '' The Moment'' (2004). Thereafter, Stansfield took a break from music and focused on her film career. In 2008, she starred in '' The Edge of Love'' and in 2014 she appeared in ''

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

''. Stansfield released her seventh album '' Seven'' on 31 January 2014. Its lead single " Can't Dance" was digitally released on 16 October 2013. She promoted the album with the European Seven Tour in 2013 and 2014. Her most recent album '' Deeper'' was released on 6 April 2018. In June 2018, following a string of sold-out tour dates in Europe, Stansfield announced her North American Tour, which began in October 2018. Stansfield has won numerous awards, including three Brit Awards, two

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

, a

Billboard Music Award The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a Billboard charts, music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annu ...

, World Music Award, ASCAP Award,

Women's World Award Winners of the Women's World Award, sponsored by the World Awards organization headed by former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, intended for women who have influenced the world by their work in areas such as society or politics. The aw ...

, Silver Clef Award and two DMC Awards. She has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, including five million of ''Affection''. In December 2016, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' magazine ranked her as the 46th-most-successful dance artist of all time.

Early life and career beginnings

Stansfield was born at the Crumpsall Hospital in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England. Her parents are Marion (d. 27 September 2013) and Keith Stansfield,"Lisa Stansfield." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 9. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1993. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 16 April 2017. Als
available online via ''Encyclopedia.com''
and she has two sisters, Karen and Suzanne. Her family moved to Heywood in 1976, then to

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

in 1977. Stansfield attended Siddal Moor School (Heywood), Redbrook Middle School where she won the annual talent contest, and Oulder Hill Community School (both in Rochdale). She grew up listening to

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

, and stated that her mother's affinity for records by

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

and

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

was her first musical influence, Stansfield citing

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

, Chic and

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

as other primary musical influences. In 1980, Stansfield won the ''Search for a Star'' singing competition, held at the Talk of the Town nightclub, and in 1981 her first single " Your Alibis" was released by Devil Records. In 1982, she appeared on the television show ''Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment'' on

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

. At the same time, Stansfield signed a recording contract with

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

. In 1983, Johnnie Hamp produced for Granada Television a documentary directed by Pete Walker, ''Born in the Sixties: Lisa Stansfield''. It was a profile of the aspiring singer, and it included her comments and those of her mother and sisters, and some songs sung by Stansfield. Also in 1983, she co-hosted the children's television music programme '' Razzamatazz'' and appeared on another children's television series '' The Krankies Klub''. Between 1982 and 1983, Stansfield released her three new wave pop singles on Polydor: " The Only Way", " Listen to Your Heart", and " I Got a Feeling". Her early recordings were collected and released on the compilation album '' In Session'' in September 1996.

Music career

1984–1988: Blue Zone

In 1984, Stansfield and former schoolmates, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, after having worked together on a school musical production ("Schizophrenia" (1982), directed by drama teacher Jeanette Dawson an
described briefly by Alastair
on the Manchester Digital Music Archive in 2007), began to collaborate musically and, in 1986, formed the band Blue Zone. They wrote some songs, produced a demo, and took it around to record labels. The small indie label Rockin' Horse Records signed them in 1985, and one year later the label was bought up by

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

. After releasing their first two singles in 1986, " Love Will Wait" and " Finest Thing", Arista issued " On Fire" in October 1987. Just as the single was climbing the charts (number ninety-nine in the United Kingdom), it was withdrawn by the record company in the wake of the King's Cross fire. The band's next single, " Thinking About His Baby," was released in January 1988 and reached number seventy-nine in the UK. Its

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

, " Big Thing," became popular on the radio and in the clubs. In July 1988, " Jackie" was issued as a single outside the UK, reaching number thirty-seven on the

Hot Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set list ...

and number fifty-four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. The release date for Blue Zone's album '' Big Thing'', which was recorded in 1987, was pushed back many times by the record label. Finally, it was released outside the UK in November 1988 without any further promotion. The album included songs written by Blue Zone, except for "Jackie," which was written by

Billy Steinberg William Endfield Steinberg (born February 26, 1950) is an American songwriter. He achieved his greatest success in the 1980s with songwriting partner Tom Kelly (musician), Tom Kelly; together they wrote or co-wrote the No. 1 hits "Like a Virgin ...

and Tom Kelly. The album was produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy, except for the track "Perfect Crime," which was produced by Blue Zone.

Ric Wake Ric Wake is an Anglo-American record producer who has won two Grammy Awards. During his tenure as staff producer with Sony Music Entertainment, he has worked with vocalists such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lucero, CoCo Lee, Taylor D ...

also co-produced "Jackie" and "Perfect Crime."

1989–1990: ''Affection''

In early 1989, Stansfield co-wrote and recorded " People Hold On" for

's album '' What's That Noise?'' The single was released in March 1989, and reached number six on the

in the United States and number eleven in the United Kingdom. On the strength of this hit,

signed Stansfield to a solo deal. Her debut album ''

'' was released on 20 November 1989. Stansfield co-wrote all songs with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris. Devaney and Morris also produced the album, except for " This Is the Right Time," which was produced by Coldcut. ''Affection'' received critical acclaim from music critics, and was commercially successful. It reached the top ten on charts around the world, including number one in Austria and Italy, number two in the UK, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, number three in Belgium, number five in New Zealand, number six in the Netherlands and Norway, and number seven in Australia and Canada. In the U.S., it peaked at number five on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

, and number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album has sold over five million copies worldwide and was certified 3× Platinum in the UK, Platinum in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, and Gold in France, Finland and Austria. ''Affection'' includes Stansfield's biggest hit and signature song, " All Around the World". The track reached number one in many countries, including the UK, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway and Spain. In the U.S., "All Around the World" peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs and

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

, and reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single was certified Platinum in the U.S. for selling over one million copies, and Gold in many other countries, including the UK, Germany, Australia, Sweden and Austria. In the UK, other singles from the album reached numbers ten (" Live Together"), thirteen ("This Is the Right Time") and twenty-five (" What Did I Do to You?") on the chart. In the U.S., " You Can't Deny It" peaked at number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number two on Hot Dance Club Songs, and number fourteen on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "This Is the Right Time" reached number one on Hot Dance Club Songs, number thirteen on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number twenty-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Stansfield also toured Europe and North America in 1990 in support of the album, and eventually released the ''Live! All Around the World'' home video. Thanks to ''Affection'' and "All Around the World," she received many awards, including the Brit Award, the

, the World Music Award, the ASCAP Award,

, Silver Clef Awards and DMC Awards. Stansfield was also nominated for two

s in the

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...

and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance categories. Shortly after her success, she made two charity recordings. In December 1989, Stansfield was a part of Band-Aid II, a charity supergroup founded to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, recording "

Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...

," which topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks. Later, she covered " Down in the Depths" for the

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

charity compilation '' Red Hot + Blue'', released in September 1990, and also filmed a music video for it.

1991–1992: ''Real Love''

In 1991, Stansfield recorded her second studio album '' Real Love'', and released it on 11 November 1991. She co-wrote all the songs with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, who also produced the album. ''Real Love'' received positive reviews from music critics and reached the top ten on the charts in various countries, including number three in the United Kingdom, number five in the Netherlands, number nine in Germany, and number ten in Belgium. In the United States, it peaked at number six on the

and number forty-three on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''Real Love'' was certified 2× Platinum in the UK and Gold in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. The first single "

Change Change, Changed or Changing may refer to the below. Other forms are listed at Alteration * Impermanence, a difference in a state of affairs at different points in time * Menopause, also referred to as "the change", the permanent cessation of t ...

" became a hit, peaking within the top ten in Italy, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Canada and the UK. In the U.S., it reached number one on the

, number twelve on the

and number twenty-seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The second single from the ''Real Love'' album, " All Woman," peaked inside the top forty in various European countries, including number twenty in the UK. It was successful on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reaching number one in April 1992. On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "All Woman" reached number fifty-six. The next two singles released in Europe included " Time to Make You Mine" and " Set Your Loving Free," which peaked at numbers fourteen and twenty-eight in the UK. The last U.S. single, " A Little More Love," reached number thirty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 1992, Stansfield toured Europe, Asia and the United States, and released the ''Live at Wembley'' home video. In late 1992 she co-wrote and recorded " Someday (I'm Coming Back)" for the successful '' The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album''. The song was released as a single in Europe in December 1992, after " I Will Always Love You" by

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

, and reached top ten in the UK. She also wrote a song for

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

, "Friends Can Be Lovers," which was produced by Ian and Andy along with another song written by Diane Warren, "Much Too Much." Lisa sang background vocals on both tracks, which appear on the 1993 Dionne Warwick album '' Friends Can Be Lovers''.

1993–1996: ''So Natural''

In April 1993,

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

released his charity EP, '' Five Live''. It included " These Are the Days of Our Lives," recorded with Stansfield and

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

during

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was a benefit concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992, at Wembley Stadium in London, England, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis, direc ...

in April 1992. ''Five Live'' was a success, reaching number one in the United Kingdom for three weeks. During the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, which was also released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

, Stansfield performed " I Want to Break Free," as well. In early 1993 she co-wrote and recorded " In All the Right Places," the theme song from the film '' Indecent Proposal'', starring

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

and

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...

. The single was issued in May 1993, and reached number eight in the UK and Ireland. It was later included on Stansfield's third studio album, '' So Natural'', released on 8 November 1993. ''So Natural'' garnered positive reviews from music critics, and performed moderately on the charts, reaching number six in the UK and receiving Platinum certification. It also peaked within the top forty in Italy, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands. The album was promoted by two singles, " So Natural" and " Little Bit of Heaven," which reached numbers fifteen and thirty-two in the UK. ''So Natural'' was not released in North America. In 1994, Stansfield toured Japan and the UK. In late 1994 she released two singles in the United States: " Make It Right" from the '' Beverly Hills 90210: The College Years'' soundtrack, and " Dream Away" (duet with Babyface) from the film '' The Pagemaster''. Stansfield also recorded the following cover songs: "Friday's Child" for '' No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison'' (1994), " They Can't Take That Away from Me" for '' The Glory of Gershwin'' (1994), " Just to Keep You Satisfied" for '' Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye'' (1995), and "Take Me Away" (duet with Aska) for '' One Voice: The Songs of Chage & Aska'' (1996).

1997–2000: ''Lisa Stansfield''

Her self-titled fourth studio album ''

'' was released on 21 March 1997. It garnered favourable reviews from music critics, and was commercially successful, reaching number two in the United Kingdom, number six in Belgium, and peaked inside the top forty in many European countries and Japan. It also received Gold certification in the UK, Spain, and Switzerland. In the United States the album peaked at number thirty on the

, and fifty-five on the ''Billboard'' 200. Singles released in Europe included "People Hold On (The Bootleg Mixes)," " The Real Thing," " Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," and " The Line." They all entered the UK Singles Chart reaching numbers four, nine, twenty-five and sixty-four, respectively. In the U.S., "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" peaked at number seventy-four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and at number one on the Billboard Top Dance Tracks. The album also spawned four number-one singles on the ''Billboard'''s

: "People Hold On (The Bootleg Mixes)," "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," " Never Gonna Fall," and " I'm Leavin'." This success prompted

to release '' The Remix Album'' in June 1998. Stansfield toured South America, the U.S., and Europe in 1997 and 1998 to promote the album. In July 1999, Stansfield's duet with

" The Longer We Make Love" was released as a single from his album '' Staying Power''. In late 2000 she recorded two cover songs: " You Keep Me Hangin' On" for the ''Motown Mania'' album (released in December 2000), and "Somewhere My Baby Waits for Me" for '' The Wedding Planner'' soundtrack (released in January 2001).

2001–2003: ''Face Up'' and ''Biography: The Greatest Hits''

Stansfield released her fifth studio album '' Face Up'' on 20 June 2001. It featured

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

songs, and also the adventurous usage of

2-step garage 2-step garage, or simply 2-step, is a genre of electronic music and a subgenre of UK garage.''A transcription of this article is availablhere as a PDF file.'' One of the primary characteristics of the 2-step sound – the term being coined to de ...

beats on the lead single " Let's Just Call It Love." However, ''Face Up'' performed somewhat unsuccessfully on the charts, reaching top forty in only few countries, including Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom. It wasn't released in North America. Stansfield toured Europe in 2001 and 2002. On 3 February 2003, Stansfield released her first greatest-hits album, '' Biography: The Greatest Hits''. It reached number three in the United Kingdom (where it was certified Gold), number four in Italy, and also charted in other European countries. It was simultaneously issued on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

. Stansfield toured Europe in March and April 2003 to promote the compilation. In June 2003,

remastered all of her studio albums and re-released them separately with bonus tracks. '' The Complete Collection'', a six- CD

box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

, was issued simultaneously. In November 2003, she appeared on the soundtrack for the film '' Mona Lisa Smile'', singing " I've Got the World on a String."

2004–2012: ''The Moment''

In 2004, Stansfield recorded " Too Hot" for

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (musician), Ronald Bell (also known as " ...

's '' The Hits: Reloaded'' (released in April 2004), and "Breath In, Breath Out" (duet with Lââm) for her album titled simply ''Lââm'' (released in September 2004). After fulfilling her obligation to

, Stansfield signed with

ZTT Records ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by the record producer Trevor Horn, the businesswoman Jill Sinclair and the ''NME'' journalist Paul Morley. They released music by acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, the ...

. The

-winning Trevor Horn produced her next pop-oriented album, '' The Moment'', which was released in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2004. It was well received by music critics, but failed commercially in the UK peaking at number fifty-seven. In February 2005, ''The Moment'' was issued in the rest of Europe by Edel, achieving moderate success on the charts in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, reaching numbers fifteen, sixteen and twenty-two, respectively. It was also certified Gold in Germany. The album was promoted mainly by two singles: " Treat Me Like a Woman" and " If I Hadn't Got You." She also toured Europe in June and July 2005.

2013–2016: ''Seven''

Between May and July 2013, Stansfield toured Europe singing her greatest hits. On 13 August 2013, she announced that her seventh studio album titled simply '' Seven'' would be released on 21 October 2013. In October 2013, it was announced that the release date of the album had been pushed back to 31 January 2014 in Germany, and 10 February 2014 in the United Kingdom. The first single, " Can't Dance," premiered on Ken Bruce's

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

show on 14 August 2013, and was digitally released on 16 October 2013. ''Seven'', which was produced and written in the United Kingdom by Stansfield and Ian Devaney, features the tracks "Can't Dance," "The Rain," "Stupid Heart," "Conversation," "The Crown," " So Be It," and "Picket Fence." Recorded in both Los Angeles and

, Stansfield collaborated with John Robinson and

-winning orchestrator

Jerry Hey Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', '' Rock with Y ...

, both integral to the creation of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's '' Off the Wall'', '' Thriller'', and '' Bad'' albums. " Carry On" was chosen as the second single, and its music video premiered on 31 January 2014. The album peaked at number 13 in the UK. A deluxe edition featuring bonus material was also released. Stansfield toured the United Kingdom in November 2013, and her Seven Tour continued in Europe in May and June 2014. The tour ended with a series of concerts in the United Kingdom in September 2014 and other European countries in October and November 2014. In October 2014, ''Seven'' was re-released as ''

Seven+ 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has symbolic associations in religion, mythology, supe ...

'' including one new song and fifteen remixes. In November 2014, Edsel Records released '' The Collection 1989–2003'', a thirteen-CD and five-DVD box set, with five of Stansfield's studio albums and many rare additional tracks, remixes, promo videos, live concert footage, and new interviews. All albums were also released individually. The '' Live in Manchester'' album/video was released on 28 August 2015.

2017–present: ''Deeper'' and touring

In October 2017, Stansfield announced her new album '' Deeper'', and a European tour. It was released on 6 April 2018. In the UK, ''Deeper'' reached number 15 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, while the single "Everything" reached number one on the Soul Chart. In the U.S., the single "Never Ever" reached number six on the ''Billboard'' Dance chart. This marked her first appearance on that chart in 20 years, after " I'm Leavin'" topped the chart in 1998. In June 2018, following a string of tour dates in Europe, Stansfield announced her North American Tour to begin in October. Her first in North America in two decades, the tour began on 9 October in Toronto and included stops in Montreal, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more, before concluding in San Francisco on 26 October. In October 2019 Stansfield embarked on Affection 30th Anniversary Tour celebrating 30 years of her debut album. In November of that year the album was reissued on vinyl.

Acting career

In May 1999, Stansfield made her film debut. She played Joan Woodcock in the Nick Mead-directed movie '' Swing'', also starring

Hugo Speer Hugo Alexander Speer (born 17 March 1968) is an English actor and director. He is best known for playing Guy in ''The Full Monty'' (1997), Inspector Valentine in ''Father Brown (2013 TV series), Father Brown'' (2013–2014), Captain Treville in ...

, and recorded songs for the soundtrack. The album, full of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and swing tracks, was released on 10 May 1999. '' Swing: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' received positive reviews from music critics, and peaked at number six on ''

s Top Jazz Albums chart. In February 2002, she made her stage debut in '' The Vagina Monologues'' at the Arts Theatre in the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, Central London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster. It is west of the City of London an ...

, together with

Anita Dobson Anita, Lady May (born 29 April 1949), known as Anita Dobson, is an English actress and singer. She is best known for playing Landlord, landlady Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from the show's inception in 1985 until 1988. She ac ...

and Cecilia Noble. Stansfield played herself in the comedy series '' Monkey Trousers'' in mid-2005. In late 2006 she appeared in the drama series '' Goldplated'', playing Trinny Jamieson. In September 2007, Stansfield appeared in another television series, ''

Agatha Christie's Marple ''Agatha Christie's Marple'' (or simply ''Marple'') is a British ITV television programme loosely based on books and short stories by British crime novelist Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first t ...

''. She played Mary Durrant in the episode titled ''

Ordeal by Innocence ''Ordeal by Innocence'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 3 November 1958 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retai ...

''. Stansfield dubbed one of the characters (Millie, an elf) for the English version of the Finnish animated film ''Quest for a Heart'', released in December 2007. She also recorded the title song, written by Charlie Mole and Lee Hall. Stansfield joined the cast of the 2008 film '' The Edge of Love'', directed by John Maybury, playing the role of Ruth Williams. In 2009, she starred in the Nick Mead-directed documentary ''Dean Street Shuffle'' playing herself. In 2012, she performed a role in Elaine Constantine's film ''

''. Set in 1974, it is an independent docudrama about the social phenomenon and generation of the

northern soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

music and dance movement, and was released in 2014.

Personal life

In 1987, Stansfield married Italian designer Augusto Grassi, whom she had met during a holiday in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

. A ceremony was held in the Sacred Heart Church in

. The couple moved to Zagarolo, Italy, but their marriage lasted only four months. Following the end of the marriage, Stansfield returned to Britain. After many years of friendship and engagement, she and Ian Devaney married on 25 July 1998. The minimalist ceremony was held in Washington Square Park in New York City, and the only guests were her parents and his mother. In 1998, Stansfield was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party. In 2008, Stansfield sold her six-bedroom Victorian house "Mount Henry" on Torca Road in

Dalkey Dalkey ( ; ) is a village in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown county southeast of Dublin, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became a port in the Middle Ages. According to chronicler John Clyn (c.1286–c.1349), it was one of the port ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, for €6 million to Yorkshire business tycoon Ed Clark.

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

'' (1989) * '' Real Love'' (1991) * '' So Natural'' (1993) * ''

'' (1997) * '' Face Up'' (2001) * '' The Moment'' (2004) * '' Seven'' (2014) * '' Deeper'' (2018)

Filmography

*1999: '' Swing'' *2005: '' Monkey Trousers'' *2006: '' Goldplated'' *2007: ''

'' *2007: '' Quest for a Heart'' *2008: '' The Edge of Love'' *2009: ''Dean Street Shuffle'' *2014: ''

Awards

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stansfield, Lisa 1966 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers 20th-century English women singers 21st-century English women singers Actors from Heywood, Greater Manchester Actresses from Rochdale Actresses from Manchester Brit Award winners British contemporary R&B singers British funk singers Child pop musicians British dance-pop musicians English contraltos English dance musicians English expatriates in Ireland English film actresses English house musicians English singer-songwriters English soul singers English television actresses English television presenters English women in electronic music English women pop singers English women singer-songwriters Labour Party (UK) donors Music in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale Singers from Manchester ZTT Records artists