Rosemary "Rosie" Ribbons is a Welsh singer-songwriter. She achieved fame by being one of the finalists in the
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
talent show ''
Pop Idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...
''. Subsequently, she went on to have two UK top 20 hits.
''Pop Idol''
In 2001, bored with her supermarket job, Ribbons auditioned for
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
's talent show ''
Pop Idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...
''. She initially performed her own composition called "Colours" to judges
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
,
Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman (born 14 January 1967) is an English television and radio presenter, talent show judge and public relations agent who previously worked in the British pop music industry.
Chapman was a judge on the ITV reality shows ''Popstars ...
,
Neil Fox and record producer
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...
. Although impressed with her vocal, Cowell suggested that she pick a more familiar song. Taking his advice, Ribbons next performed "
Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
" by
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
, a performance that moved Waterman to tears.
Ribbons progressed through the competition and made the top 50. She won her heat with a version of "
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the power ballad was the lead single for both the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves#Music, soundtr ...
" by
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
, receiving over half of the total votes cast for her group. She was eventually voted out by viewers finishing in 6th place.
Telstar
Although Ribbons did not win ''Pop Idol'',
Telstar Records
Telstar Records was a British record label that operated from 1982 to 2004.
Background
Telstar Records was founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,000. It was launched as a specialist compilation marketi ...
signed her to a five-album deal, reportedly worth £1,000,000.
After supporting
Liberty X
Liberty X (originally called Liberty) are a British girl group consisting of Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. The group's best-known line-up also included Tony Lundon and Kevin Simm.
The group was formed by the five finalists of ...
on tour, her first two singles "
Blink
Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral por ...
" and "
A Little Bit
"A Little Bit" is a song recorded by American recording artist Jessica Simpson. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Steve Morales and David Siegel, and was produced by Morales along with Ric Wake. The song was released as the second and final si ...
" (a cover of a
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...
song) were both UK top-20 hits. After the disappointing chart position of "A Little Bit" Telstar went to work on getting ready to release the third single only a few weeks later. Initially Telstar had chosen "Good Thing" before deciding on a double A Side, featuring "Good Thing" and "Heaven". After supporting
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
on their "One Love" Tour Telstar decided that a totally fresh, new track had to be released something guaranteed to succeed. Rosie was back in the studio recording a modern-day remake of the
Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite was an American House music, house and Dance music, dance music group formed in New York City. The group's Single (music), single "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, ''World Clique'' (19 ...
hit "
Groove is in the Heart
"Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by American dance band Deee-Lite, released in August 1990 by Elektra Records as their debut and lead single from their first album, ''World Clique'' (1990). Written and produced by the band, it was a hit in man ...
". At one point there were discussions that the double A side would feature "
Naked
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and not ...
" and "Groove is in the Heart". Due to Telstar's financial problems her contract was subsequently terminated before the third single or album could be released.
[
Even though this million-pound deal was terminated, a promotional version of Ribbons's debut album did surface under the title ''Misbehaving''. The track list included her self-written Pop Idol audition song "Colours", among the following:
#"Good Thing" (4:03)
#"]A Little Bit
"A Little Bit" is a song recorded by American recording artist Jessica Simpson. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Steve Morales and David Siegel, and was produced by Morales along with Ric Wake. The song was released as the second and final si ...
" (4:02)
#"Blink
Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral por ...
" (3:15)
#"Deadly Sin #8" (3:30)
#"Heaven" (3:52)
#"Coming Up for Air" (3:45)
#"Trusted" (3:51)
#"No Space to Rent" (3:32)
#"Even Angels" (3:48)
#"Ain't That the Way" (4:09)
#"Colours" (4:13)
According to the forthcoming album information on the official artwork of the "Blink
Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral por ...
" single, this unreleased debut was originally titled ''Levitate''. The album would finally be released by Phoenix Music International who acquired the Telstar back catalogue in 2018
In 2005 Ribbons returned to the studio to work on a new album. Three tracks were recorded and due to appear on this album ("Nothing's Changed" and "If Only the World Could Smile"). Clips of these recordings could be heard on her official Myspace page, however, no new album or singles were released.
''Australian Idol''
In 2007, now living in Dubbo
Dubbo (; ) is a city in the Orana (New South Wales), Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021.
The city is located at the intersection of the ...
, Australia, Ribbons auditioned for ''Australian Idol
''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program '' Pop Id ...
'' with another original song, "Butterfly Wings". This time the judges did not ask for a second, more familiar song. She was accepted into the Top 100 and went on to make the Top 24. In the fourth semi-finals on 29 August 2007 Ribbons sang R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
's "Everybody Hurts
"Everybody Hurts" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. from their eighth studio album, '' Automatic for the People'' (1992), and released as a single in April 1993 by Warner Bros. Records. It was written by the band and produced by them with ...
". She was the last contestant to perform on the night. On 30 August 2007, Ribbons did not make the final 12, nor was she chosen to come back as a wild card, therefore she was officially eliminated from the competition.
Recent career
Ribbons returned to the UK after ''Australian Idol'' to perform and record new music. She released the single "Turning Point" featuring MOBO Award
The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Bant ...
winner MC Neat in 2011.
In March 2012 Ribbons was the featured vocalist on the title track of the Alonestar EP "Warrior", a release which also featured English singer-songwriter and Brit Award winner Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
, who accompanies Ribbons on the track "All Falls Down" from the same EP.
Discography
Singles
Albums
References
External links
Official website
Rosie releases album
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ribbons, Rosie
1983 births
Australian Idol participants
Musicians from Swansea
Pop Idol contestants
21st-century Welsh women singers
Australian emigrants to Wales
Living people
People from Pontardawe
Welsh people of English descent
Welsh pop singers
21st-century Australian women singers