Lewis, Shirley

She is a singer, producer and manager born Shirley Fredericks in West Ham, London to a family of six where her older sisters are the singers Linda Lewis and Dee Lewis. In the 1980s the sisters released recordings as The Lewis Sisters.

In 1994 she married the singer Luke Goss from Bros, with him being the step-father of Shirley’s daughter Carli, but they later split up in 2017.

Working as a backup singer from 1982 she sang with many of the top artists of the day and in 1986 joined George Michael in 1986 at Wembley Stadium for the Wham! The Final concert. She remained working with him on tour and in the recording studio right up until his death, with her vocals featuring on many of his hit songs such as “Freedom” and “Father Figure”, where she was the only other singer. After George’s untimely death she organised the tribute concert Cowboys & Angels by the band she re-named as The Official George Michael Band.

Other artists she has worked with include Marc Almond, Joan Armatrading, Rick Astley, The Beloved, Big Dish, Sarah Brightman, Bros, Errol Brown, Climie Fisher, A Flock of Seagulls, H2O, Katrina & The Waves, Billy Ocean, Mark Owen, Pet Shop Boys, Shakin’ Stevens, Evelyn Thomas, Trio, Ruby Turner, Tracey Ullman, Luther Vandross and Mary Wells.

The albums she has performed on are many with a select few including her own Passion in the Heart along with The Tide Is Turning by Millie Jackson, Leather Jackets, To Be Continued… and Duets by Elton John, Whatever by Linda Lewis, Matt Bianco and Indigo by Matt Bianco, Faith, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, Live in London and Symphonica by George Michael, Crocodile Shoes by Jimmy Nail, Through the Barricades by Spandau Ballet, Whatever Makes Our Love Grow by Edwin Starr, Mercury Falling by Sting, Tribe by Bernie Taupin and numerous compilations.

In the movies Michael Douglas mimed her voice in the Billy Ocean song “The Going Gets Tough” on the soundtrack of Romancing the Stone.

Matt Bianco recordings
Good Times (New Version) (Mark Reilly/Mark Fisher)
(WEA YZ302, 247740-7)

Sources:

Lewis, Shirley

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