Beverley Craven, a charming brunette with a charming voice, became famous for the hit Promise Me, thanks to which the performer gained popularity back in 1991.
The Brit Awards winner is loved by many fans and not only in her native UK. Sales of discs with her albums exceeded 4 million copies.
Childhood and youth Beverley Craven
A native British woman was born on July 28, 1963, away from her homeland. Her father, under a contract with Kodak, worked in Sri Lanka, in the small town of Colombo. There the future musical star was born. The family arrived in Hertfordshire only a year and a half later.
Passion for music was strongly encouraged in the family. The singer's mother (a talented violinist) contributed to the awakening of the child's talent. And from the age of 7, the girl began to learn to play the piano. Studying in high school was not marked by anything special. All the fun started in art college.
A talented teenager, in addition to music lessons, showed himself in sports. Unexpectedly for everyone, the girl became interested in swimming and managed to win several serious awards in national competitions. At the same time, the vocalist began to take her "first steps" on stage. She performed with various groups in the pubs of her city and tried to compose her own compositions.
Beverly acquired her first vinyl record at the age of 15. Then her confidence in the chosen path strengthened completely. And the musical taste was formed by such popular performers as Kate Bush, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and others.
On the way to the conquest of London
At the age of 18, the girl finally abandoned her studies and went to London, in the hope of an early ascent to the musical Olympus. No one expected a determined girl in the capital of England.
For several years, she tried to get the attention of producers, while simultaneously earning a living with small part-time jobs. The perseverance of a talented girl was rewarded only in the late 1990s of the last century.
She was noticed by Bobby Womack, a soul legend of the time. Until 1988, they held joint tours. Bobby tried to force the singer to sign a contract with his producer.
By refusing, the performer made the right choice. Soon she was noticed by representatives of the label Epic Records.
To gain experience for the recording of the first album, the singer went to Los Angeles. Thanks to the producers, she was able to work with Cat Stevens, Paul Samwell and Stuart Levin. However, the performer was not satisfied with the quality of the material, and she constantly postponed the final mixing of the tracks.
Beverley Craven's heyday
The long-awaited and hard-won album, which the performer modestly named after herself, appeared only in 1990. Thanks to him, she gained stunning popularity. The album was certified platinum twice and managed to stay at the top of the UK charts for 52 weeks.
The vocalist devoted the time following her debut work to a tour. At concerts, enthusiastic fans applauded the singer. At the same time, she recorded the compositions Woman to Woman and Holding On, which also became famous hits. 1992 was marked by three Brit Awards nominations and the birth of their first daughter, Molly.
For a whole year, the artist enjoyed motherhood and prepared material for recording her second studio album. The Love Scenes compilation was released in late 1993. Almost all the songs from the disc hit the British and European charts without taking the top of the charts.
Sabbatical Beverly Craven
In 1994, the singer married her stage colleague, British musician Collin Camsey. And a year later, the second daughter of the singer (Brenna) was born, and in 1996 the third baby (Konny) was born. Having plunged into family life, the vocalist took a sabbatical. She devoted herself entirely to raising children and was in no hurry to return to the big stage.
Beverly made her third attempt to conquer the heights of the music industry in 1999. She recorded Mixed Emotions in her home studio. However, the work was not successful either with critics or with the numerous fans of the singer. Disappointed in her own work, the woman decided to leave her musical career and focus on family values.
The next attempt to return was made in 2004. However, the diagnosis of doctors who reported that the singer had breast cancer forced her to postpone her creative plans. The treatment took two years. And only in 2006, the performer was able to perform on stage again, organizing a small tour.
Three years later, the album Close to Home was released. This is a very personal and independent work. The singer refused the services of music labels and started promoting herself. Her tracks can be found on the Internet, on numerous digital platforms.
Since then, all sales have been carried out only through the singer's own website. In 2010, the woman released a concert DVD Live in Concert, with recordings of live performances from past years. The next studio work appeared in 2014, and was called Change of Heart. In autumn, the performer went on a tour of the peninsula in support of her new work.
Beverley Craven - today
Together with British stars Julia Fortham and Judy Cuce in 2018, the singer organized a big concert tour. At the end of the year, an album of the same name appeared, recorded in a professional studio.
The artist does not build grandiose plans for the future, preferring to pay even more attention to her growing daughters. It is also unknown if the girls are going to follow in the footsteps of their star mother.
After a divorce from her husband in 2011, the vocalist never found a new partner. She does not talk about her personal life. It hints that fans can learn about all the most interesting things from her songs.
