About Me
Corinne was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, to a Kittitian father and an English mother, and she was the eldest of three daughters.
She began her musical career at school where she studied classical violin before she turned her attention to singing: "I started off singing in church, I suppose, but people think it must have been a gospel church because of the whole, you know, black assumption", she says in reference to her mixed-race background. "But it wasn't gospel at all, it was just your regular Brethren church, very middle-class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favourite part of the service, the singing"
Performing in church broadened Rae's musical horizons, and her love affair with making music was solidified after a local youth leader offered to buy her an electric guitar. In her mid-teens, she became obsessed with rock legends Led Zeppelin, "I loved that band during my teens, (and) I wanted, somehow, to follow in their footsteps, and to create music of my own".
Rae formed an all-female indie group called Helen, which was inspired by similar acts such as Veruca Salt and L7. "It was the first time I'd seen women with guitars. They were kinda sexy – but feminist. I wanted to be like that, at the front of something".
The group played many gigs around Leeds,and became the first indie act to be signed to heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records. The venture proved to be short-lived however after the bassist became pregnant and the group disbanded.
After the disappointment of Helen, Rae went on to attend the University of Leeds where she studied an English Literature degree. Whilst at University, she began work as a hatcheck girl on evenings in her local jazz club. Permitted to sing on stage with the jazz band when business was slow, it was there that she discovered a different type of music that sent her on a different musical path: "I kept hearing this jazz and soul stuff and I realised I loved that music too". It was there also that she met saxophone player Jason Rae, whom she eventually married in 2001 at the age of 22. "I was Corinne Bailey. I added on Rae, my husband's name, when I got married.
Rae began steering away from her indie past and embarking on a more "soulful" path. She released her debut single, "Like a Star", in November 2005 and her first album, Corinne Bailey Rae, in February 2006. In September 2006, Rae scooped two awards at the UK's MOBO Awards: "Best UK Newcomer" and "Best UK Female". She's also received three nominations for this year's Grammy Awards: "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year" (both for "Put Your Records On"), and "Best New Artist".
