Brian Harvey

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Harvey appearing in I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, 2004.

This article is about the British pop and dance music singer. For the US baseball player, see Bryan Harvey. For the American musician, see Bryan Harvey (musician).

Brian Lee Harvey (born on 8 August 1974, in Edmonton, London, England) was the former lead singer of English pop/dance band East 17.

[edit] Career

Harvey was initially slated to be a backup singer and dancer for the band, but during the initial recording session he was heard singing along by the recording staff and was promptly instated as the lead singer of the band.

Harvey's vocal style emulated R&B and New Jack Swing vocalists from the U.S. but with a unique flavour closely followed by Craig David. His vocals put him into a position of the band's frontman, or main member, which was shared with the band's creator, songwriter, instrumentalist, rapper and singer Tony Mortimer.

Throughout the course of the band's career the two leads had many disagreements, from how to vocalise songs to their behaviour in public. Harvey was seen as an outspoken R&B badboy, whilst Mortimer was a highly spiritual though sexual rapper, and writer. This tore the band between spiritual pop/hip-hop (Mortimer's writing influence) and R&B (the other band members) which would eventually lead to Mortimer leaving the band and Harvey becoming the only lead singer.

Harvey was sacked from the band after making comments in a radio interview that appeared to condone the use of the drug Ecstasy. He eventually rejoined the band under the rebranded name of E-17.

After E-17, Brian Harvey signed to Edel Records as a solo artist, and like Tom Jones was an UK artist who collaborated with Wyclef Jean and his Refugee Allstars production set-up.

Since then Harvey has taken part in the fourth series of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, leaving after an argument with Janet Street-Porter.

He previously dated actress Danniella Westbrook and was married to dancer Natasha Carnegie with whom he has a daughter, Tegan. His most recent relationship with model Emma B ended earlier this year.

On 12 December 2001, he was attacked in a club car park by a group of youths in Nottingham and hit in the head with a machete. The attack was serious but not fatal, and was one of a series of events that have earned Harvey a reputation for being one of the unluckiest figures in pop.

In May 2005, after being diagnosed with clinical depression, Harvey apparently took an overdose of sleeping tablets and was hospitalised. On 31 May 2005, he was readmitted to hospital in a critical condition after doing the un-doable - according to his PR - "he fell under the wheels of his Mercedes-Benz motor car, whilst driving" - of this incident Harvey explained, '"I was starving so I baked three jacket potatoes and stuffed them down. They were big. I put cheese on, then tuna mayonnaise and I ate the lot.' Then while driving to a friend's house he felt sick, so he opened his car door to vomit. It was at this moment that he fell out the car and under its wheels. After his recovery Harvey claimed, 'I haven't had a jacket potato since. I could never eat them again'

A documentary about Brian's attempts to rekindle his music career, and recover from his car crash, was aired on BBC Television on the 13 December 2005.

[edit] Discography

Singles

"True Step Tonight" (Truesteppers featuring Brian Harvey and Donnell Jones) (2000) - #25 UK
"Straight Up (No Bends)" (2001) - #26 UK
"Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)" (Brian Harvey and The Refugee Crew) (2001) - #20 UK

Album