Michelle Leonard

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Michelle Leonard

Background information
Born June 5, 1973 (1973-06-05) (age 35)
England
Origin Germany
Genre(s) Pop, Rock, Punk, Electro
Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter
Instrument(s) singing
Years active 1990-present
Label(s) Universal Music Publishing
Associated acts Cinema Bizzare, Sandy Mölling, Mike Leon Grosch, Vanilla Ninja, Joachim Witt, Valentine, Tarja Turunen, Thomas Godoj
Website Official website

Michelle Leonard (born 5 June 1973) is a British singer and songwriter, now based in Cologne. Since 2006, Leonard has co-written multiple songs for albums that charted in Europe, chiefly Germany.[1] As a songwriter she is signed to Universal Music Publishing.[2] "Love Songs (They Kill Me)" (Island Records),[3] a song Leonard co-wrote with Christian Neander and Kiko Masbaum[4] and performed by glam group Cinema Bizarre, reached the top ten in the German charts in Fall 2007.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Leonard grew up in Germany and attended the british schools there. EMI Music Publishing signed her when she was 17.[citation needed] As an artist, Leonard's songs included "Feel So Perfect". The song was used for a pan-European C&A advertising campaign that went on for three years, with different films around the song. "Feel So Perfect" was released by Cape featuring Michelle Leonard and became a radio hit. She was the headliner in Munich at the new year's celebrations in 2000. Axe also used one of her songs in their advertising as well as RMS (Radio marketing services).

Leonard's voice can be heard with the German band Such a Surge on the song "Instant Replay," and on several dance tracks such as The Mob's song "Falling," a dance hit which she recorded when she was 17. (The song, sans vocals, became the theme to the show Twin Peaks.) Between 2001 and 2004, Leonard was involved in a number of experimental projects and performed at several art happenings and underground events around the world.[citation needed] Leonard is also a guest lecturer at the Popakademie for Songwriting. She was the Performance and music director for the German theater abroad project in New York / Public Theater. She directed the musical "Electric Society", which was staged on 12 November 2005 in Cologne, Germany.

[edit] Discography

Her co-writes include: Hanna Pakarinen's "Save My Life Tonight" (on 2004's album When I Become Me, Finnish #1, Platinum), Hanna Pakarinen's "Out Of Tears" (on Gold album Stronger), Nu Pagadi's "Virus" (on the album Your Dark Side, which made #6 in Switzerland and #1 in Germany) and Nico Weidemann's "Sag Mir Wann" (Perfekte Welle Compilation). She did translation work for the Busted single "Hurra Hurra Die Schule Brennt".

[edit] 2006

Co-written songs released in 2006 include:

  • Tracks on Frame of Mind from No Angels member, Sandy Mölling. The album made the top 20 in Germany and was released 26 May. Co-written tracks include: "It's Over", "Venom", "Occupied", "Living Without You" (released as a single in November 2006; made #36 in Germany and #71 in Austria), "Tattooed On Me".
  • Tracks on Mike Leon Grosch's Absolute, released 26 May (reached #2 in Germany): "This Ride" and the single "Don't Let It Get You Down" (reached #1 in Germany, #2 in Switzerland and #6 in Austria).
  • Tracks on Vanilla Ninja: Love is War (# 16 in Germany, #1 in Estonia), released 19 May: "Kingdom Burning Down", "Dangerzone" (single reached #17 in Germany and was released 21 April[5]), "The Band That Never Existed", "Rockstarz" (single released September 2006, #86 in Germany), "Battlefield", "Insane in Vain", "Silence", "Love is Just a War" (int. album track), "Say My Name" (int. album track). Leonard also did vocal coaching for the band.[6]
  • "Der Turm" on Joachim Witt's Bayreuth 3 (limited edition), US release, 27 January.
  • Tracks on Valentine's October 2006 album Blue Merry-Go-Round (on EMI Germany): "You and Me" (single released in August 2006[7]), "Cruel to Myself", "Hell Yeah".
  • "Celebrity Queen" on Alexander Klaws' Attention! album (released on Sony BMG). The album reached #20 in Germany.

[edit] 2007

Co-written songs released in 2007 include:

  • Single release "Lovesongs (They Kill Me)" by Cinema Bizarre[8] (entered German chart at #9), as well as "Get Off" and "Heaven Sent" for the band, all on debut album Final Attraction.
  • Several tracks on the My Winter Storm album from Tarja Turunen ("Lost Northern Star", "Ciárans Well" and "Calling Grace"); the album made #1 in Finland, #3 in Germany, #11 Austria, #15 Switzerland, #37 Norway, #41 Sweden, #88 France.
  • "Superstar" and "I Am Not Afraid" for Orange Blue's album Superstar.
  • "Atomic Love" and "Another Day" for Swedish band Nouveau Riche.
  • "Superficial" on Elin's 2007 album Girl Talk.
  • "Grossstadtkinder" and "Jenny" for Peilomat.
  • Several songs for the debut album by German girl group Sistanova, released September 2007.
  • "If I Lose You" on Lisa Bund's 2007 album Born Again (Sony BMG); the album made #66 in Austria and #88 in Switzerland.[9]
  • "Life Is a Miracle" for the No Angels. The song was featured in the movie Kleiner Dodo.

[edit] 2008

Co-written songs released in 2008 include:

  • single: "Jesus on Extasy" with the track "Stay with me" (#1 alternative charts / Germany)
  • single: "Love is you" by the "DSDS" (Pop idols Germany) winner Thomas Godoj

[edit] References

  1. ^ Swiss Charts listing for Michelle Leonard
  2. ^ Universal Music Publishing page
  3. ^ Love Songs (They Kill Me), YouTube, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbhuvD8DSW0> 
  4. ^ Love Songs (They Kill Me), Discogs, <http://www.discogs.com/release/1119693> 
  5. ^ Dangerzone, Discogs, <http://www.discogs.com/release/738828> 
  6. ^ Love Is War, Discogs, <http://www.discogs.com/release/1140552> 
  7. ^ Valentine Official site
  8. ^ Cinema Bizarre official site
  9. ^ Swiss Charts listing for Born Again

[edit] External links