| Billie Myers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 June 1971 , Coventry, West Midlands, England |
| Genres | Rock, Pop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Universal |
| Website | www.billiemyers.com |
Billie Myers (born 14 June 1971, Coventry, West Midlands, England[1]) is an English rock singer-songwriter. She is probably best known for her 1998 transatlantic hit, "Kiss the Rain".
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Myers was born in Britain to a British mother, and Jamaican father. Before commencing her career in music, Myers was a nurse and insurance agent. She was discovered in a club by the record producer Peter Harris. Soon after their first meeting, Myers began writing material for her debut album, Growing, Pains (1997). The album was produced by Desmond Child. The first single from the album, "Kiss the Rain", became a Top 20 hit.
Myers was signed to a recording contract with Universal Records in 1997, and toured with the Lilith Fair in 1998, as well as headlining her own tour. Singles from Growing, Pains have appeared on television commercials and in the TV series, Dawson's Creek. Growing, Pains achieved gold record status in 1997, and Myers' follow-up album, Vertigo, was issued in 2000.
Her vocal style is a combination of pop, jazz and world music.
She has spoken about her bisexuality and the difficulties "not being gay enough" has caused her in the past.[2]
On 11 October 2009, Myers sang "America the Beautiful" before a crowd of some LGBT's and their allies at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. In introducing the song, she criticized president Barack Obama for failing to mention marriage equality and the battle to ban same-sex marriage in Maine during his speech the previous night at a Human Rights Campaign dinner.
Myers' debut album, Growing, Pains, was released in the United States on 18 November 1997. It achieved gold status, thanks in large part to the success of its first single.[3] Myers wrote or co-wrote all songs featured on the record, and although she had not written songs prior to creating Growing, Pains, she had regularly written in journals and diaries for years beforehand, which facilitated the songwriting process.[4]
Her first single, "Kiss the Rain" entered the UK Singles Chart and eventually reached number 4.[5] In the United States, "Kiss the Rain" reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 31 weeks on the chart.[6] The American television series Dawson’s Creek (episode #2-02, titled “Crossroads”) featured "Kiss the Rain", and it was also used in promotions for Archer Daniels Midland, which were most often seen on both Sunday morning talk shows and ADM's underwriting spot for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
The dance remix of "Kiss the Rain" was the first number 1 for both Myers and the remix team, Thunderpuss.
The follow-up single, "Tell Me", reached number 25 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart.[7] Myers admitted that once "Kiss the Rain" had retreated from charting position, she felt disappointed because "Tell Me" did not match the success of her first single.[8]
After the release of Growing, Pains and before her second album, Myers scored the title track for the Freddie Prinze, Jr. film Down to You.[9]
In June 2000, Myers released her second record, Vertigo, which featured the single "Am I Here Yet? (Return to Sender)". The dance remix of "Am I Here Yet?" by DJ Junior Vasquez reached number 1 on the dance charts. "Should I Call You Jesus?" was the album's second single and invited controversy because of Myers' frank, honest questions about religion. Myers was satisfied with her sophomore record because she was more assertive in the production process and more direct lyrically. Billboard called Vertigo's collection of songs "a fearless set that intertwines deft pop hooks, wickedly honest lyrics, and vibrant rhythms".
In November 2005, Myers released a single, "Just Sex", with Artemis Records' Star Struck compilation album. One year later, Myers was named the closing act for Los Angeles Gay Pride 2006 and a featured act for New York City Pride 2006. She also appeared at the Chicago North Halsted Market Days 25th Anniversary Festival. The remix of "Just Sex" reached number 8 on the Billboard Dance Chart.
Myers' third album, Tea & Sympathy, was completed early in 2009. The record was released through iTunes on her own record label, Fruit Loop Records, on 1 September 2009. A physical copy of the record was available through Myers' official website on 15 September 2009. The first single, a ballad titled "I Hope You're Happy Now", was released on 7 July 2009. Myers has also begun an "Unscripted" series on her YouTube channel, that provides her fans with background information on the newest songs.
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[10] | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | U.S. Billboard Top 40 Adult Recurrents | U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | |||
| 1998 | "Kiss the Rain" | 4 | 15 | - | 28 | 6 | 1 | 7 | Growing, Pains |
| 1998 | "Tell Me" | 28 | - | - | - | 25 | - | 34 | Growing, Pains |
| 1999 | "You Send Me Flying" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Growing, Pains |
| 1999 | "It All Comes Down to You" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Down to You soundtrack |
| 2000 | "Am I Here Yet? (Return to Sender)" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Vertigo |
| 2000 | "Should I Call You Jesus?" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Vertigo |
| 2005 | "Just Sex" | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | |
| 2009 | "I Hope You're Happy Now" | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Tea & Sympathy |
| 2010 | "Wonderful" | - | - | 11 | - | - | - | - | Tea & Sympathy |