Javine Hylton

Javine Hylton
Javine Hylton (2005)
Background information
Birth name	Javine Dionne Hylton
Also known as	Javine
Born	(1981-12-27) 27 December 1981
Origin	Kensington, London, England
Genres	R&B, soul
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Innocent / Virgin (2003–2004) Island Records (2005)
Associated acts	Girls Aloud

Javine Dionne Hylton (born 27 December 1981,^[1] London), often known simply as Javine, is an English R&B singer. She is most notable for representing the UK at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. At the UK selection contest she defeated the competition favourite, model Katie Price, for the ticket to Kiev. Hylton has also had a string of Top 20 hit singles in the UK. Javine's cover version of "You've Got a Friend" was the theme music to Garfield: The Movie in 2004.

Early life

Hylton was born to a white mother and black father and grew up in Ladbroke Grove, London.^[2] For a spell of two years, Hylton played Nala in a production of The Lion King in London's West End.^[1] In a potentially risky move, she opted to channel this experience of live singing into an audition for ITV's Popstars: The Rivals, a reality television talent show in which young hopefuls sought to be picked for a place in a new manufactured group.^[3]

Her gamble paid off as she was one of the last six contenders for a place in the girlgroup, but she missed out on a spot in what later became the chart-topping group Girls Aloud, and instead embarked on a solo singing career.^[1]

Recording career

In the summer of 2003, Hylton released her debut single "Real Things", which featured a sample of M.O.P.'s hit "Ante Up". The single charted in the UK Singles Chart at Number 4,^[4] and remains her biggest hit to date. Three further Top 20 hits from her debut album followed, "Surrender (Your Love)" (which sampled the Diana Ross hit "Surrender"), "Best Of My Love" and a cover of Jade's "Don't Walk Away", a double A-side with a cover of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend".^[5]

Hylton's debut album, Surrender, was released after her third single in the summer of 2004. In spite of securing a songwriting partnership with Eg White, and record producers Stargate, along with the singles performing relatively well, her debut album only just managed to get into the UK Albums Chart and as a result she was dropped by her record label in late 2004, despite the massive success of the album's singles that were released on their own.^[6]

Hylton featured on Richard X's 2003 album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1. Her collaboration with him, "You Used To", was due to be released as a single, but it was cancelled.^[7]

In late 2003, she became an opening act for U.S. rapper Nelly on the UK leg of his international tour.^[8]

In October 2013 Javine teamed up with DJs WAWA and M.A.R.K to release the track "Never".^[9] The song was met with widespread acclaim. Digital Spy called it an "uptempo club number",^[10] while in an 8/10 review Popjustice labelled it a "belter".^[11]

Other work

In 2004, Hylton was the face of Dasani water, but was dropped when the product was withdrawn from the UK market due to bad publicity.^[12][13] On 5 March 2005, Hylton won Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up, the UK heat of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, singing "Touch My Fire", co-written by her. The other contestants were the 1996 UK entrant Gina G, Andy Scott-Lee, the group Tricolore, and Katie Price. During the performance, tape used to hold her dress in place came loose, causing a 'wardrobe malfunction'.^[14] Hylton went on to represent the UK in the final in Kiev, reportedly suffering from a throat infection. With pre-final odds of 33/1, she finished with 18 points, in 22nd place, ahead of France and Germany. When "Touch My Fire" was released as a single, it became her fifth consecutive Top 20 hit, reaching Number 18 in the UK Singles Chart.^[15]

Hylton has also appeared in Series 4 of the Channel 4 programme The Games in 2006, which she went on to win.^[16]

In a 2006 Christmas edition of Never Mind The Buzzcocks with Simon Amstell, the show was dedicated to the birthdays of both Jesus and Hylton, on account of her birthday being two days after Christmas. In 2007, she took part in BBC Three's Celebrity Scissorhands.

In 2008, she was the first celebrity eliminated in The Underdog Show. In 2009, she made an uncredited guest appearance on the television show Skins.^[17]

In 2010, she appeared on Celebrity Come Dine With Me and came second overall.

Hylton was due to star as 'Lucretia MacEvil' in a UK touring production of Disco Inferno in late 2012, however the tour was cancelled. In the same year, Javine was a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef until being eliminated along with Cheryl Baker.

Personal life

In March 2006, Hylton pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and was banned from driving for 18 months.^[4] The same year, she began an affair with fellow The Games contestant and West End stage star MC Harvey, the then husband of singer Alesha Dixon. This led to a well-publicised feud between Hylton and UK R&B singer Jamelia, who is a friend of Dixon's, with Jamelia defending Dixon by referring to Hylton as "a slag" on TV programme Never Mind the Buzzcocks.^[18][19]

On 23 February 2008, Hylton gave birth to MC Harvey's daughter named Angel Harvey Hylton in St George's Hospital, Tooting, South London.^[20] On 5 August 2008, MC Harvey threatened to kill Hylton with a knife after they had an argument, after MC Harvey stayed out all night with friends.^[21]

In September 2009, Hylton split with MC Harvey after discovering that he had been unfaithful to her. Hylton told The News of the World he was "a serial womaniser with a big problem. He cheated on Alesha with a lot of women. I did her a big favour by taking him off her hands – and after three horrible years, boy do I regret it."^[22][23]

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

• Javine's entry on the BBC Eurovision site
• Javine's official facebook page