As Part of M People, hits such as 'Moving On Up', 'One Night In Heaven'; and 'Search For The Hero'; and albums like Northern Soul, Elegant Slumming, Bizarre Fruit and Fresco achieving massive worldwide success, Heather became one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s, with the band M People winning the Best British Dance Act Award at the Brits in 1994 and 1995, as well as the Mercury Music Prize for
Elegant Slumming.
Heather has since had great successes with two solo albums – the title track of her ‘Proud’ album has gone on to become the soundtrack to a whole host of very special events including London’s successful 2012 Olympic bid, the 60th anniversary of VE Day in Trafalgar Square, the launch of Queen Mary 2, the Tsunami Relief Concert, England's victory at the Rugby World Cup celebrations.
And when Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up the work she'd been striving to achieve over her twenty-year career, she got in touch with Heather, who somehow managed to squeeze in a trip across the Atlantic to perform on the show right in the middle of a UK tour ('If Oprah calls, you go!' she laughs, adding that the first lady of chat was 'very sweet to me').
In 2008, Heather embarked on a journey that would see her dance her way into the public’s affection as she became a contestant in Series 6 of the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, achieving a very respectable 8 weeks in the competition (via one or two danceoffs!)
In 2010, Heather teamed up with singing sensations Anastacia and Lulu for the critically acclaimed ‘Here Come The Girls’ – an unforgettable night of feel-good party music and dance, touring arenas across the UK and Ireland.
Heather continues to perform to audiences at home and around the globe; recent highlights have included numerous UK festival appearances, as well as headlining the Sydney Mardi Gras and joining the Rewind Festival Tour of South Africa in 2015.
With her unique charm, quick wit, and infectious sense of fun, Heather regularly finds herself in demand to participate in a variety of TV entertainment and chat shows. Her well-respected and diverse views have also made her a sought-after as a voice on a number of politics and current affairs programmes
Well known for her charitable and voluntary work, Heather is an ambassador for the children’s charities Barnardos and The Variety Club, and is continually involved with fundraising and helping lend her valuable support to projects around the country.
So what gives Heather the impetus to keep moving forward, to keep challenging herself, to keep trying new things and not resting on her laurels? ‘If you got the feeling I do when I sing’ she smiles, ‘you’d understand’.
