| Corinne Bailey Rae At the end of 2005, editors and DJs were still getting their heads around the spelling of her name as Corinne Bailey Rae rapidly ascended to the top of ?the next big thing? polls. Twelve months later, with a no.1 album nearing triple platinum in the UK, further gold and platinum sales awards across the globe including over a million in America where Corinne?s debut created history by entering the Billboard chart at 17 (the highest ever chart debut for a UK artist in the US), it is clear to see that this soulful songstress is currently a lady with the world at her feet. Add to all this one of the year?s biggest hit singles around the world in the shape of "Put Your Records On", a whole host of awards including Mojo and Q Awards for Best Newcomer, two Mobo Awards and now three Grammy nominations, plus a string of sold out tour dates and a mountain of incredible press articles singing her many praises including Billboard magazine hailing her debut album as one of the albums of 2006 in their annual Critic?s Top 10, and Corinne now sits firmly amongst the ranks of established artists she once aspired to be. From ?next big thing polls? hailing her imminent success to ?end of year polls? celebrating it, Corinne has had an undeniable impact on the world?s music scene. Truly an astonishing and unprecedented feat for a UK artist in just twelve short months. So let us remind ourselves of how this incredible musical journey began. It was back in November 2005 that we heard her sing the very first note of her very first EP. It was called "Like A Star", a slice of sublime blues delivered by a voice that pins you, in the softest but most persuasive of ways, to the wall; a voice that floats up effortlessly, full of caress, subtlety and the very purest quality. A voice that was, and still is, a discovery to treasure. A voice that belonged to a young woman not from somewhere musically exotic - say, Mississippi or even Manhattan - but just east of the M1: Leeds. A voice that belongs to the now multi platinum artist, Corinne Bailey Rae.
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