Siobhan Donaghy

by Jon O'Brien Most notable for being the first Sugababes member to go solo, Siobhan Donaghy has since carved out a niche for herself as one of Britain's most intriguing young female artists. Born in London in 1984, Donaghy started performing at the age of 12 after being discovered by former All Saints manager Ron Tom. After being introduced to Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan at a party, the trio decided to form a group and in 1999, they were signed to London Records as Sugababes. The group released their critically acclaimed debut album, One Touch, in 2000 which included hit singles "Run For Cover," "New Year" and "Overload," a nominee for Best British Single at the 2001 Brit Awards. But after a heavy touring schedule, Donaghy gradually became unhappy with her position in her band, fearing that the other two members were trying to force her out. During a Japanese promotional tour in 2001, she left the band of her own accord. Two years later, Donaghy started to work with producer Cameron McVey under the guise of Shanghai Nobody. She went onto release her debut album Revolution In Me under her own name to critical acclaim but minimal sales the same year. Donaghy later parted company with London Records and released her sophomore effort, Ghosts, recorded in France with producer James Sanger, through Parlophone in 2007. In the same year, Donaghy went onto appear as the character of Mimi in the hugely successful West End production of Rent.