Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974) also known as Melanie C or Mel C, was born in Whiston, Lancashire, and is an English singer, songwriter and television personality.

She’s 34!

She is best known as one of the five members of British girl group the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed “Sporty Spice.” As a solo artist she has released four albums and was nominated for a BRIT and ECHO awards.

Chisholm holds the record for most United Kingdom number-one singles by a female co-writer (equal with Madonna). She is also third after Lennon and McCartney for the most UK number-one singles by a British co-writer and is the only female to reach the UK number-one as part of a quintet, quartet, duo and as a solo artist.

Immediately before joining the Spice Girls, Chisholm studied for a Diploma course in dance, singing, drama and musical theatre at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in Sidcup, Kent. While at the college, she replied to an advert placed in The Stage by Chris and Bob Herbert, who were looking to form a new girl group, later to become the Spice Girls. Initially, another girl was chosen, Lianne Morgan, but the management replaced her with Chisholm at the last moment. Chisholm left the college having nearly completed her three-year course and gained teaching qualifications in Tap and Modern Theatre Dance with the ISTD.

In 1994 Chisholm, along with Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Beckham (at that time Victoria Adams), shot to fame as a member of the Spice Girls with the release of “Wannabe”. The debut album, Spice, shot to number one all over the globe, including the U.S.. Because she was often to be found in a tracksuit with her hair in a ponytail and sporting a rather “tomboyish” attitude, Chisholm received the nickname “Sporty Spice” from Top of the Pops Magazine (each member of the group was given a humorous nickname in a small piece titled “Spice Rack”). The Spice Girls dominated the late 1990s, selling over thirty-five million albums in just two years. They went on to become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, selling more than fifty-five million records worldwide. They had nine UK number-one singles and two number-one albums. After a third album release, Forever (UK number-two), the members went their separate ways, and Chisholm developed a solo career.

Personal Life:

Melanie has been linked with such stars as singers Robbie Williams and Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rumoured that Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Emit Remmus” is about Kiedis relationship with Chisholm. She has been dating property developer Thomas Starr since 2002; they currently share a country home at Catbrook, Monmouthshire.

Chisholm admited she has battled depression and an eating disorder in the past.

The singer is noted for her tattoos. Most of them are along oriental lines – among them a lotus flower, a phoenix and a dragon, and Tibetan symbols for love and happiness. She has 11 tattoos on her body with the last done this year at Hanky Panky’s in Amsterdam.

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