Jacquie O'Sullivan
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Jacquie O'Sullivan (born August 7, 1960, London, England) is a singer and songwriter. She was originally a member of the country/punk/rockabilly group Shillelagh Sisters. In 1988, she was chosen by Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward (who had known O'Sullivan since they were 18) to become a member of Bananarama as a replacement for outgoing member Siobhan Fahey, who approved of the choice.
Bananarama's hit streak continued with the addition of O'Sullivan. They re-recorded the vocals for the songs "I Want You Back" and "Nathan Jones" with O'Sullivan to replace versions previously recorded by Fahey. The group scored eight consecutive top-forty hits in the UK with O'Sullivan.
She appeared on Bananarama's fund-raising cover of The Beatles' "Help!", which went to number three on the UK singles chart in 1989. She also participated in Band Aid II's 1989 re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
O'Sullivan's first songwriting credit with Bananarama would appear on the song "Love, Truth and Honesty" from the compilation the Greatest Hits Collection.
In 1991, Bananarama recorded the album Pop Life, the only full-length album on which O'Sullivan would appear. She later stated in an interview that her role in Bananarama was that of a paid employee. O'Sullivan was given no say in the creative, musical or visual direction of the group. The constant emphasis by the music press that she was the "new girl" and her lack of a voice in group decisions prompted her to exit Bananarama, a split which was amicable with remaining members Dallin and Woodward.
When she left Bananarama, O'Sullivan formed the disco act Slippry Feet from 1992-1996. They recorded songs for a record titled Freak Time Viewing and then disbanded.
In 2001, Jacquie O’Sullivan signed a 3-album deal with AlmaFame Records, featuring unreleased songs from throughout her music career. The first release in late 2001 was the Slippry Feet album Freak Time Viewing. In early 2002 the Shillelagh Sisters album Sham'Rock & Roll was released and a third album, tentatively titled The Jacquie O Collection, featuring new songs and re-recordings of her hits with Bananarama, was announced but the label folded and nothing was released.
She now works for Lee Dennison Associates, international casting directors in London and New York City. Lee Dennison Associates were recently appointed to cast the new Bananarama single due for release in Summer 2007.
[edit] Trivia
- In 1982 she appeared in the videoclip of Visage's "Night Train", playing a backing vocalist, although apparently she did not sing in the actual record.
- In 1983 she appeared in the videoclip of Eurythmics "Who's That Girl?", along with the members of Bananarama, which she would later join.
- In 1986 she played an extra in a café scene in the British film Absolute Beginners.
- Was a backing vocalist in lip-synched TV performances for Living in a Box for a short time in 1987. She got fired after she didn't bother to learn the lyrics and the camera showed close-ups of her mouth not matching the song. The band was furious.
- Dated actor Steven Brand
