Martine
McCutcheon has never worked so hard in her life
and she wouldnıt want it any other way. From
music to film, theatre to books,
 Martine has
been busysinging, acting, rehearsing and writing
over the past few months.
After the huge success of her recent No.2 hit
single 'Iım Over Youı (from her new album 'Wishingı),
Martine is now preparing for the release in
January of her next single, a wonderful cover of
'On The Radioı, the 70ıs Donna Summer disco
classic.
As well as working in the recording studio,
Martine has also been writing her autobiography 'MARTINE:
Who Does She Think She Is? MyAutobiographyı
which went on sale in October. The book tells the
story of Martineıs life, her early years and
troubled family life, her struggle to establish
herself as a serious actress, her years in
Eastenders and her hugely successful career as a
singer.
And although Martine left her acting career
behind in 1998, she returned to our screens in
the autumn to star in an ITV flagship series, The
Knock. In the series she played the role of a
nightclub owner who uses her venue as a front for
a drug dealing operation in a gripping new
primetime drama.
Martine will also be appearing on the 'big screen'
in the new year, having just finished filming her
first movie, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, with Sky
Movies, co-starring Chris Penn, brother to
Hollywood star Sean Penn.
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Finally, as
if all this wasnıt enough, Martine will also be
taking on the role of Eliza Doolittle in a West
End production of My Fair Lady in the spring of
2001. The role is one Martine has longed to play
all of her life and is one you could almost
imagine was written specifically for her.
So the next six months are going to be a very
busy time for this uniquely talented young woman.
But how has Martine achieved so much in just 24
years? Well....
Martineıs first appearance on TV was at the
tender age of six weeks old when she starred in a
Party Political Broadcast. By the age of four she
was appearing in adverts for Pears soap and Kool
Aid. However, her first pop video appearance was
not until Martine was a teenager when she played
a fairy in an Enya video.
Even at such as early stage in her life, it was
clear what kind of career direction Martine
wanted to take. She was a natural entertainer,
inspired by divas such as Barbra Streisand and
Aretha Franklin as well as legends such as Frank
Sinatra and Marvin Gaye.
"By the time I reached my fourth birthday I
was dancing to mumıs records, dressing in fairy
outfits or skating skirts,² she explains. ³Iıd
listen to mumıs Crystal Gayle, Average White
Band and Barbra Streisand albums. I can remember
I used to write down the lyrics to Streisandıs
songs and belt them out."
In January 1995, Martine made her first
appearance in EastEnders, the famous BBC soap
opera that has made her a household name today.
The nation fell in love with Martineıs character,
Tiffany, and she won countless best actress
awards in the three years that she starred in the
show. When Martine announced that she would be
leaving the soap, the BBC switchboards were
jammed by distraught fans pleading for Tiffany to
stay in Albert Square.
It was a chance opportunity to sing for the BBC1
telethon Children In Need in 1997 that rekindled
Martineıs interest in music and later led to a
concert in Londonıs Royal Albert Hall. Her
performance was sensational with her show
stopping versions of 'Cabaret' and Streisandıs 'Donıt
Rain On My Parade.'
Record companies recognized that Martine was a
pop star in the making and fought to secure her
talents. However, it was the Virgin label,
Innocent Records that clinched the deal.Martine
began her solo artist career when she released
her first single, 'Perfect Moment,' at the end of
1998, which went straight into the UK charts at
No.1, achieving platinum status. Following this
first chart topping success, Martine released her
second single, 'Iıve Got You,' an up tempo
acoustic guitar driven pop smash, which entered
the charts at No.3.
At this stage in Martineıs pop career, it is
clear that her singing talents are not to be
underestimated. With her multi-platinum first
album, 'You, Me & Us', Martine has more than
proved herself as a first class pop act. And with
the release of 'Iım Over You', Martine is set to
establish herself internationally as one of the
UKıs top pop artists. |
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