Melanie Chisholm

About Melanie Chisholm

Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974 in Whiston, Merseyside, also known as Melanie C or Mel C) is an English singer-songwriter and television personality best known as one of the five members of the English girl group Spice Girls, who 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 second position for most United Kingdom number-one singles by a female co-writer. 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. She left college having nearly completed her three-year course and gained teaching qualifications in Tap and Modern Theatre Dance with the ISTD.