Warren Stacey
{{short description|British singer from London (born c. 1979)}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Warren Stacey
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Warren Jituboh
| birth_place =
| birth_date = c. 1979
| origin = Wapping, London, England
| instrument =
| occupation = Singer
| years_active =
| label = Def Jam
| associated_acts =
| website =
}}
Warren Stacey (born Warren Jituboh){{cite news|title=One that got away|first=Tom|last=Horan|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3574567/One-that-got-away.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=14 March 2002|accessdate=12 October 2010|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609055709/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3574567/One-that-got-away.html|archivedate=9 June 2014}} is a British singer from London who came into prominence on the UK television show Popstars, the reality programme that created the pop band Hear'Say. Despite not making it into the group, Stacey went on to be signed by Def Jam Recordings and released his debut single "My Girl, My Girl" in March 2002, which made number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.
Life and music career
Stacey's first experience of performing music was singing in a church choir at a young age.{{cite web|url=http://designermagazine.tripod.com/WarrenStaceyINT1.html|title=Warren Stacey – Interview @ Designer Magazine|year=2002|publisher=Designer Magazine|accessdate=12 October 2002| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110929162429/http://designermagazine.tripod.com/WarrenStaceyINT1.html | archivedate = 29 September 2011| url-status=live}} In 2001, while working at a London branch of NatWest, he auditioned to become a member of Hear'Say, the pop group that was being formed from the reality television programme Popstars. He impressed the show's judges with a rendition of "Angels" by Robbie Williams and progressed on to the "boot camp" stage of the competition. During the second day of boot camp, Stacey opted to perform a hymn rather than a pop song for the judges. Nigel Lythgoe, one of the show's judges, informed him that the final band was obviously not going to perform hymns and that, at that stage in the competition, the judges were looking for small reasons such as this to eliminate contestants. However, Stacey's part in a group performance of "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas was seen as sufficient to keep him in the competition for another day.
{{listen
| filename = WarrenStaceyMyGirl.ogg
| title = "My Girl My Girl"
| description = Stacey's R&B single "My Girl My Girl" was compared to the sound of Craig David.
}}
Stacey was ultimately eliminated from the Popstars competition on the fourth day of boot camp, with the show's judges saying that he was "more gospel-influenced and [they] were after something altogether more poppy".{{cite news|title=POPSTARS REJECT SET TO BEAT HEAR'SAY TO FIRST MILLION.|first=Richard|last=Simpson|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/POPSTARS+REJECT+SET+TO+BEAT+HEAR%27SAY+TO+FIRST+MILLION.-a075288693|newspaper=The Evening Standard|publisher=TheFreeLibrary.com|location=London|date=9 April 2001|accessdate=28 November 2010}} He originally intended to form a trio with Taz and Raymond, two other Popstars contestants who had been eliminated the same day as him. Within weeks of his elimination, Stacey was signed as a solo artist by Def Jam Recordings,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1270250.stm|title=Popstars reject in album talks|date=10 April 2001|work=BBC News|location=London|accessdate=12 October 2010|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513120406/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1270250.stm|archivedate=13 May 2014}} who flew him to Los Angeles to write and record his debut single "My Girl My Girl" with production team Red Zone.{{cite news|title=Popstar to soulstar|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/entertainment/music/s/4955_popstar_to_soulstar|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|location=Manchester|date=8 March 2002|accessdate=12 October 2010| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121112161028/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/entertainment/music/s/4955_popstar_to_soulstar | archivedate = 12 November 2012| url-status=live}} He played alongside Hear'Say and fellow Popstars contestants Liberty at the 2001 Smash Hits tour in December,{{cite news|title=Hear'Say on same bill as Popstars rivals Liberty.|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hear%27Say+on+same+bill+as+Popstars+rivals+Liberty.-a079044009|newspaper=South Wales Echo|publisher=TheFreeLibrary.com|location=Cardiff|date=10 October 2001|accessdate=28 November 2010}} before releasing "My Girl My Girl" in March the next year. The single peaked at Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart,{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/Love%20Story|title=The Official Charts Company – Warren Stacey – My Girl My Girl|publisher=Official Charts Company|accessdate=12 October 2010}} with Stacey's sound being favourably compared to that of fellow British R&B singer, Craig David. Stacey provided support at the final night of MTV's Five Night Stand in April{{cite web|url=http://www.tourdates.co.uk/news/778-mtv-five-night-stand-details|title=MTV Five-Night Stand Details|date=1 March 2002|publisher=Tour Dates|accessdate=12 October 2010| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121001190634/http://www.tourdates.co.uk/news/778-mtv-five-night-stand-details | archivedate = 1 October 2012| url-status=live}} and went on to support Destiny's Child on their UK tour in June.
Discography
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope=col rowspan=2|Year
!scope=col rowspan=2|Title !scope=col|Chart peak positions |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
!width=25|UK |
| 2002
!scope=row|"My Girl, My Girl" |align=center|26 |
See also
{{Portal|Biography|London}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/warren-stacey-mn0002600623 Warren Stacey] at AllMusic
- {{Discogs artist}}
- {{MusicBrainz artist|id=e1f96c5d-7de1-4130-81f8-382529b96d39}}
{{Popstars (UK)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stacey, Warren}}
Category:British contemporary R&B singers
Category:21st-century Black British male singers
Category:21st-century British male singers
Category:English people of Sierra Leonean descent
Category:Singers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets