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THE INTERVIEW

 

Hi there, thank you for asking me to do this, I am more than happy to share.

 

If it seemed I hid, it was definitely in plain sight in the UK. I decided I didn't want to be part of the Cappella set up for a 2nd album and signed a solo deal. The Cappella organisation was determined I would not use the name or perform. I was tired, I had been touring for the best part of 7 years and just walked away. I pulled out of my solo deal and moved on with life. I hadn't spent much time at home since I was 17 years old and just settled back into that..

5 weeks ago, I opened boxes to find pictures of a friend who has died. Whilst looking through the boxes I saw 5 people who have passed and sadly people who were famous in this arena. Today, everything is photographed but there were rarely pictures in the early 90's. I took pictures of a lot and as I sorted through it all, it felt wrong that it was just sitting in my house. I decided it was time to share. So I set up social media accounts as Kelly Overett and began sharing.

 

We had a very unique scene in music in the UK which is now known as the rave era. I was young and going to raves with a friend. We danced alike and got attention and a wonderful rave called Raindance asked us to dance on stage for them. This is where I met Carl Cox and the TV performance came from there.

 

Same as with Carl. Slipmatt (one half of SL2) was playing at Raindance and we knew him. They were going to enter the charts with "DJs take Control" and asked if we would be part of the line up. We were thrilled to do this and toured with SL2 for almost 3 years. This finished when Dj Lime decided he didn't want to tour anymore. We cried! It was the most amazing time to be alive and we spent our lives with wonderful people. We were part of a very unique scene.

 

SL2 stopped touring and I was living in London and started auditioning. I sang from very young, all the way through school and was working with a vocal coach and auditioning for anything that included singing. I saw a DJ I knew whilst out one day and he had an agent with him. He said that a line up was being formed for a Eurodance group and asked if I would audition. I did and was offered this.

 

I met Rodney through the audition process. I didn't know him before. I vaguely remember the first show, it was in England, but it was more about us gelling as a duo than performing for a crowd.

 

Rodney and I did not date. We never flirted with that idea. We respected each other and I had already been around people being romantically involved whilst touring, it makes problems and I wouldn't do it. Because we didn't date, we had an amazing friendship, we had each other's backs and supported each other.

 

No, we were not involved in the production side. I don't recall meeting Bortolotti. I was given the tracks I was performing, finished. I got my vocal as close as possible. I spent many many hours with an amazing vocal tutor called Tona De Brett, who pulled my vocal from my stomach and helped me perform these tracks. I went to the studio and recorded the tracks, vocals alone, the production was done.

 

I don't recall it varying by country. It was refreshed so the show changed. These were produced by Media Records. I was given a new version and learned it. It was more about time. The only thing that was different was if it was for a TV show. We had a megamix that combined 3 or 4 tracks for TV as the time slot was less. For live shows we did full versions of each track.

 

I don't remember bad shows. I think we had a good, strong show which the crowd enjoyed. Live shows are what I lived for. It's kind of sad, you remember the challenging bits more than the good. I performed in Moscow on my own. I left from London and Rodney missed the flight. The rest of the touring party were travelling from Italy and they didn't tell me they had not received their visas. The Italians were not coming at all, and Rodney couldn't get a flight til the next day. There were 2 shows that night. 1 arena and 1 club, both sold out. I did them alone. I rapped, I sang, I danced. And I hope to never see those shows on YouTube!

 

Ah no, this isn't true. The only heavy costume was the dress in the You and Me video. It was really heavy and I didn't mind, it fit the storyboard for the video. I didn't have to wear it for long.

All the videos I appeared in were made in London by the same company. They were so creative. We used a lot of the same dancers and they would show up wondering what they would be doing this time. They were wrapped in red and couldn't see, wrapped in bandages as mummies, it was all appreciated and enjoyed. When people are that talented and have a clear vision, you just go with it and are grateful to be a part of it.

Wow, people have told me about this in recent weeks, but it is amazing to see it. A little disappointing. I resigned from Cappella because the UK record company told me they were sending in tracks for the 2nd album, finished. I did not earn a pound from the record sales of Cappella. I had devoted 2 years of my life and brought the set up to life and it didn't seem ok to not earn anything from the record sales. I felt exploited by Media Records for financial gain and decided I didn't want to do it any longer. I had this conversation with the UK record company and said I was leaving. I left and the record company didn't release any further tracks. I gave Cappella 3 months notice and I worked my notice to the end. In the 3 months they had, they did not meet with me. In their eyes, I was not Cappella, they were and I was replaceable. I completely believed this til 5 weeks ago. People have been sending me so much since I started sharing. The most recent mix released that I have been sent with my face on was 2020. A little surprising as I was told I was not Cappella.

 

This is uncomfortable to watch, I am so sorry. People have sent me messages saying that Cappella appeared without me and no warning, very shortly after, I can't answer for them. My management was Media Records, my booking agent was Media Records, I did not have my own representation and when I did, no press from Europe asked for my version, I would guess they just asked Media Records. If the girls in the film have any interest in meeting me now, I would love to. I am not sure they would after this time but if they do, I will come and meet them and bring something that might make up for them giving away what they did.

 

I have pictures from it. My friend was there, it was a celebration. There was no bad feeling between those of us who toured.

 

As mentioned, Media Records were pretty determined that I would not perform anything I had done with Cappella. It is with sadness that I recall this now. I pulled out of my solo deal and moved on with my life. There is a video that is very beautiful for Follow Your Heart, it hasn't made it to YouTube and I do have it. There was also a follow up single, which is still very good, called Into the Light. Wow, am I thinking of sharing these, erm people have approached me. The response to my sharing has been wonderful and there are some discussions in progress. I would love to share them. Particularly Into the Light, I still love it. So I will keep you updated. So far, deciding to share has been a humbling and wonderful experience.

 

I lived on my own from 16 years of age and was working at an insurance company. I was put in the accounts department because I was good at maths. If dancing and singing hadn't happened, I don't think my future was in a traditional career.

 

It's about focus. I am and always have been a person that takes their life sunny side up. Hard times give you opportunity to learn to make a better future. For years I have referred to this time as "my life less ordinary". To be honest, I had not talked about it for many many years, more than a decade. I remember the good and I take the lessons offered. The Cappella years made me a very smart businesswoman in the years following. I think not sharing is in part about not wanting any negativity. I don't regret anything in my life.

 

I think I am open to appearing at the 90's festivals, which I had no idea of til recently.
No. I wouldn't do this with Cappella.
People keep saying things like "come back, the audience want to see you", which is crazy to me. I thought I was forgotten, replaced, and erased. If I do progress with anything it will be as Kelly O and a celebration of the music I was a part of.

 

Favourite SL2 track; Way in my Brain.
Favourite Cappella track: Move it Up

 

In 1999 I went to work at a radio station on the commercial side. The station was a regional dance station and still played a part in breaking new music. I was passionate about it and this made it very easy for me to encourage commercial businesses to get involved. I developed and organised events that were successful. The station became Kiss FM in later years and having always loved Kiss FM in London and the part it played in my early years in music, I was thrilled to be a part of it. I became the Commercial Director of the Kiss Network and then also Planet Rock and then Magic and then the national radio brands in the UK. I had a very successful career in UK media, that I decided to leave 6 years ago. In the last 6 years I have worked with partners on their media in the UK, mainly in the travel sector.

 

I worked in radio and have a 20-year-old daughter, so have always stayed into music and I still love to dance. My choices haven't changed. Through all of my time I love vocally uplifting music that I can dance to. Modern adoration goes to Dua Lipa and Rita Ora. We went to see Dua Lipa in an outdoor amphitheatre in San Diego just before the pandemic times and she was stunning.

 

Just to say thank you. I think my biggest regret is that these years ended with a negative. It feels like we are making a new ending together and I am really grateful for that and thankful to everyone who has said such lovely things.

 

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Created on March 1999 - First uploaded on January 2000 - All rights reserved © 1999 - 2024
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