Kéllé Bryan-Gudgeon | |
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Birth name | Kéllé Bryan |
Born | 12 March 1975 |
Genres | R&B |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, actress, television personality |
Years active | 1993–present |
Kéllé Bryan-Gudgeon is a British singer, actress and television personality, best known as a member of girl group Eternal.
Aged 11, Bryan joined the Italia Conti Academy stage school, where she completed eight years of performing arts and qualified as a dance teacher. On her first day at Italia Conti, Kelle met Louise Nurding – the pair spent almost everyday together for ten years, and remain friends today. While out clubbing aged sixteen one night, the pair met record producer Denis Ingoldsby, who was forming a girl group
Before finding success with Eternal, Bryan worked as an actor. She has appeared in ITV's The Bill, and on 31 March 1992 she appeared as Debbie in BBC's EastEnders who was a college friend of Lloyd Tavernier (Garey Bridges).
In 1993, Bryan and Nurding, together with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett formed the 1990s award-winning, multi-million selling, chart-topping British R&B girl group Eternal. Eternal sold millions of albums and had many international hits, including 16 consecutive top 15 UK chart singles such as "Stay", "Just a Step from Heaven", "Oh Baby I", "Power of a Woman", "I Am Blessed", "Someday", "Don't You Love Me", "I Wanna Be the Only One" and "Angel of Mine".
After Nurding left Eternal in 1995 to pursue a solo career, the three members continued to enjoy success as a three piece until 1997 when, after the release of their Greatest Hits album, the Bennett sisters sacked Bryan via a fax from their solicitor. Following her departure from Eternal, Bryan signed a £1.2 million deal with Mercury Records and began work on her debut solo album, Breakfast in Bed.