Corinne Drewery (born 21 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter and fashion designer, best known for being the lead vocalist of the band Swing Out Sister.

Corinne Drewery
Drewery performing live at Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida, 2006
Drewery performing live at Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida, 2006
Background information
Born (1959-09-21) 21 September 1959 (age 65)
Nottingham, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • fashion designer
InstrumentVocals
Years active1984–present
Labels
Member ofSwing Out Sister
WebsiteOfficial Swing Out Sister Website

Early life

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Drewery was born in Nottingham. She later moved to the Lincolnshire village of Authorpe and went to South Reston Primary School, then Monks' Dyke High School and King Edward VI Grammar School in nearby Louth, then Lincoln College.[1] She grew up on the classic pop standards, as her father played in a band which was regular support to big stars like Tom Jones and Sandie Shaw. She was strongly influenced by Northern soul, visiting performances at the Winter Gardens in Cleethorpes, and referred to Northern soul tracks during an extensive interview on BBC Radio Nottingham. Her mother, Elaine Drewery, a former singer, is the founder of Hedgehog Care in Authorpe.[2] Her brother Anton was also a singer and musician whose debut studio album, With a Little Help, was released posthumously in August 2022, six months after his untimely death.[3]

Music

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In 1976, after leaving school, Drewery moved to London to study fashion at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design[4] and eventually became a fashion designer. But she also sang for short periods with bands such as Working Week.

She first met Andy Connell and Martin Jackson in 1984 and together they formed Swing Out Sister. In 1986–87 the group achieved success on both sides of the Atlantic with "Breakout", the band's signature song.

Drewery is not only the band's lyricist, but its composer together with her musical partner, Connell.[5]

In 1986, she provided additional vocals on the track "Bootsy" by Connell's former band A Certain Ratio. The song was released exclusively as a single in Australia and featured on their fifth studio album Force.[citation needed]

In 2022, Drewery sang with Ryan Bland of Ache on the 24-7 Spyz track "Angels & Demons."[6]

References

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  1. ^ Campbell, Mary (Associated Press) (15 November 1987) Swing Out Sister makes smooth home run debut, The Gadsden Times, retrieved 28 October 2010
  2. ^ Authorpe Hedgehog Care. Retrieved 23 November 2017
  3. ^ "Post-humous album finished with 'little help from friends'". lincolnshireworld.com. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  4. ^ (1 June 2010) Swing it like you mean it!: Lead singer of Swing Out Sister Corinne Drewery shares her musical journey of over two decades, Bangkok Post, retrieved 28 October 2010 [dead link]
  5. ^ "Corinne Brewery [sic] - Still in full swing". The Scotsman. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  6. ^ ""Angels and Demons" featuring Corinne Drewery of Swing Out Sister and Ryan Bland of ACHE, by 24-7 Spyz". 24-7 Spyz. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
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