- Mary-Jess Leaverland
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Mary-Jess Leaverland Origin Gloucester, Gloucestershire Genres Pop, classical Years active 2009-Present Labels Universal Music Group
Decca RecordsWebsite http://maryjess.com Mary-Jess Leaverland (born 28 March 1990) is a British singer[1][2] who won Min Xing Chang Fan Tan (English for: I Want To Sing To The Stars), a Chinese televised talent competition, in December 2009.[3][4]
Contents
Career
Mary-Jess first came to public attention after winning Chinese singing contest Min Xing Chang Fan Tan (English for: I Want To Sing To The Stars). After winning the contest, Mary-Jess still remained virtually unknown in the UK. The show was not broadcast outside of China, so her family and friends could not watch it and her family could not afford to fly over to watch her. When an interview she gave to a local Gloucester paper was picked up by the national press, the news spread, and Leaverland was offered several recording contracts where she signed a contract with Decca Records[1]
She stated in an interview with The Guardian, “I was awful at French but Chinese caught my attention with all the different tones. Each word had its own tune.” The Music and Chinese Studies course at Sheffield University took Leaverland to Nanjing, and when she by chance came across auditions for the talent competition she, typically, wanted to get involved. “I really thought they would want a Chinese person to win. I couldn’t believe it when it was me.”[5]
Her debut album "Shine" was released on the 8th of August and peaked 57 on the UK Albums Chart.[6]
Leaverland has already begun writing for her second album and continues to write with debut collaborators Helen Boulding & Paul Carter. She has also contributed to the Downton Abbey soundtrack by lending vocals to the song "Did I Make The Most Of Loving You?".
Discography
Albums
List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Chart positions UK
[7]Shine - Released: August 8, 2011
- Label: Decca Records
- Formats: CD, digital download
57 Singles
Song Year Peak positions Album UK "Are You The Way Home?" 2011 — Shine "Glorious" — "Heaven Is Empty"[8] — References
- ^ a b Decca Records | Mary-Jess
- ^ Mary-Jess
- ^ BBC Online Mary Jess wins Chinese X-factor
- ^ Telegraph Online Mary Jess wins Chinease X-factor
- ^ Mary Jess X Factor China Guardian online, Sunday 20 June 2010
- ^ Shine: Mary-Jess: Amazon.co.uk: Music
- ^ Chart Stats - Mary-Jess - Shine
- ^ iTunes - Music - Heaven Is Empty - Single by Mary-Jess
Categories:- Living people
- People from Gloucester
- Reality television participants
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