Amelle Berrabah

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Amelle Berrabah

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Background = solo_singer
Birth name =
Born = birth date and age|1984|4|22|df=y
Origin = Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Genre = Pop, Dance, R&B
Occupation = Singer, songwriter
Instrument = Vocals
Years_active = 2005 – present
Associated_acts = Sugababes, Boo 2
Label = Island (2005-Present)
URL = [http://www.sugababes.com Sugababes Official Site]

Amelle Berrabah (born 22 April 1984 in Aldershot, Hampshire) is an English singer. She is the most recent member of English girl band, Sugababes. She officially replaced co-founding member Mutya Buena on 21 December 2005, following Buena's departure from the group.Berrabah is of Moroccan descent, and a Muslim background.

Career

Before joining the Sugababes she studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music and featured in the band 'Boo2' with her sister, Samiya.cite web | work=Metro.co.uk |title=60 second interview | url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=10618&in_page_id=11 | accessdaymonth=16 December | accessyear=2006] Due to none of their songs being released, German group Monrose covered their song 'Ooh La La' and fellow Popstars winners Room2012 covered their songs 'Naughty But Nice' and 'Head Bash' [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR3MXrcrzDU&feature=related YouTube - Boo2 - Oh la la ] ] .

She commented upon joining the band: "For years I've dreamt of breaking into the music business but never did I dream of waking up one day to be the third Sugababe! They're the biggest girl group in the country and absolutely the only band I would ever think about joining. When their manager approached me with the offer, I was in such a state of shock that I couldn't even answer him! Like millions of girls my age, I've grown up with Sugababes' music as a soundtrack to my life and I've been a fan of theirs for years. I still can't believe my luck!"Fact|date=April 2008

Sugababes completed their "Taller In More Ways" tour with Berrabah in the spring of 2006 as well as supporting Take That on the boyband's summer stadium dates. It was whilst on tour she was snubbed by Gary Barlow, and subsequently became engaged in a war of words with the Take That singer in the press. Barlow has since apologised and the pair have made up.

Berrabah's first single with the group was a re-recorded version of the Xenomania produced, "Red Dress", taken from the Sugababes' fourth album, "Taller In More Ways". The Sugababes re-released "Taller In More Ways" on 27 February 2006 with an all-new photoshoot featuring Berrabah and three songs re-recorded with Berrabah ("Gotta Be You", "Follow Me Home" and the single "Red Dress"). The re-issue also includes a song Berrabah wrote with Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range, entitled "Now You're Gone". "Follow Me Home" was the next single from "Taller In More Ways" and was released on 5 June 2006.

On 13 November 2006 the Sugababes released a Greatest Hits entitled - featuring Berrabah on three songs; "Red Dress" and two new tracks, "Easy" and "Good To Be Gone", the former of which is the lead single for the album — ahead of another Europe-wide tour in early 2007.

About You Now, released 24 September 2007, became Sugababes' sixth UK number one single. "Change", the first full album with Amelle, was released on 8 October 2007 which charted straight to the #1 spot in the Official UK Album Chart.

Amelle and her fellow bandmates recently completed their Change Tour.

Personal life

Amelle's boyfriend Freddie Fuller was arrested in February 2007 for the attempted rape of her younger sister Samiya. [ [http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/sugababe%20back%20with%20sister%20rape%20suspect%20boyfriend_1025185 Sugababes - Sugababe Back With Sister Rape Suspect Boyfriend ] ] However, police later revealed he had been 5 miles away at his parents home at the time of the alleged incident. Further contradictions in Samiya's statement meant that no charges were brought against Fuller, who was cleared in October. Afterwards Berrabah's sister confessed that the event may have been just a "bad dream". [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/a92370/amelle-speaks-out-over-rape-claim.html Showbiz - News - Amelle speaks out over rape claim - Digital Spy ] ]

Legal troubles

On 28 April 2007, Amelle was arrested over allegations she assaulted an 18-year-old girl on the dancefloor in the Bar Med club located in Bridge Street, Guildford, Surrey. The Daily Mirror and The Sun newspaper reported the pop star spent the night in the police station, before being released on bail. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/entertainment/6606685.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Sugababe arrested over 'assault' ] ] Amelle broke her silence on 2 May, saying that she was left "devastated" by the incident, and that a group of girls had 'started on' both her and her sister Laila. She also claimed that one of the men who was with the 18-year-old girl hit Laila during the brawl. [ [http://www.chartsingles.net/news/music-news/2714/ ChartSingles.net ] ]

Police confirmed that Amelle had been arrested on 10 January 2008 on suspicion of causing criminal damage and a public order offence. The arrest was made in connection with an alleged attack on a car in her hometown of Aldershot, Hampshire, on 9 January 2008. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7182794.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Sugababe arrested over 'attack' ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.sugababes.com Sugababes.com (official site)]
*imdb|2184377|Amelle Berrabah
* [http://www.ilikemusic.com/interviews/Sugababes_Amelle_interview_2006-3104 Amelle interview on I Like Music (ilikemusic.com)]
* [http://www.myparkmag.co.uk/articles/celebs/celebrity-gossip/amelle-berrabahs-sugababe-vow.jsp Amelle Berrabah's Sugababe vow]