Jessy De Smet

Jessy De Smet, whose stage name is just Jessy (born July 8, 1976 in Zottegem), is a Belgian dance music singer who had several gold records in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Life and career

Jessy De Smet was born in Zottegem on the 8th of July 1976. When Jessy reached the age of 8, she started singing. She released a single with the well known Belgian artist Willy Sommers, called ‘Twee Vrienden’ (Two Friends). A few months later artist ‘Marijn De Valck’, who lived in the same region, asked her to sing ‘Vang het licht’ (Catch the light) with him.

After a stint in a cover band called "Made in Belgium" she joined The Mackenzie and formed The Mackenzie feat. Jessy. They had big hits with "Innocence", "All I Need" "Alive, ..." and won a Belgian TMF Award for Best Album of 1999 with "Angel". After her Mackenzie period she went solo. Her debut solo song, "Look @ Me Now", became a big hit and launched Jessy into the UK and Spain markets. Mackenzie have never reached the top of the charts since Jessy left the group.

Her first solo album "Rain" did well in Belgium and also got a Canadian and American release. She released hits as "How Long", "Silent Tears" and "Head over heels". "How Long" was also released in America. At the end of 2004, Jessy released her first ballad single "Dancing In The Dark" in Belgium. It became a small hit, although nothing compared to the success of her dance tracks.

In 2006, Jessy started working on her second solo album. At the same time, a bootleg of her ballad "Dancing In The Dark" became huge in the UK. Many DJs were looking for it so Jessy and Micky Modelle made an official remix that climbed the charts in the northern summer of 2006. Together with Micky Modelle she reached the top 10 in the UK and the top 5 in Ireland. Also the follow up "Over You", a remix of another Jessy track "I'll get over you", reached the top 40 in the UK.

The Mackenzie released an "Innocence Reworks 2006" mix of their big hit "Innocence" in 2006 as this marked the tenth anniversary of their original hit success.

At the end of 2006, Jessy and Micky started working on a full album, especially for the UK market. Jessy is also still working on a new album for the Belgian fans.

Jessy & Micky Modelle are about to release the new single "Show Me Heaven" in the UK, a cover of the Maria McKee hit. Maria's version went to the first spot of the English charts in 1990 and was part of the "Days of Thunder" soundtrack.

Nowadays Jessy is working more of her time in the UK than in her homecountry of Belgium. When she's performing, she's one of the few dance acts who's singing live. On stage, she sings the hit singles "Dancing In The Dark" and "Over You", the new "Show Me Heaven" and an unknown track called "Lovelines".

By the end of 2007 she sang a few hits on the "Milk Inc Supersized 2" shows in Sportpaleis Belgium. She brought "Innocence" and "Living a lie". The performance got Jessy back in the Belgian spotlights. She started working on a duet with Linda from Milk Inc, one of her best friends. In December 2007, "Getting Out" was released in Belgium. Jessy's record company in England, AATW (All Around The World), also signed the song for release later in 2008.

Jessy announced that her third album, after "Angel" and "Rain", will be released in October 2008 in Belgium. The new single will be called "Stop the game". The track was released in June, the video was shot in April in Knokke (Belgium).

Discography

Albums

*"Rain"
*"Angel"

Singles (In no particular order)

*Innocence
*All I Need
*Alive
*Look @ Me Now
*How Long
*Silent Tears
*Head Over Heels
*Dancing In The Dark
*Living A Lie
*Getting Out
*Stop The Game

Singles with Micky Modelle

*Dancing In The Dark
*Over You
*Show Me Heaven

External links

* [http://www.jessy-music.com Website]
* [http://www.geocities.com/jessyfansite Fansite]