Career
In the late 1970s Bright was a singer for the art rock band Deaf School. After Deaf School disbanded, Bright went solo with her backing band, 'The Illuminations'. Band members were Henry Priestman (formerly with band Yachts), Rusty Egan (Visage) and Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols). Their single debut, a cover of "My Boyfriend's Back" in 1978, was followed by another cover, "Captain of Your Ship", which became a minor airplay hit.
Their third single, "Hello, I Am Your Heart" entered the UK Singles Chart and spent a week at #50 (and featured Lee 'Kix' Thompson on saxophone). In between, Bright (using her real name, Anne Martin) spent a while as singer of Dutch band Gruppo Sportivo, and she also appeared in Malcolm McLaren's Sex Pistols film, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.
In 1981, she issued the album Rhythm Breaks the Ice, which featured songs she had written herself, but also classics like "Shoorah, Shoorah" as well as new interpretations of songs by Deaf School. Her backing band on this album - still called The Illuminations - had a similar line-up to Clive Langer & the Boxes: Clive Langer (guitar/sitar), Ian Broudie (guitar), James Eller (bass); Jo Allen and Martin Hughes (drums); and Ben Barson, brother of Madness keyboardist Mike Barson (keyboards). (Clive Langer & The Boxes consisted of Langer, Eller, Barson and Hughes.) The album was produced by Clanger/Winstanley.
Working with Barson, Langer and Alan Winstanley, Bright got to know Madness, and she and Madness singer Suggs, fell in love. They married in 1982, and she retired to private life. She did appear, however, in 1984 in a video to accompany Madness' "One Better Day" single, playing the part of a homeless person. In 1988, she joined her fellow Deaf School members for a reunion and a live album.
In 1992 she provided a spoken human voice overlay to "Walk You Home", a track on Tim Finn's fourth album, Before & After. In recent years, she has joined the reformed Deaf School for one off gigs, In December 2007 at The O2 venue Indigo2 for Madness' aftershow party, the band were joined on stage by her daughters, who sang backing vocals. She also sang with her husband, Suggs. Bright reunited with Deaf school once again in December 2009 for a selection of UK dates in London and Liverpool, including a date at the 100 Club.
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