Mel and Kim - Biography

Biography

Mel & Kim were born to British and Jamaican parents. In 1985, Mel recorded two demos solo, under Alan Whitehead's management. The producers loved her voice and they asked her if she would have someone to sing with. That's how Kim got involved. The girls recorded about five demos (according to Mr. Whitehead). One of these songs - "Wild and Crazy Love",a Mary Jane Girls cover - can be heard on the Mel and Kim documentary on YouTube. The demos got them signed with Supreme Records, and Nick East - president of Supreme - put them in touch with Stock Aitken Waterman.

"System" was intended as their first single, but they and the producers were unhappy with it, and it became the "B-side" of their first release "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)", which reached number three on the British charts in 1986 and number one on the USA Dance charts. Their next single "Respectable" reached number one in Britain and became one of the year's biggest hits. They became well-known celebrities, particularly in Britain, and were known for their visual style which combined urban street wear with high fashion; prior to their music career Mel had worked as a glamour model. Their third single "F.L.M." reached number seven in the UK, while their final single "That's the Way It Is" reached number ten, giving them an unbroken run of top ten hits.

In December 1985, prior to the duo's rise to fame, Mel was treated for malignant paraganglioma, a form of cancer, on her liver . By January 1987, Mel was experiencing back problems, delaying the filming of the Respectable music video . During a promotional visit to Japan in June 1987, the severity of Mel's back problem became apparent. Upon returning to the UK, she was diagnosed with a recurrence of the cancer in her spine. The sisters withdrew from publicity while Mel underwent treatment, and footage from their Montreux Festival performance was used to compile the "F.L.M." music video. While the media speculated that Mel was terminally ill, both sisters categorically denied this, stating that Mel had suffered a debilitating back injury.

Eventually, it was confirmed that Mel had been diagnosed with cancer, following the release of "That's the Way it Is" in February 1988. Mel discharged herself from hospital to record the vocals for the track. Work on a second album was not continued, due to Mel's illness. Both sisters appeared on the Wogan show in April 1988 while Mel was still undergoing treatment, as part of European Cancer Week. She died of pneumonia on 18 January 1990, after contracting a cold; her immune system weakened by chemotherapy.