The frontwoman for beloved British club-pop trio
Saint Etienne, diva
Sarah Cracknell was born April 12, 1967 in Chelmsford, Essex; raised primarily in the Windsor area, as a youth she attended convent school, and later briefly studied drama. After a stint with the little-known
Prime Time, in the spring of 1991
Cracknell was recruited to sing on the third
Saint Etienne single "Nothing Can Stop Us"; her cool allure fit perfectly with the group's sophisticated indie-dance approach, and after contributing heavily to their 1991 debut LP
Fox Base Alpha she was made an official member of the lineup. After completing two more
Saint Etienne albums, 1993's
So Tough and 1994's
Tiger Bay, in the summer of 1996
Cracknell issued her debut solo single "Anymore"; an LP,
Lipslide, followed in the spring. And in the midst of recording and releasing
Saint Etienne's fifth album
Sound of Water in summer 2000,
Cracknell balanced out another solo effort entitled
Kelly's Locker, which appeared in September. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide