At Bournes Green, we believe that all genres of music should be celebrated, and successful artists should be recognised for their contribution to music. Each half-term, we will celebrate and learn about different musicians from around the world. The children will hear the artist's music as they come into and leave assembly. In addition, we share information about the artist on the main screen.

Summer 1 2024 - Status Quo​

Status Quo are an English rock band who were formed by schoolboys Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster in 1962; they were originally called The Spectres. After a number of line-up and band name changes, in 1969 they became known as Status Quo.​

Status Quo have had over 60 UK chart hits, starting with the 1967 song ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’. They are particularly well known for ‘Rocking All Over the World’ and ‘Whatever You Want’. These songs have sold all over the world and in their millions. In total, the band have sold over 118,000,000 records and spent over 7 ½ years in the British Singles Charts and have won dozens of musical awards.​

Jeff Rich joined the band in 1985 as a drummer. He was part of the famous ‘Rock till you drop’ album which was launched by the band performing four concerts in the space of a single day (11 hours and 11 minutes); this earned them a place in the Guinness Book of Records and raised over £2,000,000 for charities in the process.​

Status Quo have loyal fans all over the world. They are particularly famous​ in the UK, Scandinavia and mainland Europe. It is estimated the band have​ travelled over 4,000,000 miles to play over 6000 live shows to over ​25,000,000 people! ​

Francis Rossi and Rick Parfett were awarded the OBE in 2010 for their outstanding ​contribution to music. The band have also worked for a number of charities including ​The Princes Trust and British Heart Foundation. ​

Spring 2 2024 - Queen

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). ​

Before joining Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had been playing together in a band named Smile with bassist Tim Staffell. Freddie Mercury (then known by his birth name of Farrokh "Freddie" Bulsara) was a fan of Smile, and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques after Staffell's departure in 1970. Mercury joined the band shortly after, changed the name of the band to "Queen", and adopted his familiar stage name. ​

By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands watched by millions of people around the world. Possibly their most famous performance was in 1985 when they supported Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.​

In 1977 Roger Deacon retired and in 1991, Freddie Mercury died of Bronchopneumonia. Since then, May and Taylor have occasionally performed together, including a recent ​collaboration with Paul Rogers.​

​Queen have released 18 number one albums, 18 number one singles, and ​have sold an estimated 300 million records, making them one of the world's​ best selling music artists.

 

Spring 1 2024 - Diana Ross​

Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, actress, record producer and an occasional songwriter. Ross was born on 26th March 1944 in Detroit, America and rose to fame as a founding member and lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, which, during the 1960s, became Motown’s most successful act and is to this day America's most successful vocal group as well as one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time of all time. ​

The Supremes set a record scoring twelve number-one hit singles including the hits, “Baby  Love”, “Stop! In the Name of Love”, “You Can’t Hurry Love”, and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”.​

Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross released many solo albums which were hugely popular and sold all over the world. Diana Ross is also well known for her acting and won two prestigious awards, a Golden Globe and Academy Award. ​

In 1993, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Ross the most successful female music artist in history due to her success in the United States and United Kingdom for having ​more hits than any female artist in the charts with a career total of 70 hit singles ​with her work with the Supremes and as a solo artist. Ross has sold more than ​100 million records worldwide when her releases with the Supremes and as a ​solo artist are tallied.​

 

Autumn 2 2023 - David Bowie​

David Robert Jones was born on 8th January 1947. He was professionally known as David Bowie and was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. ​

Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music. Bowie's popular records included "Space Oddity", "Heroes", "Ashes to Ashes", "Under Pressure" (a 1981 collaboration with Queen) and Let's Dance. ​

Bowie was also an accomplished actor and starred in a number of films including Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Labyrinth, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and The Prestige.​
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum, eleven gold and eight silver album certifications, and released 11 number-one albums. ​

In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was ​inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked ​him among the greatest artists in history. As of 2022, Bowie was the ​best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.​

 

Autumn 1 2023 - Whitney Houston​

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on 9th August 1963 and was part of a famous musical family which included Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick and Darlene Love.​

By the age of 11, Houston started performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she also learned to play the piano. Houston spent some of her teenage years touring clubs where her mother Cissy was performing; occasionally she joined her on stage to perform with her. In 1977, aged 14, she became a backup singer for Michael Zager’s Band; a year later she sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single “I’m Every Woman”. ​

In 2009, The Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston is one of pop music's best-selling music artists of all-time, with an estimated 180–200 million records sold worldwide. ​

Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits and her 1985 ​debut album "Whitney Houston" became the best-selling debut album by a woman in history. ​

Houston's first acting role was as the star of the film The Bodyguard; one particular track, "I will always love you", became the best-selling single by a woman in music history. Houston continued to star in several successful films ​throughout the 1990's.

Sadly, in February 2012, Houston tragically died aged 49.

 

Summer 2 2023 - The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 and consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ​

The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool but quickly gained popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit, “Love Me Do", in late 1962. Their enormous popularity was named “Beatlemania” and the group were given the nickname the "Fab Four“. ​

From 1965 on, the Beatles produced what many critics consider their finest material, including the hugely popular Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club (1967), The Beatles (1968) and Abbey Road (1969). ​

After their breakup, in 1970, they each enjoyed successful musical careers. Sadly, John Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and George Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001.  Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr still make music and appear in concerts.​

Records show that the Beatles are the best-selling bands in the United ​States, with 177 million record sales. They have had more number-one ​albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any ​other act. 

 

Summer 1 2023 - Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway Morris was born in Michigan, USA, in 1950, the third of six children to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. He was born six weeks premature, which, along with a problem with the hospital incubator, resulted in a condition which caused the retinas to detach from the eye; this meant he became blind. ​

Wonder began playing instruments at an early age, including the piano, harmonica, drums and bass. He formed a singing partnership with a friend; calling themselves Stevie and John, they played on street corners, and occasionally at parties and dances. In 1961, when aged 11, Wonder was signed by the famous record label, Motown. Before signing, producer Clarence Paul gave him the name Little Stevie Wonder. ​

Among Wonder's works are singles such as “Superstition", “Sir Duke", “You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and “I Just Called to Say I Love You”. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder has sold over 100 million albums and singles, making him one of the top 60 best-selling ​

music artists. ​

​Wonder has been married twice: to Motown singer/songwriter Syreeta ​Wright from 1970 until 1972. Wonder later married fashion designed Kai Morris ​in 2001 although separated in 2009. He has seven children.​

​

Spring 2 2023 - Elton John

Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25th March 1947, the eldest child of Stanley and only child of Sheila Dwight. He was raised in Pinner, Middlesex in a small council house and attended Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School and Pinner County Grammar School. He left school at 17 to pursue a career in the music industry. ​

Elton is a hugely successful singer, composer, pianist, record producer, and occasional actor. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967 and have collaborated on over 30 albums.​

In his six-decade career, Elton has sold over 300 million records. He has more than fifty top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums. His single “Candle in the Wind" sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single of all time. He has received many awards for his music (Grammy Awards, Brit Awards, an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and Tony Award).​

In 1998, Elton received a knighthood from the Queen Elizabeth for "services to ​music and charitable services". ​

​Over the last 30 years, Elton John has raised over $200,000,000 for different ​charities. He is especially famous for hosting the annual Academy Award Party, ​ which is a party for rich and famous people after the Oscar ceremony.​

 

Spring 1 2023 - Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert Sinatra was born on 12th December 1915. He was an American singer and film actor. Sinatra found huge success as a solo artist from the early to mid-1940s after being signed by​

Columbia Records in 1943. He released his first album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra in 1946. His professional career had stalled by the early 1950s, but it was reborn in 1953 after he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film From Here to Eternity. ​

By 1961, Sinatra had created his own record label, (Reprise Records) and was singing all over the world. He was a founding member of the ’Rat Pack’ and spent lots of time with famous celebrities and politicians (other famous actors in the Rat Pack included Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior).​

​With sales of his music dwindling and after appearing in several poorly received films, Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971. Two years later, however, he came out of ​retirement and in 1973 recorded several very successful albums.​

​Sinatra is one of the most famous artists of all time, selling over 50,000,000 ​records! ​

​Frank Sinatra died on 14th May 1998 as one of the world’s most famous singers.​