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A Brit Award nominee and regular occupant of the Top 20, soul singer Michelle Gayle was undoubtedly one of the most successful soap stars turned pop stars of the '90s. Born in London in 1971, Gayle attended the Barbara Speake Stage School in Acton, where Naomi Campbell was among her fellow students. At the age of 17, she landed the role of Fiona Wilson in the BBC school drama Grange Hill. In 1990, she moved to the hugely popular Eastenders, where, as Hattie Tavernier, she was part of one of Britain's first black soap families. Three years later, she left the show to pursue a career in music, and after signing with RCA Records, she released her first single, "Looking Up," which reached number 11. A year later, she achieved her biggest success with the number four hit "Sweetness," which went on to sell 300,000 copies. Her self-titled debut album soon followed, reaching number 30 and spawning further singles "I'll Find You" (number 26), "Freedom" (number 16), and "Happy Just to Be with Yo...
