Ava Leigh

Notable for being the first and probably last reggae singer to come out of Chester, England, Ava Leigh managed to win over the cynical music press thanks to the authentic sounds of her debut album. Born in 1986, Leigh (real name Hayley Carline) grew up on a musical diet of her mother's lovers rock and ska collection. At a holiday talent contest she discovered her singing abilities, so she joined the school choir and jazz band. Declining an offer from her parents to send her to stage school on the grounds she wanted to do things her own way, she soon signed a deal with 141a Man...