Katie Melua

– Riding high on the success of her multi-platinum debut album “Call off the Search,” KATIE MELUA’s latest album “Piece By Piece,” has sold over 2.5 million copies and holds steady at the top of the charts throughout Europe. She is currently Britain’s biggest-selling female artist for two consecutive years (2004 and 2005). KATIE’S soulful, acoustic sound has captured audiences around the world and this summer she will be a special guest on the North American leg of Il Divo’s 2006 World Tour.

At 21 years of age, this international singing sensation has performed for Nelson Mandela, rocked with the legendary group Queen and can call the Queen of England one of her biggest fans. She even caught the attention of Hollywood when she was asked to record the title track for the feature film Just Like Heaven starring Reese Witherspoon.

Fans would not realize from her burgeoning career and superstar fans that KATIE came from humble beginnings. Born in Georgia (former USSR) and raised in Northern Ireland, KATIE and her family now call London home however, KATIE refuses to let her new-found fame go to her head.

“Where I grew up in Georgia, we had no electricity, I had to go down four flights of stairs at the age of seven to bring up water,” said Katie. “Back then I would not have dreamed that I would have fans all over the world. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining Il Divo on tour this summer to perform for the fans in the United States,” said Melua.

June 6th marks the US release of her album “Piece By Piece”. Following her sold-out performances all over Europe, this young, talented artist will be joining IL DIVO on tour.

Plucked from music school obscurity by songwriter/producer Mike Batt, Katie Melua saw her debut bolt up the U.K. charts upon its release there in late 2003. Melua was born in Soviet Georgia in 1984. Eventually, she and her family moved to Belfast, Ireland, and finally to London, where Melua entered the B.R.I.T. School for the Performing Arts & Technology. The record industry-funded school had a habit of graduating talented performing artists (Floetry, for example), and Melua became its next success when a 2003 showcase caught the attention of Batt, who'd been looking for a vocalist capable in both jazz and blues styles. Call Off the Search was issued in the U.K. in November 2003 through Batt's Dramatico Records imprint. A comfortable, extremely tasteful blend of jazz vocals, pop style, and adult contemporary sway, the album featured two cuts penned by Melua (including a tribute to one of her biggest influences, Eva Cassidy), as well as covers of material from John Mayall, Randy Newman, and the James Shelton classic "Lilac Wine." The single "Closest Thing to Crazy" hit number one in December, and by January of the following year, Call Off the Search had gone platinum (300,000 units in the U.K.). Gigs in Europe followed, and in May 2004 Melua made her way to the U.S. for a round of club dates supporting the album's domestic release. She achieved even greater success with her 2005 follow-up, Piece by Piece, a heady blend of worldbeat and jazz-pop that topped both the international and British charts before setting its sights on the U.S. market in 2006. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide