Alison Moyet
Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet
Alf
18 June 1961
Billericay, Essex, England
- Singer
- songwriter
1981–present
- Cooking Vinyl
- Columbia
- Sanctuary
- W14 Music
- Sony Music
- Mute
- The Vandals
- the Screamin' Ab Dabs
- the Vicars
- the Little Roosters
- Yazoo
Her worldwide album sales have reached a certified 23 million, with over two million singles sold. All nine of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the top 30 of the UK Albums Chart, with two of them reaching number one. She has also achieved nine top 30 singles and six top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart.[1] Her most recent album, her ninth, Other, was released 16 June 2017.[2]
Early life[edit]
Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet[3] was born in Billericay, Essex, to a French father and English mother.[4] She grew up in the nearby town of Basildon, where she attended Janet Duke Junior School and then Nicholas Comprehensive at secondary level.[5][6]
She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Vandals,[4] the Screamin' Ab Dabs, the Vicars and the Little Roosters[4] (the latter featuring Garrie Lammin, formerly of Cock Sparrer).
Theatre[edit]
Moyet made her stage debut in the London West End production of the musical Chicago in 2001.[13] She played the part of Matron "Mama" Morton. Although the play was initially intended for a short run, it was extended to six months.
In 2006, she appeared in the play Smaller, which undertook a regional tour before a stint at London's Lyric Theatre.
Personal life[edit]
Moyet's first marriage, to hairdresser and retired London firefighter Malcolm Lee, with whom she has a son, ended in divorce. Moyet has a daughter with former partner Kim McCarthy, and a daughter with her current husband David Ballard. In 2013, Moyet moved from Radlett, Hertfordshire, to Brighton.
Moyet has been candid about her battles with weight and agoraphobia and the challenges of having dyslexia and ADHD.[33][34] She embarked on a weight loss programme, because she did not want to become "an obese old woman".[35]
On 14 October 2014, Moyet was presented with a Gold Badge Award by professional music writers association The Ivors Academy.[36]
Moyet was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music.[37]
Moyet is a supporter of Southend United.[38]
Moyet received a degree in Fine Art Printmaking from the University of Brighton in 2023 at age 61.[39]