Hollie Cook

Hollie Cook

Hollie Cook is a British singer, keyboardist and soprano from the United Kingdom. Born in London in 1987, she grows up around music as the daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. She begins working professionally in acting, singing and modelling at a young age, but moves away from performance arts schooling in favour of a music career shaped by reggae and pop.

Early work and the Slits

A family connection brings her into contact with Ari Up of The Slits, who persuades her to sing backing vocals on the EP Revenge of the Killer Slits. Cook then leaves school to join the band for a six-week tour. She becomes an official member of The Slits, with Ari Up describing her as the group’s second singer. When the band records a new album in Los Angeles, Cook contributes vocals, keyboards and her song Cry.

Collaborations and solo work

Cook later appears on a duet with Jamie T on his Chaka Demus EP and works with Ian Brown on The World Is Yours. Her most notable collaboration is as featured vocalist on Mike Pellanconi and Prince Fatty’s reggae track Milk and Honey, which receives airplay on BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, XFM and Kiss, and is used in Grey’s Anatomy. She is drawn to working with Mike after hearing his tracks.

Style and influences

Cook describes her solo direction as tropical pop, shaped by her interest in reggae singers Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon alongside classic 1960s girl groups. Her self-titled debut album is recorded for Mr Bongo Records.

Other activity

At the time of the biography, Cook is also working with The Rotten Hill Gang, a loose group formed by Gary Stonadge of Big Audio Dynamite II, who are touring with a reformed Big Audio Dynamite.