Lisa Stansfield is a singer, songwriter and actress from Manchester, United Kingdom. Her work spans blue-eyed soul, contemporary R&B, dance, dance-pop, pop and R&B, and she records on Arista Records.

Early career

Stansfield begins her career after winning the Search for a Star singing competition in 1980. She then appears on television and releases a run of early singles, including “Your Alibis” in 1981, followed by “The Only Way”, “Listen to Your Heart” and “I Got a Feeling” in 1982 and 1983. She also appears on Granada Television and on children’s programmes such as “Razzamatazz” and “The Krankies Klub”. In 1983, she is the subject of the documentary “Born in the Sixties: Lisa Stansfield”.

Blue Zone and early collaborations

In the early 1980s, Stansfield starts working with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and the three form Blue Zone. The group releases several singles and the album Big Thing in 1988. Their releases include “Love Will Wait”, “Finest Thing”, “On Fire”, “Thinking About His Baby” and “Jackie”, the last of which gains chart success in the United States.

She also contributes vocals to Coldcut’s “People Hold On” in 1989, a collaboration that leads to a solo recording contract with Arista Records. She later co-writes and records the song with Coldcut for the album What’s That Noise?.

Solo breakthrough

Stansfield’s debut solo album, Affection, is released in 1989 and becomes her international breakthrough. It includes “All Around the World”, “Live Together”, “This Is the Right Time”, “What Did I Do to You?” and “You Can’t Deny It”. The album sells more than five million copies worldwide, reaches the top ten in many countries and earns multi-platinum certifications in several territories. She tours Europe and North America in support of it and receives two Grammy Award nominations.

In 1989, she also appears on Band Aid II’s recording of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”. In 1990, she contributes “Down in the Depths” to the charity compilation Red Hot + Blue.

Albums in the 1990s and 2000s

Her second album, Real Love, follows in 1991 and reaches the top ten in several countries. Singles from the album include “Change”, “All Woman”, “Time to Make You Mine”, “Set Your Loving Free” and “A Little More Love”. She tours Europe, Asia and the United States, and records “Someday (I’m Coming Back)” for The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. She also writes for Dionne Warwick’s album Friends Can Be Lovers.

In 1993, Stansfield collaborates with George Michael and Queen on “These Are the Days of Our Lives” for the charity EP Five Live. She also performs “I Want to Break Free” at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert and records “In All the Right Places” for the film Indecent Proposal. Later that year she releases So Natural, alongside other tribute and soundtrack recordings, and the duet “Dream Away” with Babyface.

Her self-titled album, Lisa Stansfield, arrives in 1997 and achieves commercial success in Europe. Singles include “People Hold On (The Bootleg Mixes)”, “The Real Thing”, “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” and “The Line”. Several remixes and dance releases reach number one on the Billboard dance charts. She tours South America, the United States and Europe in 1997 and 1998.

In 1999, she records “The Longer We Make Love” with Barry White and later contributes songs to Motown Mania and to The Wedding Planner soundtrack. Her 2001 album Face Up draws on funk, soul and 2-step garage. It has moderate chart success and is followed by a European tour.

In 2003, she releases the compilation Biography: The Greatest Hits, which reaches number three in the United Kingdom. Arista Records reissues her studio albums and releases The Complete Collection. She also contributes “I’ve Got the World on a String” to the soundtrack of Mona Lisa Smile.

After signing with ZTT Records, Stansfield releases The Moment in 2004. Trevor Horn produces the album, which charts in several European countries. The singles are “Treat Me Like a Woman” and “If I Hadn’t Got You”. She tours Europe in 2005.

Later work and acting

Stansfield also works as an actress, appearing in the films Swing in 1999, The Edge of Love in 2008 and Northern Soul in 2014. After a period that includes acting, she returns to recording and announces Seven in 2013. Released in 2014, it reaches number 13 in the United Kingdom and includes “Can’t Dance” and “Carry On”; it is later reissued as Seven+. She tours extensively in the United Kingdom and Europe.

In 2014, Edsel Records releases The Collection 1989-2003, a box set containing albums, videos and other material. Live in Manchester follows in 2015. In 2017, she announces Deeper and a European tour. Released in 2018, the album reaches the top 20 in the United Kingdom. “Everything” tops the UK Soul Chart, while “Never Ever” reaches the Billboard dance chart in the United States. She returns to North America in 2018 for her first tour there in two decades. In 2019, she undertakes the Affection 30th Anniversary Tour and Affection is reissued on vinyl.

Recognition

Stansfield has more than 20 million record sales worldwide. Her awards include three Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, a Billboard Music Award, a World Music Award, an ASCAP Award, a Women’s World Award, a Silver Clef Award and two DMC Awards. Billboard ranks her among the most successful dance artists of all time in 2016.

Musical influences

She cites Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Chic and Barry White among her main influences, reflecting her strong connection to soul music.