Mica Paris

Mica Paris is an English soul singer, radio and television presenter, occasional actress and author. She is born Michelle Wallen in 1969 and is from Islington, United Kingdom. Her work draws on soul and gospel, and she develops a career that also crosses into pop, R&B and neo-soul contexts.

Early life and musical beginnings

Paris grows up singing in her grandparents’ church and, by her mid-teens, appears regularly with The Spirit of Watts gospel choir. She features with the choir on the Gospel Joy EP in 1985. At 17, she gets her first professional break as a backing vocalist with the UK chart band Hollywood Beyond, appearing on their album In.

Recording career

Paris releases her debut album in 1988 on 4th & Broadway. The album becomes platinum-selling and includes the single “My One Temptation”. She follows it with a collaboration with Will Downing on a version of “Where Is the Love”.

Her second album, Contribution, appears in 1991 and extends her soul and gospel base into hip-hop and house. It includes “If I Love U 2 Nite”, written especially for her by Prince and recorded at his Paisley Park studios. Around this period, she also records with Omar Lye-Fook on “I Should Have Known Better”, issued as the B-side to “I Never Felt Like This Before”.

Paris works on several notable collaborations in the early 1990s, including recordings with Anita Baker, Bonnie Raitt and Natalie Cole on Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa in 1990, and the title track for Isaac Julien’s Young Soul Rebels soundtrack the following year. She also records with Bobby Womack on “I Wish I’d Never Met You”, with Courtney Pine on “Redemption Song”, and with Stereo MCs on “Don’t Let Up”.

Her third album, Whisper A Prayer, is released in 1993 and combines soul, jazz and blues with string arrangements. It produces top twenty singles including “Never Felt Like This Before” and “Wanna Hold On To You”. Further collaborations follow with Guru on “Looking Through Darkness”, Mark Morrison on “Tears For You” and Maxwell on “Mantra”.

In 1994 she records “Confection” with Omar and “High Vibes” with Max Beesley. She later works with Dubversive on “Police & Thieves”, appears on the Mobo All Stars compilation album, and records “One Million Smiles” with Mister Exe. She also collaborates with Prince on “Just My Imagination” and with Boy George on “I Could Be Someone”.

Paris releases Black Angel on Chrysalis in 1998. The album includes a cover of U2’s “One” and a duet with James Ingram, and it produces the top twenty singles “Stay” and “Carefree”. A best-of collection follows in 1999.

She also records “I Put a Spell on You” with David Gilmour and Jools Holland, a collaboration she performs on more than one occasion. In 2001 she contributes to the soundtrack for High Heels and Low Lifes, later included on the Primal Screen compilation. In 2003 she releases “Heart” with Seraphim Suite, which samples Moby. She also contributes “I Don’t Understand” to Milk & Sugar’s Housmusic.de.

In 2004 she appears as a guest on Inspirations by The New Inspirational Choir, alongside Keisha White and Jocelyn Brown, returning to gospel. In 2005 she collaborates with M-Gee on “Bodyswerve”, a club hit, and releases If You Could Love Me on Wounded Bird Records, with backing from the Brecker Brothers on the title track. She also releases Soul Classics, a collection based on songs chosen by listeners of her BBC Radio 2 programme Soul Solutions. That same year she duets with Jimmy Barnes on “Run” from his album Double Happiness.

Paris collaborates with Lemar on “Can’t You See” from The Truth About Love in 2006. In 2008 she releases “Secret Lovers” with Alexander O’Neal and begins a residency at the Indigo2 under the banner “Mica Paris & friends”. Born Again follows in 2009, produced by Brian Rawling, with “Baby Come Back Now” written for her by James Morrison.

Broadcasting, stage and screen

In 2002 Paris moves into radio presenting with BBC Radio 2’s Soul Solutions and narrates several music documentaries for the station. She also presents the Channel 4 documentary The Gospel of Gospel, which examines the influence of the black American church on popular music, and broadcasts the two-part BBC Radio 2 programme Purple Reign: The Prince Story.

Her television work includes appearances on Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, Come Dine With Me, What Not to Wear, Miss Naked Beauty, CelebAir, The Wright Stuff, Loose Women and Strictly Come Dancing. From 2007 she co-hosts What Not to Wear for two seasons.

As an actress, Paris appears in the West End productions Mama I Want to Sing and Sweet Lorraine in 1993, takes part in the UK tour of The Vagina Monologues in 2004, and plays Amelia Walker in the 2007 television drama Marple: At Bertram’s Hotel.

Writing

Paris is also an author. She writes Beautiful Within: Finding Happiness and Confidence in Your Own Skin, published by Simon & Schuster UK in 2008.