Sonia is the stage name of Sonia Evans, a British pop singer and actress from Liverpool. Born in 1971, she is associated with late-1980s and early-1990s pop and is known for a soft, husky contralto voice.

Music career

Her recording career begins with Stock Aitken Waterman, who launch her in 1989 after she persuades Pete Waterman to hear her sing outside a Liverpool studio and later sings live on his radio show. Her debut single, "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You", reaches number one in the UK singles chart, and her first album, Everybody Knows, enters the top ten. Other singles follow, including "Can't Forget You", "Listen To Your Heart", "Counting Every Minute", and "End Of The World".

After changing labels, she continues to chart with "Only Fools (Never Fall In Love)", "You To Me Are Everything", and "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy". She also appears on "You've Got a Friend", credited to Big Fun & Sonia featuring Gary Barnacle.

Eurovision and television

Sonia represents the United Kingdom at the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest with "Better The Devil You Know", written by Dean Collinson and Red, and finishes second. She later appears on the ITV series Reborn in the USA in 2003 and is voted off in its fifth week. Her screen work also includes a role on the BBC sitcom Bread.

Stage work and later appearances

Her stage work includes appearing in the West End production of Grease alongside Shane Richie, and she also plays Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk in Horsham, West Sussex, alongside Mark Currie. She continues to tour and make television appearances, and a Greatest Hits album appears in 2007, omitting her Stock Aitken Waterman recordings.

Public profile

She is parodied by Dawn French in the Star Test section of French & Saunders.