Diane Charlemagne

British soul singer Diane Charlemagne was one of the most prominent, recognizable vocalists of the post-rave era, lending her soaring, angelic voice to numerous anthems, most notably <a href="spotify:artist:2SYqJ3uDLLXZNyZdLKBy4M">Goldie</a>'s unforgettable crossover smash "Inner City Life." Born in Manchester in 1964, she first made a name for herself in the mid-'80s after joining funk/dance group 52nd Street, appearing on their <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Factory%22">Factory</a>-released 1984 single "Can't Afford" and both of their full-length albums, released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%2210+Records%22">10 Records</a>/<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Virgin%22">Virgin</a>. After the band dissolved in 1988, Charlemagne formed Cool Down Zone with 52nd Street's Tony Bowry, releasing a sole album, New Direction, in 1990 before disbanding.

She guested on early-'90s club hits by <a href="spotify:artist:1BlBZ9jQGOjmj6Zykgg43L">4hero</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5syLneixdegDwKaoByhVq9">Eskimos & Egypt</a>, and was a member of <a href="spotify:artist:1DAJPl1Q9bNwPGUqL08nzG">Howie B</a>'s short-lived project <a href="spotify:artist:63xY0X2EHVI9cYp4dkjcts">Nomad Soul</a>, but she became a fixture on the pop charts after joining Euro-dance act <a href="spotify:artist:1QYMj6ouUhi6yis1HE8M68">Urban Cookie Collective</a>, who scored two U.K. Top Five hits ("The Key the Secret" and "Feels Like Heaven") in 1993. That same year, Charlemagne appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:2SYqJ3uDLLXZNyZdLKBy4M">Goldie</a>'s single "Angel" (initially released under the name Metalheads), providing the newly emerging jungle/drum'n'bass sound with a soulfulness that helped popularize it. "Inner City Life" appeared the following year and reached the Top 40 of the U.K. pop chart, setting the stage for <a href="spotify:artist:2SYqJ3uDLLXZNyZdLKBy4M">Goldie</a>'s debut full-length, Timeless, which was universally hailed as one of 1995's best albums and regarded as a landmark release of its genre. Charlemagne also contributed vocals to <a href="spotify:artist:2SYqJ3uDLLXZNyZdLKBy4M">Goldie</a>'s beyond-ambitious 1998 double-CD Saturnz Return, as well as its more pared-down single-disc follow-up, Ring of Saturn.

Aside from her work with <a href="spotify:artist:2SYqJ3uDLLXZNyZdLKBy4M">Goldie</a>, Charlemagne collaborated with several other well-regarded dance producers (sometimes under the pseudonym <a href="spotify:artist:2bZOS9LuOGzRXhEIAZACpT">D'Empress</a>), including house veterans <a href="spotify:artist:3TrAOZvW0MzZeKZRFnU7Ul">Satoshi Tomiie</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5cWh5zsmOIFhuPL0Ay1e7f">Joey Negro</a>, as well as performing live with <a href="spotify:artist:3OsRAKCvk37zwYcnzRf5XF">Moby</a> during several dates of his Play tour in the early 2000s. Around 2005, her vocals came into vogue among drum'n'bass producers once again, and she appeared on tracks by <a href="spotify:artist:0sklgkoO5JeS7YNhHS5EmH">Calibre</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0bxHci3JIhhKA53n8rH3tT">High Contrast</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5TgQ66WuWkoQ2xYxaSTnVP">Netsky</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1fAFVmxFjwB872XsEUomIK">Cyantific</a>, and many others. Sadly, Charlemagne succumbed to cancer at the age of 51 on October 28, 2015, less than a month before her solo single, "It's in Your Eyes," was scheduled for release. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi