Melissa Cecelia Ewen Bell (5 March 1964 – 28 August 2017) was an English singer. The former lead singer of Grammy winning R&B act Soul II Soul, she subsequently fronted the group Soul Explosion, which started in 1999. She also worked with Liza Minnelli, Whitney Houston, and Stevie Wonder.

Early life

A native of London, Bell was of African, and East Indian descent through her Jamaican-born parents. She was a graduate of Southwark College in London Borough of Southwark. She later began working in customer service for Marks and Spencer from 1982 until 1991.

Career

In 1987, she was featured on Bobby E and the Midi City Crew's single "Walk on the Wild Side". In 1991, she appeared on the song "The Dancer" from the Bingoboys' album The Best of Bingoboys. She released her debut single "Reconsider" in 1992, which received major radio play.

In 1993, Bell joined British musical group Soul II Soul after Jazzie B heard her single "Reconsider" and asked her to join the group. She recorded a single called "Wish", which was released on their greatest hits album Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93 in 1993. The single peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. The success of the song invited her to perform the song on Top of the Pops. She continued to record and tour with the group as one of their featured singers. In 1995, she performed lead vocals on the song "Be a Man" on their fourth studio album Volume V: Believe. In the same year, she departed from the group to continue her solo career.

In 1997, Bell released four singles "Rumbled Sex", "Surrender", "Mixed Up", and "Nothing Gonna Stop Me Now"; which featured Potential Bad Boy. In 1999, she formed a new soul band called Soul Explosion. In 2000, she released two singles "Into My World" and "Love's in Need of Love Today" with a group called Dazz. In 2002, she released another single "(No More) Searching".

In June 2010, she released her autobiography Heart and Soul: The Emotional Autobiography of Melissa Bell.

Personal life

Bell was the mother of four children including singer Alexandra Burke. She suffered from diabetes, a condition which ran in her family. She also suffered kidney failure, and struggled to attend her daughter's live performances during her time on The X Factor. On 29 August 2017, her daughter announced the death of the singer.

Discography

Singles

• 1991: "Walk on the Wild Side" (Bobby E and the Midi City Crew featuring Melissa Bell)
• 1992: "Reconsider"
• 1993: "Wish" (with Soul II Soul)
• 1997: "Rumbled Sex"
• 1997: "Surrender"
• 1997: "Mixed Up"
• 1997: "Nothing Gonna Stop Me Now" (featuring Potential Bad Boy)
• 2000: "Into My World" (with Dazz)
• 2001: "Love's in Need of Love Today" (with Dazz)
• 2002: "(No More) Searching"
• 2009: "Innocent Till Proven Guilty"