After Dinner Speakers: Anastacia, Rolf Harris, Penny Smith

Anastacia Newkirk, 17 September 1973, USA. This Los Angeles, California, USA-based soul diva was raised in Chicago but relocated to New York as a teenager. She enrolled at Manhattan's Professional Children's School at the age of 14, but before too long was immersing herself in the city's dance music scene at Club 1018. Her first claim to fame was as a dancer for hire, making regular appearances on MTV's Club MTV and featuring in a couple of videos for urban duo Salt-N-Pepa. A frustrating spell as a session vocalist followed, before an appearance on the MTV talent show The Cut brought her to the attention of several major labels. A recording contract with the Epic Records subsidiary Daylight followed in March 1999. The singer collaborated with leading American producer/writers on her debut Not That Kind, but the album's highly commercial blend of soul, dance and pop proved more popular in Europe than her homeland. Both "I'm Outta Love" and the title track became huge club and pop hits, with particular attention being paid to the singer's remarkably powerful vocals. Reminiscent of Chaka Khan and Tina Turner at their peak, many people were astonished to discover that Anastacia is only in her late twenties and white.