Billie Ray Martin

Equally inspired by soul and electronic music, Billie Ray Martin earned a string of Top 10 dance-pop hits during the late 1980s and 1990s. She was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on April 27, 1959, and launched her singing career after moving to Berlin in the 1980s. Martin later relocated to London, where she joined the techno-pop band Electribe 101 in 1987. The group's debut single, "Talking With Myself," became an international hit, reaching Number 23 on the UK Singles Chart, Number 8 on the US Dance Chart, and Number 26 in Ireland. Meanwhile, Martin also performed with S'Express, serving as a guest vocalist on the group's 1989 hit, "Hey Music Lover," which cracked the Top 40 in nine countries. She toured with both bands through the early 1990s and launched her solo career in 1993, looking to highlight her songwriting abilities as well as her vocal power. Although her debut EP, 1993's Persuasion, was a commercial flop, Martin struck gold with 1995's Deadline For My Memories. The album included "Your Loving Arms," a gold-certified club classic that charted at Number 8 in Ireland, Number 6 in the UK, and Number 1 in America. The album's next single, "Running Around Town," rose to Number 3 in America later that year. Although Martin scored a minor hit in the UK with 1999's "Honey," follow-up releases like 2001's 18 Carat Garbage and 2003's BRM New Demos failed to make a significant dent on the charts. Undaunted, Martin continued releasing music throughout the following two decades, teaming up with Terranova for the 2012 single "Make Me Feel" and jettisoning her electronic influences for a more organic sound on 2016's The Soul Tapes.