Born on August 17, 1958, Belinda the daughter of Walt and Joanne Carlisle would go on to become one of pop rocks biggest stars. After graduating from Newbury Park High School in 1976, Carlisle frequented a lot of Hollywood's clubs. It was here that she met Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin, Gina Schock, and Kathy Valentine. They formed the Go-Gos in Los Angeles in 1978 and was the first successful all female band of the 80's. Their first album "Beauty and the Beat" was a hit, followed by the less successful Vacation and Talk Show in 1982 and 84 repectively.
Problems with band members and a uncooperative record company led the the announced break up of the Go-Gos on May 10, 1985.
After the breakup Belinda decided to pursue a solo-career while still on with I.R.S. Records releasing her first solo album "Belinda" in 1986. This dynamite album established Carlisle's career with such hits as "I Feel the Magic", "Since You've Gone", and "Mad About You". The album contained the same feel as the Go-Gos.
Belinda's career took a major turn when she left I.R.S Records and signed with MCA in the US and Virgin Records in the UK. Now Belinda had international stardom with the release of a new album in "Heaven is a Place on Earth" in 1987. This masterpiece of pop rock earned Belinda a Grammy nomination as well as a number one spot in the U.S. and the UK.
Belinda continued her career by releasing "Runaway Horses" in 1989 and "Live Your Life Be Free" in 1991. Carlisle also made it clear that she was serious about humanitarian and animal rights by signing on with such groups as PETA, ECHO and Greenpeace.
"Real" was released in 1993 featuring a more punk rock sound like the sound from her days as a Go-Go. In fact, many of the songs on this album were co-written with fellow Go-Go Charlotte Caffey. 1997 saw the release of "A Woman and a Man" in the UK. The album was a success and Belinda gained chart hits with "In Too Deep", "Always Breaking My Heart", and "California". It took over a year before this album saw release stateside. Unfortunate lack of publicity in the states doomed this album to failure and it failed to see any real placement in the charts in the US. In the summer of 1999 Belinda rejoined the Go-Go's and they launched a summer tour in the US. |
