• April 11, 1966
• She's from Manchester, England, known in the '70s and '80s as the epicenter of British rave culture (the "Madchester" scene). By the late '80s that scene had coalesced into more straightforward dance music that suited Stansfield well - her soulful vocals paired very well with the beats.
• She got her start competing in local talent shows in Manchester. When she was 14 she won a contest that earned her a TV appearance; in second place was a stand-up comedian named Derek Ryder, the father of Happy Mondays founders Shaun and Paul Ryder.
• Stansfield is best known for her 1989 hit "All Around The World" from her debut album, "Affection." It went to #1 in her native UK and (fittingly) reached the charts around the world.
• Before she was a solo artist, Stansfield was in a trio called Blue Zone with Andy Morris and Ian Devaney. They were signed to Arista records and and put out an album in 1988. When it underperformed, Stansfield became a solo artist with Arista, with Morris and Devaney working with her on songwriting and production. She and Devaney got married in 1998.
• A career highlight for Stansfield was the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 at Wembley Stadium, where she joined the remaining members of Queen to sing on "I Want to Break Free" and "These Are The Days Of Our Lives."
• Stansfield had three #1 R&B hits - "All Around The World," "You Can't Deny It" and "All Woman" - making her the first white woman to top that chart more than once (Teena Marie went to #1 with "Ooo La La La" in 1988).
• Stansfield is fun a parties. "I'm a real trouper," she told the Daily Mail. "If everyone's energy is waning because it's getting late, even if I have to do a little tap-dance or show my bum to make everybody wake up, I'll do it. I like to keep everyone happy."

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