Mica Paris

Real Name: Michelle Wallen
Birthday: 27 April 1969
Hometown: London
Biggest Hit Single: My One Temptation, number seven, 1988
Career Highlights: Number five album So Good, in 1988

Mica Paris was the Beverley Knight of the late 1980s; a ballsy, powerful female singer who never really had the success her voice deserved. Remember Mica’s 80s single Breathe Life Into Me? You might not, because it only got to number 26! Although some of her other efforts did make more of a splash.

Mica started singing in church during her childhood, and later became a session singer at the age of 15 for bands such as Hollywood Beyond and Shakatak.
In 1988 she put out her most successful single, My One Temptation, which peaked at number seven. Mica went on to release plenty more singles, like Where Is Love? and Contribution, but none brought her much success.

These days Mica lives in London and has her own show on BBC Radio 2, called Soul Sessions. She also competed in the ITV singing competition Hit Me Baby One More Time.

Mica can’t seem to keep off the telly and during 2006 she appeared in the four-part BBC TV series The Sound of Musicals and later Strictly Come Dancing. She entered the competition with dancer Ian Waite but was the second celebrity to get knocked out the running.

Mica has also designed a pillow-case for ByteNight a charity event organised to raise funds for the NCH and youth homelessness.