VICTORIA BECKHAM

'Victoria Beckham ' (née 'Adams'; born 17 April 1974) is an English singer, songwriter, fashion designer and television personality but is best known for her marriage to English footballer David Beckham. During her rise to fame with pop group the Spice Girls, she was dubbed 'Posh Spice'. Since the Spice Girls split up, Beckham has released four UK Top 10 singles though she has failed to repeat the success she enjoyed at the height of her career wih the Spice Girls.

Contents

Music career

Spice Girls

Virgin Records

The Telstar / 19 Management era

Fashion career

Books

Television

Personal life

Rebecca Loos Scandal

Move to LA

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

References

External links

Music career

Spice Girls

Main articles: Spice Girls

Victoria Beckham (then Adams) joined the all-girl group Spice Girls, first called "Touch," in 1994, together with Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm. The group's first single, "Wannabe," went to number one in the UK and the U.S., and would be followed by eight other hugely successful number one singles from their albums ''Spice'' and ''Spiceworld''. Each member of the group received a nickname from the media: Victoria became "Posh Spice". The group was one of the most successful pop acts of the 1990s, selling over fifty-five million records worldwide.^[2] After the release of their third album, ''Forever'' (UK#2), which was much less successful than their previous two albums, the Spice Girls stopped recording, and Victoria tried to build a solo career.
In 2007, the Spice Girls reformed and announced plans for a comeback tour. Just a year earlier on 26 February 2006, Victoria Beckham stated in an interview with the ''Sunday Mirror'': "''I'm never going to sing again, unless it was a chance to do something with the Spice Girls. I don't really miss the shows we did together. I miss the girls more. I see Geri a lot'' — ''I love her, she's amazing. I speak to the others from time to time. I love them too and miss them.''" Beckham also said that she and her former Spice colleagues were enjoying their solo careers in various fields. She said: "''We're all still doing our own thing.''"^[3] A Greatest Hits album is set to be released in November along with an official documentary that will support the tour.

Virgin Records

In August 2000, Victoria released her first solo single: "Out Of Your Mind", a collaboration with the Garage act the Truesteppers and Dane Bowers. The week of release coincided with the release of "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" by Spiller ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, resulting in a chart battle dubbed 'Posh vs. Posher' by the tabloids.^[4] Following a huge publicity campaign, "Out Of Your Mind" was outsold by 20,000 copies and debuted at number two with first week sales of 180,584 copies.
Beckham signed a recording contract with her group label Virgin Records. Her true debut single as a solo artist, "Not Such An Innocent Girl", was released in September 2001. Again, she faced competition in another hugely hyped chart battle, this time with Kylie Minogue's single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head". Despite huge promotion and an expensive and futuristic video Beckham was massively outsold. In the week of release, the tabloid newspaper ''The Sun'' ran a daily progress chart covering the chart battle, but they gave up half way through the week when it was clear the battle was a one horse race. A potential factor attributable to Beckham's weaker sales could be the due to the media furor she created after wearing a fake lip ring during a live performance in Birmingham,^[5] an event that also saw her getting booed and pelted with fruit by a hostile public. She was widely criticised by many groups, including the British Dental Association, for setting a bad example that her younger fans may wish to emulate. "Not Such An Innocent Girl" was however a number 1 hit in the Philippines.
Beckham's debut album reached number 10 in the UK album chart. The album featured the song "Every Part Of Me", which was co-written by Beckham and dedicated to her son, Brooklyn, who features at the start, Brooklyn's 'part' was allegedly an off-chance recording which took place during a recording session break.
The second and final single to be released from the album was "A Mind of Its Own" The single reached number 6 in the UK and sold 56,500 copies.^[6] Some speculate that due to its not hitting the Top 3, rumours started spreading that Beckham was soon to be dropped by her label. These were refuted at the time.^[7]
A third single, "I Wish", was promoted but never materialised. The single version was a remix featuring Robbie Craig, and was performed on TV on Friday Night's All Wright. Many hoped this single would revitalise the album's fortunes, but following the announcement of Beckham's second pregnancy it was shelved, and Beckham was dropped from the label Virgin Records.^[8]

The Telstar / 19 Management era

Single cover for "Let your Head Go/ This Groove"

Telstar Records signed Victoria in 2002 in a deal made with Simon Fuller's 19 Management. She spent much of 2002 recording a 'pop-influenced' album, but Beckham allegedly shelved it after not being happy with the results.^[9] Instead of pop, Beckham wanted to record tracks with a more RnB and hip hop influence, and to accomplish this she began working with urban producer Damon Dash. There were some unsubstantiated rumours regarding both Dash and Beckham at the time. These plans reportedly worried Telstar and Simon Fuller, but they compromised with Beckham, allowing her to release a Dash produced track ("This Groove") along-side one of her earlier pop tracks ("Let Your Head Go") from the shelved album.
The resulting double A-side single "Let Your Head Go / This Groove" was released in the UK in late December 2003, following heavy promotion and many TV appearances across the Christmas period. The single charted at number 3. This double A-side remains Victoria's last single release to date.
As another compromise, Telstar allowed Beckham to release some of her urban tracks on "The Real Beckhams" DVD. This 2003 documentary was released in January 2004, and bonus material included the videos for "Let Your Head Go" and "This Groove", as well as four previously unreleased tracks: "Resentment", "That Dude", "Me And You This Time" and "Valentine" (none of the songs had a writing credit from Beckham). "Resentment" has since been covered by Beyoncé Knowles and released on her solo album ''B'Day'' (2006).
Outside of the UK, Damon Dash had plans for Beckham in the United States, including a potential release of "Let Your Head Go / This Groove" under the name of "Posh Spice Victoria Beckham". The release was proposed for sometime between March to May 2004, but never occurred.^[10] A Dash produced track "It's That Simple" featuring M.O.P. was promoed to vinyl, and received a premiere on BBC urban music radio station 1Xtra. This only generated further criticism, with the feeling being that Beckham was a far from convincing urban act.^[11] Around this time, a 90-second snippet of a track called "Come Together" was released to the media, which was notable for sampling The Beatles' song of the same name.
With the UK media describing her music career a failure, and combined with a rumored fall out between Dash and Fuller, remaining plans for Victoria's music career were cancelled.^[12] To try and salvage her music career, Beckham again began work on pop-styled tracks in 2004. It is known that she recorded a track she had written with Cathy Dennis entitled "My Love Is For Real" (not to be confused with the Paula Abdul song of the same name). Amidst the collapse of Telstar Records, the Rebecca Loos scandal and the announcement of Beckham's third pregnancy, this song had never been heard, except for a remix by Armand van Helden, until August 2007, when the original mix of the song was leaked.

Fashion career

In 2000, Victoria Beckham made a guest appearance on the catwalk for Maria Grachvogel.^[13] Beckham has also appeared on the runway for her close friend Roberto Cavalli and was for a period exclusively dressed by him for ''red-carpet'' and social events.
In 2004, Beckham designed a fashion line for Rock and Republic called 'VB Rocks,' consisting mainly of jeans for the high end of the market (retailing at approximately $300 in the U.S.). She has also worked on a range of women's clothes including shirts and skirts. The clothing features a logo of a crown with the letters "VB". In September 2006, Beckham ceased working with Rock and Republic in order to launch her own Denim label. The new line of Beckham's jeans collection is called ''DVB Style''.^[14]
Beckham was briefly the face of Rocawear, and has produced a range of handbags and jewellery in association with the Japanese store ''Samantha Thavasa''. In July 2006, Victoria Beckham released a line of sunglasses which she was seen wearing at the World Cup games. In September 2006, 'Intimately Beckham', a his-and-her fragrance line, was launched in association with perfume manufacturer Coty. Around the same time Beckham launched her new official website ''dybstyle.com'' which promotes her fashion work.
In June 2007 Beckham was a judge at London's annual Graduate Fashion Week alongside Zandra Rhodes.
On 5 June 2007, she won two British ''Glamour Magazine'' Awards: one for "Woman of the Year" and another for "Entrepreneur of the Year," which celebrated her fashion achievements.
On 14 June 2007 Beckham launched her ''dVb denim'' collection in NYC at the high-end Saks Fifth Avenue, along with unveiling her eyewear range in the US for the first time.

Books

Her autobiography, entitled ''Learning to Fly'',^[15] was the 3rd best selling non-fiction title of 2001 and the total UK sales stand at more than 500,000 copies.^[16] The title was taken from a line in a song from the musical Fame, which Beckham enjoyed as a child.
Beckham was quoted by a Spanish journalist in 2005 as saying "I've never read a book in my life".^[17] She later claimed this was a mistranslation from the original Spanish in which the interview was printed, saying she actually stated she never had time to finish reading a book because she was always running around after her children.^[18]
Her second book, about fashion, was called ''That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between'',^[19] was published on 30 October 2006. It was co-written by Hadley Freeman, deputy fashion editor of ''The Guardian'' and a contributing editor of ''Vogue'' and includes photography by Mario Testino, Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel. On the Sunday Times Book Charts, the book reached number 2.

Television

Beckham has shot five official reality documentaries. She has also been spoofed on shows including '' as a cartoon, impersonated by Ronni Ancona on ''Big Impression'' and more recently in 2006's ''Star Stories'' where Daisy Beaumont impersonated her in episode: "David & Victoria: Our Story".
The first of the reality shows, called ''Being Victoria Beckham'', showed Beckham discussing her career as a solo artist, with the release of her first album, also showing her at various photo shoots and recording sessions. The second, ''The Real Beckhams'', focussed on the Beckhams' move to Madrid from London after David was signed to Real Madrid. It also featured Beckham re-launching her solo career and showed her mocking the tabloid stories she reads in the paper every day. This particular special was released on DVD.
The third was called ''Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' World Cup Party'', which followed Victoria and David Beckham organising and making preparations to host a World Cup Party at a marquee in the grounds of their mansion in Hertfordshire, which aimed to raise money for their charity. The documentary also filmed the event itself, where the menu was designed especially by friend and chef Gordon Ramsay and the charity auction was hosted by Graham Norton. The fourth is called ''Victoria's Secrets'' and little is known about it aside from it being aired only in the U.K.
To document Victoria Beckham's preparations for her family's move to America, she signed a deal with NBC for six episodes of a half-hour unscripted reality tv series. The show, called '', aired on 16 July 2007 in America and Canada. It was savaged by the American media and critics, with ''The New York Post'' describing it as "an orgy of self-indulgence"^[20] and also described Beckham as "vapid and condescending".^[21] However, it was the third most watched programme in its time-slot and received viewing figures of 4.9 million in America, beaten by a repeat of ''Wife Swap'' and two sitcoms. Despite the originally planned six episodes, the show was cut to a one hour special only.^[22] The programme aired in Britain on 17 July 2007 on ITV with 3.5 million viewers tuning in.^[23] The programme was produced by Simon Fuller who will be managing her and the Spice Girls on their come back tour, which will begin as early as November of 2007.^[24] Despite a TV show in the works, Victoria has denied plans to embark upon an LA movie career.^[25]
In July 2007, it was announced that Beckham was shortly to begin filming a cameo appearance playing herself in an episode of the second season of ABC's tv series ''Ugly Betty''.^[26]

Personal life

Beckham's parents are Anthony William and Jacqueline Adams. She has a younger sister, Louise, and a younger brother, Christian. She attended Jason Theatre School in Hoddesdon. At 17, she started going to the Laine Arts Theatre College in Epsom, Surrey. She later joined The Spice Girls and became famously nicknamed Posh Spice.
Victoria started dating footballer David Beckham in 1997, and the couple were dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media. Beckham proposed to Victoria on 24 January 1998 in a restaurant in Cheshunt, England, and their first son, Brooklyn Joseph, was born on 4 March 1999. The two were married at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland on 4 July 1999, and the wedding attracted tremendous media coverage. Beckham's teammate Gary Neville was the best man, and the couple's son Brooklyn, then four months old, was the ring bearer. Most of media were kept away from the ceremony, as the Beckhams had an exclusive deal with ''OK! Magazine'', but the couple released photographs showing them sitting on golden thrones.^[27] 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000.^[28]
The Beckhams' second son, Romeo James, was born on 1 September 2002; a third son, Cruz David, followed on 20 February 2005 in Madrid, Spain.^[29]
Beckham's marriage and former career as a singer have made her both the fifty-second richest woman in Britain^[30] and the six hundred and nineteenth richest person in Britain with husband David, with an estimated joint wealth of £112 million.^[31]

Rebecca Loos Scandal

When David Beckham moved to Real Madrid, he had an affair with his personal assistant Rebecca Loos. Beckham and Loos worked closely together both professionally and socially and Loos claimed that she became an "alternative wife". Victoria Beckham was not initially happy in Madrid, and wanted to develop her UK music career, so she spent much of her time in England. Loos claimed this resulted in Beckham becoming bored, leading them to spend almost all their time together socially, and a four month affair was the alleged result.
Loos sold her story to British tabloid newspaper News of the World in April 2004, claiming that they had had a whirlwind affair that included text messages of a sexual nature. The story generated a huge amount of publicity in the tabloid press, launching Loos's career in the public eye.
The couple described her claims as "ridiculous" but never explicitly denied David slept with Loos. In a 2007 interview for W magazine, Beckham said that David's affair with Loos made their relationship stronger.Beckham-mania! Posh and David take the US by storm. ''Daily Mail''. Retrieved 2007-07-13

Move to LA

Victoria and David Beckham moved to Los Angeles on 13 July 2007 where David has been signed to play for the LA Galaxy soccer team. On arrival in America on 13 July 2007, the couple were met by paparazzi and media representatives. They are now residing in a $22 million Beverly Hills mansion with 10 security guards. To create publicity for their move to America, the couple were photographed in their underwear for the fashion magazine, ''W''. Since moving to America the couple have struck up a close friendship with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Discography

Albums

★ 2001 ''Victoria Beckham'' #10 UK

Singles

Year	Single	Album	Chart positions				Audio
			UK	IRE	AUS	SPA
2000	"Out of Your Mind" (Truesteppers & Dane Bowers Featuring Victoria Beckham)	''Truestepping'' (Truesteppers album)	2	--	27	4
2001	"Not Such An Innocent Girl"	''Victoria Beckham''	6	--	36	15
2002	"A Mind of Its Own"		6	--	--	32
2004	"This Groove"/"Let Your Head Go"		3	17	--	--

See also

★ Spice Girls

★ Posh and Becks

★ Supercouple

References

1. "Victoria Beckham". IMDb. Retrieved on August 8, 2007.
2. Spice Girls announce reunion tour. ''BBC News''. 2007-07-13.
3. Victoria Beckham Confident In Spice Girls' Reunion
4. Here One She Made Earlier...
5. Posh lip ring was 'fake'
6. Victoria Beckham - A Mind Of Its Own
7. Beckham: 'I'm staying with label
8. Posh parts with label
9. Victoria Beckham's scrapped album leaked
10. MTV News Round-Up 25/05/2004
11. 1Xtra celebrates birthday presence
12. Damon Dash used Victoria Beckham
13. Victoria is Scary Spice on catwalk. ''Telegraph.co.uk''. Retrieved on 2007-04-24
14. Victoria Beckham will launch her own denim label
15. Learning to Fly
16. Tough-love diet book in the spotlight after plug from Victoria Beckham. ''The Independent''. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
17. I've never read a book in my life, admits Victoria Beckham. ''The Independent''. Retrieved on 2007-04-24
18. Beckham Reads First Chapter ''SFGate.com'' Retrieved on 2007-04-24
19. That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between
20. Posh doc gets mauling in US. Broadcast Now. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
21. Victoria Beckham show ripped, barely watched. CNN. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
22. Beckham Special Spices up NBC on Mon. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
23. Posh doc gets an unglamorous 3.5m. Broadcast Now. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
24. Victoria Beckham to Star in NBC Reality Show. ''People.com''. Retrieved on 2007-04-24
25. Victoria Beckham Says No Plans for LA Movie Career. ''ABC.com''. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
26. Victoria Beckham Ugly Betty cameo confirmed. Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 2007-08-07
27. Sun pips OK! to Posh wedding photos
28. Wedded spice
29. David, Victoria Beckham Have a Third Son. ''People''.
30. Women's rich list - Victoria Beckham. ''The Times''. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
31. Britain's rich list - David and Victoria Beckham. ''The Times''. Retrieved 2007-07-05.

External links

★ Victoria Beckham's official site

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