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AboutJo O'Meara is no ordinary pop star. First and foremost, she's not a pop star because she just wants to be famous. She's a pop star because she loves to sing. And boy, can she sing. You know Jo from her days in S Club 7.
She was the blonde with the big smile who sang lead vocals on every record. Then when S Club disbanded she just disappeared. Now, more than two years later, the petite blonde from Essex with the Karen Carpenter-voice is back with a new solo deal and a sound that's all her own.
She's been spending the summer performing live at university events, road-shows and festivals and she's now ready for the release of her debut solo single What Hurts The Most and album Relentless in autumn 2005.
So why the long wait? Well, Jo didn't just want to cash in on her S Club 7 fame. She had spent four years singing in a band where she didn't get to choose the songs or have any control over her day-to-day life. So she took a step back from the music industry, concentrated on having a normal life and then, when she was ready, set about finding just the right people to collaborate with.
After co-writing songs with a number of big name songwriters, Jo settled on Brian Rawling's Metrophonic stable, the people behind huge number one hits like Cher's 'Believe' and Enrique Iglesias' 'Hero'. And, understandably, she's not looked back.
Her new tracks showcase that voice perfectly, and while the sound is still very pop, there's a maturity there now that recognises that Jo is no longer the fresh-faced 20 year old but a twenty-six year old woman who's bringing life-experience, heartache and emotion to every song.
Inspired by singers like Karen Carpenter, Eva Cassidy and the classic songs of Motown, this album nevertheless manages to sound uniquely Jo. Some of the up-tempo songs, like Let's Love, evoke S Club, but it's the ballads on the album which showcase Jo's voice perfectly, not least because she's co-written many of the tracks herself, and she's not been afraid to invest her song-writing with all the hurt and heartache she's ever experienced.
So once she was happy with the music she was making in the studio, Jo set about finding the right record label. This time round she wanted to make sure she kept control over her life and her songs. She signed with industry giant Sanctuary because, she says "they believed in me instantly". Sanctuary set Jo up with her own label imprint, Smokin' Rebel, and welcomed the fact she wanted to have a hand in all the decision making for the album.
So whatever you see Jo doing now - her music videos, choice of outfits, gigs... everything - you'll know that she's no puppet pop star. She's chosen exactly how and where and what she performs.
But this opportunity has been a long time coming. Jo started singing back when she was 13 years old. One day she got up to sing at a karaoke night, and surprised herself when the melody coming out of her mouth was perfectly pitched and sung. Never a self-confident girl, Jo suddenly found that while she was on stage she had no nerves, just a perfect, new self-assurance.
It was like she was born to do it. Jo's father, also a keen singer, encouraged her to think about singing professionally, and by the time she was 16, Jo's amazing voice landed her the chance of a record deal, first off in Solid HarmoniE and then, in Europe, in 2-4 Family. But the bands' initial promise petered out and Jo found herself back home singing at a country and western themed restaurant. And it was in this unlikely setting that Jo's life really changed.
One day, someone came in from Simon Fuller's 19 Management, the team behind the Spice Girls. But it was two years before they approached her to audition for a new band they were putting together. Jo went for the auditions and landed a place in a new pop band which had a TV show about to be screened in 100 countries to showcase their talents - S Club 7.
Right from the start, S Club was a huge success. A group of four girls and three boys; teenagers and adults took instantly to their fresh and likeable personalities and catchy, quality pop tunes. 'Don't Stop Movin'', 'Reach' and 'Bring It All Back' were instant pop classics and in a five-year career S Club amassed 11 top ten hits, millions of album sales and countless awards.
But the hectic schedule and constant promotional work took its toll on the band and in 2003 they broke up, with Jo heading off for a much needed rest to cure a back injury which just hadn't been able to heal thanks to the constant traveling, dancing and performing.
But now, finally, Jo is back and getting rave reviews from audiences across Britain who've come out in their thousands to catch her live performances. Because she does what few other pop stars bother to do - she sings live. Every time. When you ask why, she gives a baffled look and just says "Well, if you're a singer that's what you do. Sing. Isn't it?" And again, everywhere she goes and to everyone she meets, she shows she's no ordinary pop star. Totally real and down to earth, Jo O'Meara couldn't be fake even if she tried.
No matter how well her solo career goes, there's no chance of any diva antics. She likes watching Eastenders and TV reality shows like Extreme Makeover. Like other twenty-something Essex girls she's got tattoos. She smokes Marlboro lites, swears, tells jokes and laughs out loud whenever she gets the chance. Her house is full of dogs, cats and horses she's rescued along the way. At a University gig in Telford this summer she was joined on stage by Bradley from S Club 7. The audience treated the event like it was Pink Floyd getting back together!
So as she starts her solo career, what more can we expect from Jo O'Meara? This time round, she says, she just wants the chance to enjoy it. It's her one regret from S Club, that they didn't have the chance at the time to enjoy all the things that were happening to them - number one records, a Brit award, arena tours - because it was always up and on to the next thing.
So expect to see Jo singing and enjoying every minute of her time. There'll be more pop songs, more song-writing and bigger gigs across the country and beyond. Wherever she gets the chance to sing, you'll find Jo O'Meara. And you'll always find her doing it with a big grin on her face at how lucky she is to be doing something she loves.
She was the blonde with the big smile who sang lead vocals on every record. Then when S Club disbanded she just disappeared. Now, more than two years later, the petite blonde from Essex with the Karen Carpenter-voice is back with a new solo deal and a sound that's all her own.
She's been spending the summer performing live at university events, road-shows and festivals and she's now ready for the release of her debut solo single What Hurts The Most and album Relentless in autumn 2005.
So why the long wait? Well, Jo didn't just want to cash in on her S Club 7 fame. She had spent four years singing in a band where she didn't get to choose the songs or have any control over her day-to-day life. So she took a step back from the music industry, concentrated on having a normal life and then, when she was ready, set about finding just the right people to collaborate with.
After co-writing songs with a number of big name songwriters, Jo settled on Brian Rawling's Metrophonic stable, the people behind huge number one hits like Cher's 'Believe' and Enrique Iglesias' 'Hero'. And, understandably, she's not looked back.
Her new tracks showcase that voice perfectly, and while the sound is still very pop, there's a maturity there now that recognises that Jo is no longer the fresh-faced 20 year old but a twenty-six year old woman who's bringing life-experience, heartache and emotion to every song.
Inspired by singers like Karen Carpenter, Eva Cassidy and the classic songs of Motown, this album nevertheless manages to sound uniquely Jo. Some of the up-tempo songs, like Let's Love, evoke S Club, but it's the ballads on the album which showcase Jo's voice perfectly, not least because she's co-written many of the tracks herself, and she's not been afraid to invest her song-writing with all the hurt and heartache she's ever experienced.
So once she was happy with the music she was making in the studio, Jo set about finding the right record label. This time round she wanted to make sure she kept control over her life and her songs. She signed with industry giant Sanctuary because, she says "they believed in me instantly". Sanctuary set Jo up with her own label imprint, Smokin' Rebel, and welcomed the fact she wanted to have a hand in all the decision making for the album.
So whatever you see Jo doing now - her music videos, choice of outfits, gigs... everything - you'll know that she's no puppet pop star. She's chosen exactly how and where and what she performs.
But this opportunity has been a long time coming. Jo started singing back when she was 13 years old. One day she got up to sing at a karaoke night, and surprised herself when the melody coming out of her mouth was perfectly pitched and sung. Never a self-confident girl, Jo suddenly found that while she was on stage she had no nerves, just a perfect, new self-assurance.
It was like she was born to do it. Jo's father, also a keen singer, encouraged her to think about singing professionally, and by the time she was 16, Jo's amazing voice landed her the chance of a record deal, first off in Solid HarmoniE and then, in Europe, in 2-4 Family. But the bands' initial promise petered out and Jo found herself back home singing at a country and western themed restaurant. And it was in this unlikely setting that Jo's life really changed.
One day, someone came in from Simon Fuller's 19 Management, the team behind the Spice Girls. But it was two years before they approached her to audition for a new band they were putting together. Jo went for the auditions and landed a place in a new pop band which had a TV show about to be screened in 100 countries to showcase their talents - S Club 7.
Right from the start, S Club was a huge success. A group of four girls and three boys; teenagers and adults took instantly to their fresh and likeable personalities and catchy, quality pop tunes. 'Don't Stop Movin'', 'Reach' and 'Bring It All Back' were instant pop classics and in a five-year career S Club amassed 11 top ten hits, millions of album sales and countless awards.
But the hectic schedule and constant promotional work took its toll on the band and in 2003 they broke up, with Jo heading off for a much needed rest to cure a back injury which just hadn't been able to heal thanks to the constant traveling, dancing and performing.
But now, finally, Jo is back and getting rave reviews from audiences across Britain who've come out in their thousands to catch her live performances. Because she does what few other pop stars bother to do - she sings live. Every time. When you ask why, she gives a baffled look and just says "Well, if you're a singer that's what you do. Sing. Isn't it?" And again, everywhere she goes and to everyone she meets, she shows she's no ordinary pop star. Totally real and down to earth, Jo O'Meara couldn't be fake even if she tried.
No matter how well her solo career goes, there's no chance of any diva antics. She likes watching Eastenders and TV reality shows like Extreme Makeover. Like other twenty-something Essex girls she's got tattoos. She smokes Marlboro lites, swears, tells jokes and laughs out loud whenever she gets the chance. Her house is full of dogs, cats and horses she's rescued along the way. At a University gig in Telford this summer she was joined on stage by Bradley from S Club 7. The audience treated the event like it was Pink Floyd getting back together!
So as she starts her solo career, what more can we expect from Jo O'Meara? This time round, she says, she just wants the chance to enjoy it. It's her one regret from S Club, that they didn't have the chance at the time to enjoy all the things that were happening to them - number one records, a Brit award, arena tours - because it was always up and on to the next thing.
So expect to see Jo singing and enjoying every minute of her time. There'll be more pop songs, more song-writing and bigger gigs across the country and beyond. Wherever she gets the chance to sing, you'll find Jo O'Meara. And you'll always find her doing it with a big grin on her face at how lucky she is to be doing something she loves.
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