Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell, Robbie Williams Meet 'Bridget Jones'

5 Mar 2001 10:15:00 EST

Ex-Spice Girl covers 'It's Raining Men,' Williams takes on Sinatra on soundtrack also featuring Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne
By Corey Moss

Geri Halliwell
Photo: EMD/Capitol

It's raining men on one of the purveyors of girl power.

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell covers the Weather Girls' classic "It's Raining Men" on the soundtrack to the upcoming "Bridget Jones's Diary," according to Billboard. Due April 3 on Island Records, the soundtrack will also feature Robbie Williams remaking Frank Sinatra's "Have You Met Miss Jones?" Lucinda Williams, Texas and Tracy Bonham also appear on the album.

Best New Artist Grammy winner Shelby Lynne contributes the soundtrack's first Stateside single, "The Killin' Kind," while dance-pop singer Gabrielle's "Out of Reach" will hit radio in the U.K.

"Bridget Jones's Diary," an adaptation of Helen Fielding's best-selling book about a weight-obsessed British public relations specialist, is due in theaters April 13 and stars Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.

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UPDATE: Geri Halliwell Gets "Therapy" For Film, Album

17 May 2000 12:30:00 EDT

Geri Halliwell

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has lined up her first big-screen dramatic role in a British film titled "Therapy," and the singer is helping promote the project and met with producers at the Cannes International Film Festival on Wednesday.

Halliwell's U.K. publicist has confirmed to British media that Halliwell will star in "Therapy," a movie David Green will direct for September Films, and plans to tie in her next studio album to the film's soundtrack, according to "Variety."

For "Therapy," Halliwell has been cast in the part of Amy, a troubled London woman who enters counseling to help deal with her personal issues, only to find out that her own therapist has fallen in love with her.

Green plans to shoot the music videos for Halliwell's accompanying "Therapy" soundtrack singles during additional days build into the film's production calendar.

Halliwell's sole prior film credit came in 1997, when she appeared -- in full Ginger Spice mode -- in her ex-group's "Spice World" vehicle.

"Therapy's" final fate will be determined on how much money September Films will be able to raise for the project, which is budgeted at $15 million, but is still considered to be in the early stages of development. No one has been cast in the movie other than Halliwell.

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Geri Halliwell

Halliwell Delivers Address Despite Hecklers

17 Apr 2000 12:15:00 EDT

Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell turned up in London over the weekend and reportedly found a less-than-warm welcome.

According to Reuters, the former Spice Girl-turned-solo artist was addressing a youth summit on Saturday as part of her role as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. While speaking to young people from more than 50 countries about condoms and birth control, Halliwell was reportedly interrupted by a heckler while several other demonstrators gathered outside waving signs that read, "Geri is a puppet on a string."

Halliwell became a U.N. ambassador in October of 1998 and has since met with her share of controversy over her outspoken views on the need for contraception.

Reuters reports that the former Ginger Spice carried on with her speech, noting, "Everyone is allowed to have their opinion." Halliwell reportedly went on to tell the crowd gathered that, "My job is to raise awareness about the need to improve sexual reproductive health, and that means more than just bonking [having sex] with condoms on. It's about health care for everyone around the world."

The singer backed up that point by telling the summit, "600,000 women die around the world as a result of pregnancy. That is the same as 22 double-decker buses full of pregnant women crashing every day with no survivors.... In 20 years' time, 40 million children will have lost their parents to AIDS -- that is the entire population of Spain. It's frustrating and it is ridiculous."

While moving her music career forward with her solo album "Schizophonic," Halliwell has upped her pro-social work as well since leaving the Spice Girls. In addition to her work with the U.N., Halliwell has played a number of benefit concerts and has earmarked royalties from her autobiography for charity (see "Geri Halliwell To Donate Book Royalties To Cancer Charity").

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Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell Nixes Talk Of Spice Girls Reunion

24 Feb 2000 02:00:00 EST

Geri Halliwell

Looks like Geri Halliwell won't be joining her former Spice Girl bandmates onstage at next month's Brit Awards, when the girl power group will receive a special award for their lifetime achievement.

Halliwell, who is up for two other Brit Awards and will perform at the show, announced Thursday that she was more than happy to let the four remaining Spice Girls enjoy the award on their own, according to the Press Association.

Organizers had been hoping that the award, which will honor the Spice Girls for their "Outstanding Contribution To The British Music Industry," would give the public a chance to see a reconciliation of Halliwell and the Spice Girls (see "Spice Girls Recognized For Lifetime Achievement").

In related news, Halliwell was in London's High Court on Friday to discuss her split from the group in May 1998, which has recently spurred a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Spice Girls by one of the co-sponsors of the Girls' 1998 world tour (see "Spice Girls Scooter Suit Underway").

During her testimony, Halliwell claimed that the rest of the Spice Girls didn't believe when she initially told them of her plans to leave the group barely two weeks before the launch of a U.S. tour.

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Ginger And Sporty Spice Share Charity Bill

24 Jan 2000 10:00:00 EST

Geri Halliwell "Mi Chico Latino"

Ex-Spice Girl Geri "Ginger" Halliwell and current group member Melanie "Sporty" Chisholm will be sharing a concert bill on January 28 when they perform for a charity event in Manchester, England, according to Reuters.

Mel C., who released her debut disc "Northern Star" last November, will be opening the concert, while Geri, whose solo career has found more success on her home turf than it has in the States, will be closing out the show.

The two singers have not performed together since 1998, when Geri left the Spice-y group (see "Geri Halliwell Quits Spice Girls"); it remains to be seen whether or not the pair will share the stage at the concert, though they are not expected to do so.

The event is billed as "Music For Life," a concert to benefit cancer research at Manchester's Christie Hospital. Billie, Lulu, and The Honeyz are among the other artists expected to appear at the show, which will take place at the city's MEN Arena.

-- PJ Gach

What do you think about this story? You Tell Us.

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Geri Halliwell Chooses Fans Over Royalty, Releases Bond Tune As B-Side

2 Nov 1999 04:00:00 EST

Geri Halliwell

As Sporty Spice Melanie C's first solo album, "Northern Star," arrives on American shores and stores this week, her former Spice-mate Geri Halliwell has caused a little bit of a stir in the U.K. for being late to a royal reception for The Prince's Trust.

According to the British Press Association, Halliwell got caught up at a London in-store appearance to promote her new single, "Lift Me Up," on Monday. Telling fans that she was an hour late for her appointment at Buckingham Palace, she remained at the in-store in order to meet and greet those who gathered.

Though fashionably late, Halliwell eventually did make it to the Prince Charles-hosted event, which sought to raise support for The Prince's Trust, an organization the Prince of Wales began in 1976 to help young people succeed by providing opportunities they might not otherwise have had.

And even though she wasn't in the running to sing the title track for the upcoming James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough" (a job that went to Garbage), Halliwell has recorded a version of another Bond tune, "Live And Let Die" (originally performed by Paul McCartney and Wings) as the b-side to her new single, "Lift Me Up."

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Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell To Donate Book Royalties To Cancer Charity

15 Sep 1999 12:15:00 EDT

Geri Halliwell

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell plans to donate royalties from her new autobiography, "If Only," to a cancer support group in Britain rather than pocket the money for herself.

MTV U.K. reports that Halliwell has decided to give the 500,000 pounds (approximately $804,000) she received as an advance for the book to the charity Breast Cancer Care, a London-based organization that provides information and services for those affected by breast cancer and their families.

Halliwell, who recently topped the U.K. charts with "Mi Chico Latino," the second single from her solo debut, "Schizophonic," will also donate all future royalties to Breast Cancer Care and estimates the total contribution to be an even million pounds ($1,608,000).

The red-headed singer chose the charity because of the breast cancer scare she went through seven years ago, when Halliwell discovered a benign lump in one of her breasts.

Halliwell's autobiography, "If Only," is due out in America on October 12.

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Geri Halliwell

Geri Halliwell, Spice Girls To Air Differences In New Books

30 Aug 1999 12:00:00 EDT

Geri Halliwell "Mi Chico Latino"

Geri Halliwell and the Spice Girls will apparently square off and rehash Ginger Spice's less-than-amiable split from the group in two new books set for release this fall.

Halliwell, who left the Spice Girls and her Ginger Spice persona behind in May 1998 (see "Geri Halliwell Quits Spice Girls") plans to issue her autobiography, titled "If Only," in November.

According to MTV UK, Halliwell made a "peace offering" to her former bandmates by sending them copies of "If Only" prior to its release, but it appears that the effort to mend fences has been rebuffed the four remaining Spice Girls.

Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, and Victoria Beckham plan to release their own group bio, "4 Ever Spice," a month after "If Only" arrives in stores. In that tome, the four Spices are reportedly "scathing" in their comments on Halliwell's new career since the split.

Halliwell recently scored her first number hit in the U.K. with the Latin-tinged "Mi Chico Latino," the second single from her first solo record, "Schizophonic."

-- David Basham

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Ricky, Shania, Geri Turn Out For Prince's Trust

6 Jul 1999 12:00:00 EDT

Shania Twain

Ricky Martin, Shania Twain, Geri Halliwell, and Boyzone were among the artists turning out Sunday night in London for a pop-filled installment of the annual Prince's Trust concert.

The event (saddled with the unfortunate moniker of "Ricky Martin, Shania Twain in Concert for The Prince's Trust Party in the Park '99 with Geri Halliwell and Boyzone") was staged at London's Hyde Park this year. Those who couldn't make it to the U.K. for the show but want to catch the action anyway will be pleased to note that a pay-per-view special is being put together and will air in the States on September 23.

The Prince's Trust was established more than 20 years ago and aims to support 14 to 30-year-olds who have a hard time getting a leg up on a productive future. So far, the organization estimates that it has helped 40,000 young people start their own businesses.

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Solo Spice Is Everywhere; Wedding Bells To Ring For Posh

2 Jul 1999 06:00:00 EDT

Melanie C.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our Spice Girls. The girl group has already made plans to record its third LP with super producer Rodney Jerkins (see "Spice Girls, Will Smith, Puff Daddy, Toni Braxton Line Up For Rodney Jerkins"). But the individual Spices (both past and present) are leading pretty full solo lives these days.

As we previously reported, "Scary" Mel G. recently shot a video for her version on the 1986 Cameo hit "Word Up," a song featured on the soundtrack to the new "Austin Powers" movie (see "Mel G. And Mini-Me Team Up For 'Word Up'"). It's a complicated concept (covering an '80s song for a '90s movie about the '60s), but apparently the video shoot featuring 32-inch-tall actor Verne Troyer, who plays "Mini-Me" in the film, was shiny, happy fun.

Mel G. told MTV news. "Very silver and very kind of space-cadet-y."

As for the Timbaland-produced track, did Scary know it would be getting such a high-profile push?

"No, I haven't [heard them]," she replied. "I heard something Mel B. did with Missy Elliott ["I Want You Back"]. That was really good. I thought it was really cool to do. 'Cause it's kind of making her more down and hip. But I haven't heard any Mel C. stuff, but I'm sure it would be great."

Geri's "Schizophonic" debuted on this week's "Billboard" album chart at a very un-Spice-like number 42, and according to figures released by SoundScan on Wednesday, it will drop 20 notches to 62 on Monday's chart. Nevertheless, the singer will be flying off to an Italian island to shoot the video for her next single, "Mi Chico Latino," which is slated for release in September.

On Sunday, "Posh" Victoria Adams will be marrying her soccer-superstar boyfriend, David Beckham, at a church in Dublin. Some 500 guests will attend the reception at a local castle afterwards, although none will be allowed to take pictures, as photo rights have reportedly been sold to a U.K. publication for more than $1.5 million. The couple's son, Brooklyn Joseph, was born in March.

Meanwhile "Baby" Emma Bunton is slated to appear at a benefit concert on July 24 in London's Hyde Park and perform a duet with Boyzone's Ronan Keating, who organized the event to aid breast cancer research.

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