Jemini | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Tricity |
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Genres | Pop,dance |
| Years active | 1995–2004, 2013–present |
| Labels | Integral Records (2003) |
| Past members | Chris Cromby Gemma Abbey |
Jemini (formerlyTricity) are a Britishpop group fromLiverpool, best known for scoringnul points and finishing in last place at theEurovision Song Contest 2003 with "Cry Baby".[1]
Chris Cromby and Gemma Abbey[2] (born 10 March 1981) met in 1995 at Liverpool's Starlight Stage School and toured Liverpool's pubs and clubs with the academy's kids' roadshow. At 16, after leaving college, they formed Tricity, named after the brand ofelectrical appliances. They changed their name to Jemini ("Gem-and-I") at the age of 19. They spent the next two and a half years touring pubs and clubs in the UK performingStevie Wonder,Randy Crawford andMotowncovers andABBA medleys, as well as their own compositions. Abbey stated she has loved theEurovision Song Contest since childhood, and counts previous Eurovision entrants such asSonia,Precious andDana International amongst her favourites.
Jemini and the song "Cry Baby" were selected torepresent the United Kingdom in theEurovision Song Contest 2003 inRiga,Latvia, after winning theBBC's national selectionA Song for Europe. Their performance at Eurovision was criticised for beingoff-key,[3][4] and later earned the UKnul points.
The Eurovision failure prompted both mirth and consternation in the British media. Jemini admitted that their performance was off-key, and claimed they were unable to hear the backing track due to a technical fault.Terry Wogan, long-time commentator on the contest for the BBC, claimed that the UK was suffering from "post-Iraq backlash".[3][5] Following their failure at Eurovision, they were dropped by their record label, Integral Records UK, and their planned album was never released. "Cry Baby" entered theUK Singles Chart at No. 15, but spent only three weeks in the chart.[2] They later split up as a duo.
In 2013, the duo reunited for a special interview about their performance in a two-hour-longBBC Three specialHow to Win Eurovision. The special aired on 11 May 2013. In 2014, the duo reunited once again to take part in a Eurovision special ofPointless Celebrities, and have subsequently appeared in several television interviews about their Eurovision experience.
Abbey was arrested and sentenced for social security fraud in November 2016. She was claiming as a single mother when she had undergone a wedding ceremony in Algarve in 2013 and was living with her partner. She overclaimed tax credits for her daughter born in 2009. She was given a 30-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, and put on supervision order for one year.[6]
| Title | Year | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [2] | ||
| "Cry Baby" | 2003 | 15 |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 | Succeeded by |
