Lyn Paul
Background information
Birth name	Lynda Susan Belcher
Born	(1949-02-16)16 February 1949 (age 76) Wythenshawe,Manchester, England
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1960–present
Website	lynpaulwebsite.org

Lyn Paul (bornLynda Susan Belcher; 16 February 1949) is an English pop singer and actress. She came to fame as a member of the international chart-topping pop groupthe New Seekers in the early 1970s. She has more recently found success and critical acclaim starring in the long-running West End musical,Blood Brothers.^[1]

Paul began her career in show business as a child actress in 1960, while attending regular classes in dance and musical theatre. In the early 1960s she led her own teenage girl band the Crys-Do-Lyns, touring all over Wythenshaw. She subsequently qualified as a teacher of dance. In the late 1960s she changed her name to Tanzy Paul^[2] and began a solo career as a pop singer, before joining the well-respected Manchester group the Nocturnes along withEve Graham, before Graham left to join the New Seekers.^[3]

When Sally Graham (no relation) left the New Seekers, Eve Graham recommended Paul as a replacement. Graham sang lead on most of their earlierhits, but Paul was gradually entrusted with a lot of the lead parts. She was the featured vocalist on their 1972Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Beg, Steal or Borrow" in which they came second.^[4] She was also lead vocalist on the 1974 No.1 hit "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" and the No.5 single, "I Get A Little Sentimental Over You". Among the group's other works, they recorded the song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", adapted from an advertising jingle forCoca-Cola, which sold over 20 million copies and still remains one of the 100 best-selling singles in the UK. They had many other hits; most notably,Harry Chapin's "Circles";Delaney and Bonnie's "Never Ending Song of Love" and a medley ofPete Townshend's "Pinball Wizard"/"See Me, Feel Me" fromThe Who's rock operaTommy. They also headlined at theLondon Palladium and theRoyal Albert Hall. The band were also invited to perform at PresidentRichard Nixon'sinauguration ball.^[5]

After she left the group in 1974, Paul performed as a solo artist for many years and became a television personality, appearing on many television programmes including:Emergency Ward 10,Skyport,Give Us a Clue,Celebrity Squares and3-2-1 as well as countless variety programmes. Her first solo single, which spent a frustrating seventeen weeks hovering outside the UKTop 50, was theGolden Globe nominated "Sail the Summer Winds", aJohn Barry andDon Black composition, which was the theme to the first film produced byGregory Peck, 1974'sThe Dove.^[6] She had a UKTop 40hit in 1975 with a song that was originally recorded at the same sessions asI'd Like To Teach The World To Sing. The track was used as the jingle forCoca-Cola in the summer of 1975; it was subsequently recorded as a single by Paul with backing vocals from ex-New Seekers singerPeter Doyle and released as "It Oughta Sell A Million".^[7]

During her solo career, she has worked withAndy Williams,Jack Jones,Debbie McGee,Dionne Warwick andLiza Minnelli, and has won various accolades including theCarl-Alan Award several times. Her otherPolydor singles include "Who's Sorry Now", "Love", "Here Comes That Wonderful Feeling" and "Mama Don't Wait For Me". She also released her first solo albumGive Me Love in 1975. In 1977, after moving toPye Records, Paul sang "If Everybody Loved The Same As You" in theSong for Europe UK selection, coming joint sixth. She went on to record "I Don't Believe You Ever Loved Me", acover of theDoobie Brothers' "Echoes of Love", and a 1980s power-ballad "Make the Night". She released a single "Hold Me" under the name of Future Primitive with her brother Paul (whose name she took as her stage surname) in 1984. She also headlined at manycabaret clubs including: The Cockney Cabaret, the Talk of London, and theCafé Royal.

In 2006, she released an album titledLate Night. It contained her versions of some of her favourite songs, including "Crying", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Dance with My Father" and "Late Night Grande Hotel". In addition, it also contained two new tracks written for her, "Dance With Desire" and "Clouds".^[8]

In 2009, Paul performed in a show calledThe Sound of the New Seekers.

Paul found great success, when she starred in the musicalBlood Brothers, in the matriarchal lead role of Mrs. Johnstone. It was a part she debuted in 1997, and played regularly in the West End and occasionally on the National Tour, up to and including 2021.Paul starred in the show during its 10th anniversary celebrations and was also invited to play the role inLiverpool in 2008, when the city was given the title as theEuropean Capital of Culture.^[9] Paul has received enormous personal and critical success in the show and in 2008 was voted the "undisputed Mrs J. of all time" by a Blood Brothers fansite^[10] as well as being awarded Best Actress in a Professional Production from the Alhambra Theatre Dunfermline.

In October 2012Bill Kenwright announced thatBlood Brothers was to close in London's West End after a 24-year run. For the final two weeks Kenwright put together his dream cast, including original cast members as well as those who appeared in the show onBroadway; he invited Paul back to reprise her role for one last time, an honour which Paul herself has acknowledged.

Most recently Paul reprised her acclaimed role for the 30th anniversary touring production of Blood Brothers, being hailed as the 'definitive Mrs Johnstone'^[11] and celebrating two decades association with the show.

Paul starred in the West End stage production of theBoy George musicalTaboo, playing Josie James, a part rumoured to be specifically written for her^[12] in which she performed two of the show's stand out numbers "Talk Amongst Yourselves" and "Independent Woman". Her successes within the show led her to be invited to perform as the special guest at theCulture Club's 20th anniversary concert atThe Royal Albert Hall, and on the live DVD. The release of the Original Cast Recording ofTaboo was delayed so that Paul could be included on it.

Paul joined the cast ofFootloose – the Musical! in the West End 2007 National Tour company in the role of Vi Moore. After the six-month tour, the cast re-opened the show at thePlayhouse Theatre, London on 17 August 2007.^[13]

In 2003, Paul performed in a new workshop musical calledThe Biz!, playing the part of Amanda Power, a theatricaldiva. The following year she performed in another new workshop musical written byYusaf Islam, entitledMoonshadow withRamin Karimloo. Paul has also played many principal roles in traditionalpantomimes, her most recent being the title role inDick Whittington and His Cat in theTheatre Royal Windsor's annual production performed during the 2001 Christmas season. She also lent vocals to a musical-concept album, for the stage adaptation of the filmAlfie playing the role of Lily.

Paul has also turned to television acting, appearing as a semi-regular character – Freda Danby – inITV'sEmmerdale. She appeared in episodes ofDoctors andIn Deep onBBC TV; and the long-running seriesHolby City.^{[citation needed]} As well as these acting roles, she performedBring Him Home fromLes Miserables on aRemembrance Sunday special edition ofSongs of Praise and was also a contestant in aEurovision Song Contest edition ofThe Weakest Link.

In 2011, she embarked on a nationwide tour of a new musicalRhinestone Mondays starring alongsideFaye Tozer,Ian "H" Watkins andShaun Williamson. She played the role of Sophie. The musical was said to be the first ever country and westernjukebox musical to be created and, although the performances were generally well received with Paul singing classics such as "Stand By Your Man" and "Crazy", the show completed its run five weeks early.^[14]

In 2013 Paul starred alongsideWill Young in the UK Tour of the West End revival ofKander and Ebb's musicalCabaret. Young reprised hisOlivier Award nominated role of the Emcee whilst Paul played the part of Fraulein Schneider.^[15] Other cast members includedSiobhan Dillon asSally Bowles,Matt Rawle as Clifford Bradshaw andLinal Haft as Herr Shultz.

During the Christmas period of 2014 Paul joined the Tenth Anniversary production of theCromer Pier Christmas Show — a traditional variety show including song, dance and comedy.

During the 1970s Paul datedpop starRod Stewart.^[16] In 1980, she had a short-lived marriage toLiverpool night club owner Vincent McCaffrey.^[17]

She is now married to Alan Young, with whom she has a son, Ryan. Between 2006 and February 2007, the couple ran apub, the Beehive, inEnglefield Green,Surrey.

Her sister is the West End actress and choreographerNikki Belsher,^[18] with whom she performed alongside inFootloose – the Musical!.^[19]

Paul is a keen supporter of theAlzheimer's Society. (Her mother, Doreen Belcher, died from disease in 2010). In 2011, she produced aCalendar Girls-style naked calendar in aid of the charity, alongside her fellow femaleBlood Brothers cast mates. The calendar was endorsed by both producer of the show,Bill Kenwright and playwrightWilly Russell.

• Lyn Paul
• Footloose the Musical^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• Willy Russell's Blood Brothers
• Bill Kenwright Blood Brothers

• 1949 births
• Living people
• English women singers
• English stage actresses
• English television actresses
• English musical theatre actresses
• People from Wythenshawe
• Actresses from Manchester
• The New Seekers
• People from Englefield Green

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