Gabrielle Artistfacts

June 19, 1969
Her trademark accessory is an eye patch over her right eye. This isn't a pirate thing: She was born with a droopy eyelid.
She says she was an ugly duckling growing up, teased for her big butt and and thick glasses. It took a lot of courage for her to sing in front of audiences.
Her first single, "Dreams," went to #1 in the UK, helping her earns the BRIT award for Best Newcomer in 1994. She got the BRIT for Best Female Solo Artist in 1997.
She gave birth to a son, Jordan, in 1995. His father, Tony Antoniou, missed the birth and broke up with Gabrielle the next day. Turned out, that was far from the worst thing he did: In December that year, Antoniou murdered his stepfather (who he said abused him) and cut off his head with a sword. Gabrielle was called to testify at the trial and broke down in tears, leading to unflattering press coverage that painted her as sympathetic to her ex, who was sentenced to life in prison.

Gabrielle and Antoniou were together for three years before Jordan was born; they operated a fish and chips restaurant in Sheffield for a while.
Before making it as a singer, she had dreams of becoming a lawyer.
She became one of the few artists to legally sample a Bob Dylan song when Dylan agreed to let her use part of "Knocking On Heaven's Door" in on her track Rise. Dylan agreed because he liked the song; he even waived his portion of the publishing royalties.