• December 9, 1977
• Imogen Heap's parents separated when she was 12. Her mother was an art therapist and her father was a construction rock retailer. At 13, she began to teach herself music and eventually learned how to play the guitar and drums.
• Heap's first major break came in 1996. Her manager got her a gig at the Prince's Trust Concert at Hyde Park in London, England. Heap played four of her own songs in between sets by Eric Clapton and The Who.
• Her career almost ended after her label Almo Sounds was sold to Universal. While working on her second solo album, Heap was given a deadline to deliver the rest of the songs. After handing over the tunes, Heap was told they "lacked hit potential" and she was dropped from the label. Heap started up a new duo called Frou Frou and decided to move on with new music.
• In 2011 Imogen Heap tweeted what she was working on a new song with DJ and mega-producer Deadmau5. The track was titled "Telemisscommunications" and can be found on Deadmau5's disc, Album Title Goes Here.
• Imogen Heap recorded a song called "Can't Take It In" for the soundtrack to the Disney movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe after a version by Dido was deemed unfitting for the film. Heap also wrote a song for the sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, but it was cut from the movie because it was too dark.
• Heap recorded a cover version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for the season three finale of The O.C. She also wrote the track "Not Now But Soon" for the soundtrack to NBC's hit show Heroes.
• In 2009 Imogen Heap asked fans to audition for a cello spot on her North American tour. Heap provided sheet music for her song "Aha!" and decided that on each night of her tour, she would pick a person in that city to join her onstage to perform the song.
• She was Twitter power user early on, and in 2009 she crowd-sourced her bio on the platform, taking submissions from fans. She got 1500 responses; those whose contributions made the final copy were send autographed copies of her album Ellipse.
• In 2010 Imogen Heap became the first woman to win a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, taking the prize for her work on her album Ellipse.
• Heap's music has been extensively sampled by various artists. Ariana Grande is a huge fan, and her song "Goodnight n Go" is a reworking of Heap's track of the same name. Also, Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say" samples Heap's 2005 single "Hide and Seek."
  
  Heap's influence extends to hip-hop as well. For instance, A$AP Rocky's song "Angels" borrows Heap's "Headlock," while Mac Miller's "Angels (When She Shuts Her Eyes)" samples Heap's "2-1."
• Imogen Heap attended Friends' School, a Quaker-run boarding school in Saffron Walden, England, where she often clashed with authority. "I feel awful now for some of the things I did," she told The Guardian in 2025.
  
  After being expelled for telling the matron to "F-off," Heap was still asked to perform in the school's end-of-term concert and ended up living with the headmistress, who she recalled as being "really kind."
• Reflecting on her rebellious years, Heap said her diagnosis with ADHD and autism helped her understand why she always felt restless and driven to "shake things up and do new things."

Comments

More Songfacts:

Happiness Is A Warm GunThe Beatles

John Lennon got the title of the Beatles song "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" from an article in a magazine published by the National Rifle Association.

Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadElton John

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is one of the few Bernie Taupin lyrics that is more about him than Elton John. The song is about giving up glitz for the simple life - not exactly Elton's M.O.

Killing An ArabThe Cure

"Killing An Arab" by The Cure was inspired by Albert Camus' book The Stranger.

Wild BoysDuran Duran

Duran Duran's "Wild Boys" is based on the book of the same name by William Burroughs.

VenusShocking Blue

The original "Venus" was a #1 hit for the Dutch band Shocking Blue. Listen to the first line and you'll hear a muffed word: "goddess" was sung as "goddness."

I Love ItIcona Pop

Icona Pop consider "I Love It" a kiss-off to their boyfriends. "We just wanted to get the song out and get the pigs to hear it," group member Jawo said.

Editor's Picks

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"They're Playing My Song

With the band in danger of being dropped from their label, Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith co-wrote the song that started their trek from horror show curiosity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.