CERYS MATTHEWS

Cerys has told me she is happy to come on here. Further details soon.

I am excited to say that Cerys has registered and hope she will soon post on here.



From Wikipedia...

Cerys Elizabeth Matthews (pronounced /ˈkɛrɪs/; born 11 April 1969) is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones .



Matthews was born in Cardiff and brought up in Swansea and Pembrokeshire, and is a fluent Welsh speaker and multi-instrumentalist. She has cited her childhood heroes as being Pippi Longstocking and The Wombles due to their love of recycling. She learned to play the guitar at the age of nine, teaching herself blues and Irish folk songs. After a stint in Spain as a nanny, where she learned to speak Spanish and Catalan, Matthews worked for the Pembrokeshire County Council. She later moved back to Cardiff and became involved with the local music scene, meeting Mark Roberts. She currently resides in London with her children Glenys Pearl y Felin (born 10 August 2003), Johnny Tupelo Jones (born August 2005), and Red (born 23 November 2009). Her son Red was born eight weeks premature.


Catatonia was formed in 1992, reputedly after Roberts heard Cerys Matthews busking in a street in Cardiff city centre. This later turned out to be a story fabricated by the band, as Matthews had known Roberts for some time, although they did often go busking. She subsequently sang lead vocals on, and co-wrote the music and lyrics for, the band's hits. Songs she co-wrote included "You've Got a Lot to Answer For", "Mulder and Scully", "Dead From the Waist Down", and "Road Rage". Matthews also played guitar on the earlier material before second guitarist Owen Powell joined the band. She also performed a single with the band Space named "The Ballad of Tom Jones", which tells the story of two lovers who want to kill each other, but then hear a Tom Jones song that defuses their homicidal feelings. Matthews later collaborated with Jones to record a version of Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" on Jones' album Reload. Matthews was voted the "Sexiest Female in Rock" in a 1999 readers' poll in the now defunct magazine Melody Maker.

After Catatonia's rise to fame with their second album International Velvet, and subsequent success with Equally Cursed And Blessed, the band returned in 2001 with their fourth studio album Paper Scissors Stone. During promotional appearances for this album it became clear that Matthews was not happy. On 21 September 2001, the band officially split.



In December 2001, Matthews returned to the recording studio for the first time since Catatonia split up. She recorded a song in both English and Welsh for the pre-school cartoon series Sali Mali.

Matthews moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the early summer of 2002. On her arrival she began playing with Bucky Baxter, who had played lap steel guitar for Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams. She had already collected seventy-six traditional folk songs with the idea of making an album of folk covers. Her debut album, Cockahoop, ended up consisting mainly of her own songs. It was recorded in seven months and appeared on Blanco y Negro Records in the UK in May 2003. Whilst recording this album she met Seth Riddle, whom she married in Pembrokeshire in February 2003. She toured the album around Britain with minimal promotion as she was several months pregnant at the time. The album's Stateside Records release followed in October 2004.

In December 2005, Matthews recorded a new version of Len Barry's 1960s UK top 10 hit "1-2-3" in Nashville. She released it as a download-single with all profits going to a children's charity.

In spring 2006, Matthews introduced material from her upcoming album at SXSW in Austin, Texas



In July and August 2006 Matthews conducted a short tour of the UK to promote her new second solo album, Never Said Goodbye. The new album was preceded by the single "Open Roads" (released 7 August 2006). Band members included Kevin Teel on guitar, Ben Elkins playing keyboards, Mason Neely on drums, and Jeff Irwin playing bass. She headlined Cardiff's Big Weekend festival on 6 August 2006.

During September and October 2006, Matthews embarked on an extensive UK and Ireland tour, during which she played tracks from her first two solo albums as well as three Catatonia hits. She also embarked upon a short acoustic Welsh tour in November 2006 before returning to Nashville for Christmas.

Matthews appeared at the live 'Guilty Pleasures' concert at the Hackney Empire, London on 20 March 2007. She performed the Bonnie Tyler hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream" along with Terry Hall and the BBC Concert Orchestra

In an interview on the eve of the launch of her Welsh mini-album Awyren = Aeroplane, Matthews confirmed she had divorced from Riddle and temporarily moved back to her farm in Pembrokeshire. Awyren = Aeroplane won her the 'Contemporary Composition' award in the National Eisteddfod. The award had been resurrected and presented for the first time since 1936.

In 2007 Matthews became Vice-President of the Welsh homelessness charity Shelter Cymru. She also accepted a role of Performing Arts Ambassador for Linden Lodge School, Surrey in the same year.

Matthews appeared on the 2007 series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!, which aired from 12 to 30 November. She was voted off on 29 November, one day before the final episode, coming fourth behind Jason 'J' Brown, Janice Dickinson and the eventual winner of the series, Christopher Biggins. Matthews became involved with fellow contestant Marc Bannerman after the show, but they split four months later.



Matthews joined the Welsh band Manic Street Preachers onstage at The O2 on 28 February 2008 to sing the female vocals of their 2007 hit "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough". She replaced Nina Persson in both the awards ceremony (within indigO2) and at the following 'Big Gig' live show (within The O2 arena).

From November 2008 Matthews sat in for Stephen Merchant and Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music and went on to present George Lamb's slot in April 2009. In May 2009 she presented show A Month of Sundays With... Cerys Matthews. She then covered for Nemone on 6 Music from July 2009 while Nemone was on maternity leave. Her show Cerys on 6 included virtual radio roadtrips, musical challenges and back-to-school features on subjects including the boll weevil, the Vietnam War, the Bo Diddley beat and Hildegard von Bingen. Matthews began maternity leave from November 2009 and had to finish presenting the show a month early. On 4 April 2010, Matthews returned to 6 Music to present a weekend show on Sunday mornings. She spoke out in 2010 after the (now-abandoned) proposed closure of BBC 6 Music, calling for the decision to be reversed.



Matthews released her first CD in two years on 5 October 2009. The album, entitled Don't Look Down, was released in two versions, one in English and the other in Welsh (the title of the Welsh edition was Paid Edrych i Lawr). It was recorded in Providence, Rhode Island, Nashville, Seattle and London and coincided with a two-week sold-out UK tour in October.

After covering the Glastonbury Festival for both BBC Television and BBC 6 Music, she wrote and presented a BBC Two programme on Celtic poetry, a documentary on singer Dorothy Squires, and music of the Mississippi River. She also wrote and presented a documentary on early blues players like Memphis Minnie, also a documentary on Pippi Longstocking both for Radio 4.



On 21 June 2110 Matthews released 'TIR', a collection of traditional Welsh songs and photographs from the late 19th century to early 1930s. They include Calon Lân, Cwm Rhondda, Migldi-Magldi (sung as a duet with Bryn Terfel), Myfanwy and Sospan Fach. This is the third release on her own label of Rainbow City.

"Explorer " is the title of Cerys' fourth solo album and in both choosing and writing the songs she has sub consciously delved into the huge influence of not just all the music she has heard, but the places she has been around the globe, and by the times we live in, but most importantly made an album that over the seven days of recording had no pre determined sound or calculated format. On the 28 April 2011, a video was released through Matthews' official YouTube Page of the Lead single from Explorer, Sweet Magnolia. Explorer is set to be released 2 May 2011, through the online store Earthquake



Any questions for Cerys?

SOO here you are

Fantastic that you are here.

I loved you doing Baby Its Cold Outside with Tom Jones and I still play the CD. The video was really hot, did you feel any electricity between the two of you?
Are there any stories you can tell us about doing it please?

, What's occurring?

Answer these so we can see what makes you tick?

1. Are you called Cerys or do friends have a pet name for you?

2 If you had not become famous what job would you have liked to do?

3 What hobbies do you pursue?

4 You look great in your photos, what colour do you most like to wear?

5 Do you drive? What would be your ideal car to drive?

6 What sort of music do you listen to?

7 Who are your favourite singers/groups (past or present)?

8 What are or were your favourite TV programmes?

9 What are your favourite films?

10. What are your favourite plays?

11. What are your favourite books?

12 Who is your favourite actor?

13 Who is your favourite actress?

14 Who is your favourite comedian /funnyman?

15 Do you have any pets?

16 What is your favourite meal?

17 What is your favourite drink?

18 Which musical instruments do you play?

19 Who do you think is the dishiest person you have worked with?

20 Is there anything you regret not having done in your life so far and do you have any ambitions you hope to fulfil?

Hi, Catatonia did some great songs. Can you tell us about why the band split up? Do you think there is any chance that they might re-form one day?

I have contacted Cerys and have heard back this morning that she has not forgotten us....."I will be back!"

Answer these so we can see what makes you tick?

1. Are you called Cerys or do friends have a pet name for you?
nope. they call me cerys.
2 If you had not become famous what job would you have liked to do?
right now i feel id like to wade into law or politics. im appalled by our society, how we achieve less that our potential.
3 What hobbies do you pursue?
i love fishing and reading. especially off shore fishing.
4 You look great in your photos, what colour do you most like to wear?
black in winter, white in summer. thank you by the way,
5 Do you drive? What would be your ideal car to drive?
i love driving. ive driven an audi a4 for years, but when children leave it'll be a sports car.
6 What sort of music do you listen to?
al sorts from all era's except the 80's and 90's :@ from all round the world.
7 Who are your favourite singers/groups (past or present)?
ray charles, john lee hooker, lighnin hopkins, snooks eaglin,judy garland,dylan
8 What are or were your favourite TV programmes?
i loved the dave chappelle show. i m watching mildred pierce at moment and enjoyed the empire boardwalk series.

10. What are your favourite plays?


15 Do you have any pets? no. 3 children are enough.

16 What is your favourite meal?japanese or spanish tapas. i like tasting different tastes rather than one big plate

17 What is your favourite drink? good red wine is my tipple

18 Which musical instruments do you play?piano,guitar,mouth harmonica

19 Who do you think is the dishiest person you have worked with?

20 Is there anything you regret not having done in your life so far and do you have any ambitions you hope to fulfil?id like to learn more languages.
tq for questions

SaintsChick
A VOICE TO BE LISTENED TO



Number of posts: 362
Reputation: 5
Points: 1271
Registration date: 2009-07-30

Hi, Catatonia did some great songs. Can you tell us about why the band split up? Do you think there is any chance that they might re-form one day?

(Bob's your Uncle). They were great songs and I'm glad you think so, but by the end I felt we'd come to an end musically, had achieved everything we could together - and it had been 10 years of living and working together so socially it was time to move on too. I felt the urge to explore more, to write more uplifting songs, to go on roadtrips and experiment with different genres. I 've done so much in the 10 years since the band ended especially with meeting and playing with musicians form all over the world. And I'm still learning, still love travelling, exploring...hence title of new album' Explorer'
and eclectic music choice on radio show (Sunday 10-12am BBC6music).
re reforming?
I don't have the urge to re tread these footsteps. They are sacred memories - very special, with all involved including fans, and I don't want to dilute those memories. So no, no need to reform, plus I have what I do now to keep me busy enough.