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Mel & Kim

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Mel and Kim were a British pop duo, comprising sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. They achieved success between 1986 and 1988 before Melanie succumbed to terminal illness.

Mel & Kim were born to British and Jamaican parents. In 1985, they were noticed dancing in a nightclub in their native London and subsequently signed a recording contract with Supreme Records under the guidance of production team Stock Aitken Waterman. The first demo they recorded for the label was an unreleased cover version of the Mary Jane Girls single "Wild and Crazy Love".

"System" was intended as their first single, but they and the producers were unhappy with it, and it became the "B-side" of their first release "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)", which reached number three on the British charts in 1986 and number one on the USA Dance charts. Their next single "Respectable" reached number one in Britain and became one of the year's biggest hits. They became well-known celebrities, particularly in Britain, and were known for their visual style which combined urban street wear with high fashion; prior to their music career Mel had worked as a glamour model. Their third single "F.L.M." reached number seven in the UK, while their final single "That's the Way It Is" reached number ten, giving them an unbroken run of top ten hits.

During a promotional visit to Japan in June 1987, Mel became ill with a suspected spinal disc herniation, after complaining of a back problem for several months. Upon returning to the UK, Mel was diagnosed with secondary cancer of the spine, after previously being treated for liver cancer when she was 18, prior to the duo's rise to fame. The cancer was malignant paraganglioma. The sisters withdrew from publicity while Mel underwent treatment, and footage from their Montreux Festival performance was used to compile the "F.L.M." music video. While the media speculated that Mel was terminally ill, both sisters categorically denied this, stating that Mel had suffered a debilitating back injury.

Eventually, it was confirmed that Mel had been diagnosed with cancer, following the release of "That's the Way it Is" in February 1988. Mel discharged herself from hospital to record the vocals for the track. Work on a second album was not continued, due to Mel's illness. Both sisters appeared on the Wogan show in April 1988 while Mel was still undergoing treatment, as part of European Cancer Week. She died of pneumonia on 18 January 1990, after contracting a cold; her immune system weakened by chemotherapy.

 

 

Albums (1)
Songs (9)
# Song
Hits 9536
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