Biography
In March 1994, an ad was placed reading: "R U 18-23 with the ability to sing/dance? R U streetwise, ambitious, outgoing and determined?". Hundreds of girls responded to the ads, and applicants were whittled down to a final six which through a series of incidents, changed into the final lineup of Emma Bunton, Victoria Adams, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, and Geri Halliwell.
In October 1994, armed with a catalogue of demos and dance routines, the group began touring management agencies. The group was introduced to Simon Fuller of 19 Management and finally signed with him in March 1995. During the summer of that year the group toured record labels in London and Los Angeles and finally signed a deal with Virgin Records in September 1995.
On July 8, 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut single "Wannabe" in the United Kingdom. The song proved to be a global hit - hitting number 1 in 31 countries and became not only the biggest selling single by an all female group, but also the biggest selling debut single of all time. In November 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut album, Spice in Europe. The success was unprecedented and drew comparisons to Beatlemania (it was dubbed "Spicemania") due to the sheer volume of interest in the group. In total, the album sold 3 million copies in Britain and peaked at number 1 for 16 non-consecutive weeks.
In November 1997, the Spice Girls released their second studio album, Spiceworld. Preceded by the single "Spice Up Your Life", the album proved to be an instant global best seller. Gaining favourable reviews, the album went on to sell over 10 million copies in Europe, Canada, and the United States alone. The Spice Girls remained the biggest selling pop group of both 1997 and 1998.
In June 1997, the group began filming their movie debut, Spiceworld: The Movie, with Absolutely Fabulous and Fawlty Towers director Bob Spiers. The light-hearted comedy, intended to capture the spirit of the Spice Girls, starred a plethora of stars including Roger Moore, Elton John, Jennifer Saunders, Richard E. Grant, Michael Barrymore and Meat Loaf. Released in December 1997, Spiceworld: The Movie proved to be a hit at the box office, though it received a lukewarm reception from critics.
On November 7, 1997 the Spice Girls fired their manager and mentor Simon Fuller. They cited that he had become too controlling by restricting their personal and artistic freedom, and they accused him of using divide and rule tactics to get his own way. The group quickly found the burden of managing themselves time consuming, so they assigned various responsibilities to each member of the group. They later built their own team, headed by Nancy Phillips, to deal with their affairs.
In early 1998, the Spice Girls embarked upon a sell-out 102 date world tour covering Europe and North America. The Spiceworld Tour kicked off in Ireand before moving onto mainland Europe and then returning to Britain for 14 gigs. At the end of the European leg of the tour, Geri Halliwell missed the final 2 shows in Norway reportedly due to gastroenteritis. However, rumours quickly circulated that Geri had become disenchanted with the group and was planning to leave – and after she also missed a performance on the National Lottery show, rumours began to intensify.
On May 31, 1998, Geri Halliwell announced her departure from the Spice Girls. Through her solicitor, Julian Turton, she issued the following statement: "Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. This is because of differences between us. I'm sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best." Geri’s departure from the group shocked fans and became one of the biggest entertainment news stories of the year, making news headlines the world over.
The Spice Girls' first release as a foursome was "Viva Forever," the last single taken off Spiceworld. The video for the single was made before Geri's departure and features the girls in animated form – a decision made because there was no time to produce a video due to the heavy world tour schedule. Whilst on tour in America the group continued to record new material and they released the new song "Goodbye" at Christmas 1998. Although written before her departure, the song was nevertheless seen as a tribute to Geri.
In November 2000 The Spice Girls released their final album, Forever. The album received a lukewarm response and achieved only a fraction of the success of its two best selling predecessors. The lead single from the album, the double A-side "Holler" / "Let Love Lead The Way", did have some success – it became the group's ninth number one single in UK. Further planned single releases off the album never materialised. In February 2001, the group announced that despite only coming back in late 2000, they were having a break and going apart for the foreseeable future, concentrating on their solo careers.
Since the group's break up, reunion rumours have persisted. The tabloids have claimed that declining solo careers have forced each of the former Girls to consider reuniting the group. Whenever any of the members of the group are seen together in public, it is almost certain that reunion stories will appear in the tabloid newspapers soon after. Despite official denials by the five women themselves, tabloid editors continue to fill column inches with stories about a comeback.
Adapted from Wikipedia