Lesley Garrett

Lesley Garrett was born in the town of Thorne near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, into a musical family on the 10th April, 1955.

She is one of the best loved and most down-to-earth personalities in British music. She performs solo or with full orchestra, with a repertoire ranging from operatic favourites to West End showtunes and crowd pleasing anthems.

After graduating from the Royal Academy, the Doncaster diva lent her soaring and passionate soprano to Glyndebourne and Wexford. She joined the English National Opera and produced memorable performances in The Marriage of Figaro and Die Fledermaus before eventually taking a seat on the board of directors.

Lesley has always worked to popularise opera whilst retaining critical approval. She has graced the top of both classical and pop album charts, as well as playing her part on the Children in Need single Perfect Day. Turns on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Fame Academy have broadened her appeal even further.

With a repertoire ranging from oratorio to Broadway, she attracts invitations to perform at special events across the globe, including three FA Cup finals. She also helped break box office records as Mother Abbess in Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of The Sound of Music, wowing audiences with her outstanding vocal power.

Garrett married in May 1991: her husband is a GP in Muswell Hill. They have a son and a daughter and the family lives in north London.