Corinne Bailey Rae

Corinne Bailey Rae (born February 26, 1979) is an English singer-songwriter from Leeds who released her eponymous debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006. Rae was named the number-one predicted b

Corinne Bailey Rae (born February 26, 1979) is an English singer-songwriter from Leeds who released her eponymous debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006. Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC poll of music critics. The poll's predictions subsequently came true, as she became only the fourth female British act in history to have her first album debut at number one. She is a Grammy and BRIT nominated singer and has won two MOBO awards.

Rae was born in Leeds, England to a Kittitian father and an English mother, and she was the eldest of three daughters. She used to be racially abused on a regular basis while growing up, even though her verbal attackers mistakenly thought she was of Iraqi origin. She says about the situation, "My sisters and I were different and people used to say, 'Ah, aren't they cute, the little chocolate children', and 'look at their hair'". "I know they were only being cute but it was over the top. Then people from other schools would shout, 'Paki' (a commonly used racist term used in the UK) to me because it was the most common racist insult of the time. At least if you're going to do it, get it right". "I used to shout back, 'But my dad isn't from Pakistan, he's from St Kitts – so there!"