Celeste

Celeste Epiphany Waite (born: ), better known online as Celeste is a British singer and songwriter. She began her career in 2014 providing vocals for electronic producers such as Avicii, Tieks and Real Lies, while also self-publishing content onto SoundCloud on the side.
==History==
===Early Years (1994-2015)===
Celeste Epiphany Waite was born in Culver City, California, on 5 May 1994 to an English mother and a Jamaican father. https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/celeste_epiphany_waite_born_1994_23375512 Her mother had been working as a make-up artist in the U.S., having initially worked in Hong Kong after graduating from beauty school in London. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/celeste-interview Her father had moved to the U.S. from Jamaica to be with his mother while she studied at university. https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2021/01/27/saltdean-girl-celeste-announces-debut-album-and-brighton-concert/ Following her parents' separation, Celeste moved to her mother's native United Kingdom, settling in Dagenham at the age of three, https://www.dummymag.com/features/taking-off-celeste/ before moving to the village of Saltdean on the outskirts of Brighton at the age of five, where she spent most of her early years. https://indie-mag.com/2017/12/soul-newcomer-celeste/
At the age of 10, Celeste spent a year doing ballet at a performing arts school where teachers had offered her a scholarship. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51020113 She recalls becoming interested in music through discovering Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, whose music was played throughout her family home, before discovering her own music from names such as Thelonious Monk, Koko Taylor and Sun Ra through YouTube and iTunes at the age of 14. http://diymag.com/2017/03/14/celeste-chocolate-track-review Celeste recalls singing hymns at church in Brighton as one of her earliest musical memories. http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2019/03/19/celeste-interview-spring-19-issue/ When Celeste was 16, her father died of lung cancer, aged 49. https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/music/celeste-interview-music-strange-a4282266.html
As a teenager, Celeste would write music and perform in bands. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/06/soul-singer-celeste-named-winner-of-brits-rising-star-award She "accidentally" wrote her first song, "Sirens", with her former bandmates at the age of 16. The song was inspired by the death of her father and was published to YouTube where it got the attention of her current manager. https://web.archive.org/web/20191127201127/http://www.umusic.ca/2019/02/07/meet-celeste/ Her manager arranged studio sessions for her at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, where the crew were reportedly so impressed with Celeste's song-writing skills, that they would try to give her more time in the studio. https://www.dummymag.com/features/taking-off-celeste/ At 18, she started working in the studio after she graduated and began taking her music career seriously, http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/discovery-celeste whilst playing her first gigs in and around Brighton. https://web.archive.org/web/20191217150011/http://www.spbx.co.uk/euphony-concept-of-thought-and-celeste-waite-22812-ouch-bar/ Celeste studied Music Technology at Varndean College for her sixth form education. https://twitter.com/varndean/status/1215595802518786048 
Celeste told Annie Mac that while her friends asked for driving lessons as their 18th birthday gift, she asked for a Macbook laptop which she would later use to begin recording herself on GarageBand. https://www.facebook.com/celeste/videos/2434794740107855/ Celeste published her first SoundCloud song, "Born Again" to the platform in July 2014. https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/discovery/listen-celeste-born-again Celeste started her BBC musical journey when she uploaded her song "North Circular" onto the BBC Music Introducing website in 2014, https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/celeste-introducingwhere it gained support from DJs on BBC Radio 1. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50680360 She featured on British dance producer Tieks' 2014 debut single "Sing That Song" which reach No. 90 on the UK Singles Chart.https://www.complex.com/music/2014/08/tieks-celeste-sing-that-song She also featured on Swedish musician Avicii's song "Touch Me" in 2015, prior to making her solo anonymous debut. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/10/01/album-review-avicii-stories/RlHwZdjipAKNahAc453Y5N/story.html It was during this time that Celeste assisted electronic duo Real Lies as a vocalist while they toured with Foals in 2015. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/celeste-interview Celeste completed her GCE Advanced Levels in Music and Textiles in 2016 before working at the local Black Horse pub in Rottingdean. https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2021/01/27/saltdean-girl-celeste-announces-debut-album-and-brighton-concert/
===2018-2019===
Celeste signed to Warner Chappell Music publishing company in December 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20191128093502/https://uk.warnerchappell.com/news-details/749 before releasing the single "Father's Son", a "heartbreaking examination of absent fathers", in January 2019. https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/d3mvzj/celeste-fathers-son-music-video She saw support when "Father's Son" was promoted on BBC Radio 6 Music by Tom Robinson in March 2019, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002d0b as well as when "Both Sides of the Moon" was played on BBC Radio 1 by Annie Mac and Huw Stephens in October 2019, https://twitter.com/celeste/status/1057171986550525952 "Both Sides of the Moon" was also played on Beats 1 by Elton John, who noted: "Celeste is quite something else...watch out for her." https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/UK-Breakout-Celestes-New-EP-Lately-Out-Now-On-True-PantherEQT-20190322 The song was also picked for Apple Music's Best of 2018 playlist. https://www.facebook.com/celestewaite/photos/a.544093542383515/1886506978142158/?type=3 
Celeste performed a showcase at SXSW under BBC Radio 1 in March 2019, as well as a BBC Music Introducing session at Maida Vale Studios in April 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/48Cmh9ZctGGB6DJCRxkxj50/celeste-is-bbc-music-introducing-artist-of-the-year-2019 Celeste supported Neneh Cherry at the Brighton Festival in May 2019, https://web.archive.org/web/20190617231254/https://brightonfestival.org/event/17458/neneh_cherry/ and performed on the BBC Music Introducing stage at Glastonbury Festival as well as at Field Day in June 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/er3v9r/acts/anx3q9https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/qv7xnb/this-is-field-day-2019-straight-up Gemma Samways from NME described Celeste's debut Primavera Sound set in June 2019 as "spellbinding", noting that "next year she'll be on a much, much bigger stage." https://web.archive.org/web/20191007203913/https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/primavera-sound-the-12-best-acts-we-caught-at-the-spanish-festivals-groundbreaking-2019-edition 
Celeste ventured to Jamaica in order to film the music video which was directed by Akinola Davids, also known as Crack Stevens. https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/UK-Breakout-Celeste-Debuts-New-Single-COCO-BLOOD-20190624 Celeste collaborated with Mulberry in June 2019 when she performed at the inaugural #MulberryMyLocal event in London. https://www.luxurydaily.com/mulberry-celebrates-londons-music-scene-in-pop-up-series/ She provided the theme song for the acclaimed BBC documentary program Black Hollywood: They Gotta Have Us in July 2019. http://www.fivemissionsmore.com/music-supervision-black-hollywood-theyve-gotta-have-us/https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/she-s-such-an-exciting-fresh-talent-warner-chappell-signs-celeste/074783 In October 2019, Celeste supported Janelle Monáe for a night at Columbiahalle in Berlin. https://web.archive.org/web/20190725041647/https://www.rbb24.de/kultur/beitrag/2019/07/berlin-konzertkritik-janelle-monae-columbiahalle.html She made her television debut when she performed "Strange" on an episode of Later... with Jools Holland on 24 October 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rtsns 
In November 2019, Elton John added "Strange" and "She's My Sunshine" to his personal Apple Music playlist. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/elton-johns-playlist/pl.9192e00c1da741719f7b4816d164031e Celeste gained support from English television personality James Corden after he tweeted "I cannot stop listening to [Celeste] this is her song Strange. It's sensational. I dare you not to love her. I dare you x" https://twitter.com/JKCorden/status/1189788247066497024 Celeste sold out a three-night residency at Omeara in London, https://www.readdork.com/news/celeste-has-announced-a-new-batch-of-dates-for-2020 before embarking on a tour supporting Michael Kiwanuka in November 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50680360 On 3 December 2019, Celeste won the BBC Music Award for BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/celeste-introducing Following this, she appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour segment where she talked about her musical upbringing. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-50649195/celeste-being-yourself-is-one-of-the-most-important-things
On 6 December 2019, the British Phonographic Industry announced that Celeste was the winner of the Rising Star Award at the 2020 Brit Awards and that she would be receiving the award and performing at the ceremony in February 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/06/soul-singer-celeste-named-winner-of-brits-rising-star-award Celeste was later longlisted in the annual poll of 170 music critics, Sound of 2020 by BBC, who admired her for her "Timeless soul to tug at your heartstrings" and specifically noted her as "the one to beat" following her previous accolades from the Brit Awards and BBC Music Introducing. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50741299
===2020-Present===
On 9 January 2020, Celeste was announced as the winner of BBC's music poll Sound of 2020, before she released her first single of the year, "Stop This Flame". https://www.readdork.com/news/celeste-stop-this-flame-single GQ named Celeste as "the most hotly tipped singer for 2020." after the release of "Stop This Flame". https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/celeste-singer Celeste made her first appearance on BBC World News on the Breakfast segment, before having her single "Stop This Flame" debuted on BBC Radio 1 by Annie Mac. https://web.archive.org/web/20200109215959/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000d1ws 
Celeste made her American late-night television debut when she performed "Strange" on The Late Late Show with James Corden in late January 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPNnHZk0ai8 She was featured alongside Maisie Peters on the front cover of Music Week in January 2020. http://www.musicweek.com/opinion/read/is-new-music-better-than-ever-in-2020/078639 Following Celeste's performance of "Strange" at the 2020 Brit Awards, Celeste saw interest from other big names in the pop music industry who attended the ceremony such as Billie Eilish, https://twitter.com/BigTop40/status/1231898771950362624 Camilla Cabello, https://twitter.com/CamilaCabelloBR/status/1231949801916375041 Finneas, https://web.archive.org/web/20200225161621/https://twitter.com/finneas/status/1232334740910264322 and Stormzy. https://twitter.com/BRITs/status/1230155489578823680 Celeste was listed on Forbes' annual 30 Under 30 list, which recognizes the 30 most influential people in Europe under the age of 30, in 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sofialottopersio/2020/03/17/celeste-lewis-capaldi-ncuti-gatwa-and-the-30-under-30-europe-entertainment-class-of-2020/ In late March 2020, Celeste made the front cover of The Sunday Times Style, where she was named "fashion's new front-row star". https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meet-celeste-the-brit-award-winning-singer-creating-a-sound-thats-all-her-own-scj9qs33qhttps://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B-P4AhSB0uM 
In April 2020 she did a virtual performance from her bedroom on The Graham Norton Show in order to encourage social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-04-10/graham-norton-show-lockdown/ For the April 2020 fundraiser telecast, The Big Night In, Celeste performed a cover of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" and also appeared in the Live Lounge Allstars' charity single "Times Like These." https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-04-23/bbc-big-night-in-hosts-performers/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/listen-to-radio-1s-live-lounge-charity-single-times-like-these-featuring-dua-lipa-chris-martin-and-bastille__29532/ Celeste and SAM SMITH were the only two artists to do solo musical performances in the telecast. https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-04-23/bbc-big-night-in-hosts-performers/ The charity single was Celeste's first No. 1 and her first top 10 entry in the UK. She planned to embark on her first headlining tour of Europe in April 2020, however these shows were cancelled due to the same coronavirus pandemic. http://www.scottishmusicnetwork.co.uk/celeste-cancels-april-headline-tour/ 
Celeste released the single "I Can See The Change", which was produced by Grammy-winning musician Finneas, https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/celeste-unveils-finneas-produced-new-single-i-can-see-the-change in late May 2020. She was nominated in the Best New International Act category at the 2020 BET Awards. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9402347/2020-bet-awards-exclusive-drake-megan-thee-stallion-roddy-ricch-cbs
==Personal Life==
In 2017, Celeste moved to London with only £100 and was fired from her job as she would skip work in order to make music. She told the BBC: "I'd rather call in sick and go to the studio than have the money for that month." https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51020113 She currently resides on Ladbroke Grove, https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/celeste-soul-singer-fashion and began dating English model and poet Sonny Hall shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/celeste-interview-sound-of-2020-a4573390.html She is a keen football fan and an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54027472 
==Filmography==
===Television===
*Inas Nacht (2019)
*Later... with Jools Holland (2019)
*C à vous (2019)
*Top of the Pops (2019)
*The Late Late Show with James Corden (2020)
*2020 Brit Awards (2020)
*Lorraine (2020)
*The One Show (2020)
*The Graham Norton Show (2020)
*The Big Night In (2020)
*The Voice UK (2020)
*The 2020 Royal Variety Performance (2020)
*Jools' Annual Hootenanny 2020/21 (2020)
*Sunday Brunch (2021)
*74th British Academy Film Awards (2021)
===Film===
*If These Walls Could Sing (2023)
==Discography==
===Albums===
*Not Your Muse (2021)
===Extended Plays===
*The Milk & the Honey (2017)
*Lately (2019)
===Single Compilations===
*Celeste (2019)
*Compilation 1.1 (2019)
===Singles===
*Coco Blood (2019)
*I Can See the Change (2020)
*Little Runaway (2020)
*To Love A Man (2022)
*There Will Come a Day (2023)
==Tours==
==References==
Category:Music YouTubers
Category:British YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2016