associated_acts years_active birth_place name background birth_date instrument genre image article_title birth_name occupation
chumbawamba 1982 -- present burnley , lancashire , england lou watts solo_singer 4 june 1962 vocals folk , pop , anarcho-punk file : lou watts tff.jpg lou watts
 louise mary watts singer-songwriter
lou watts

lou watts -lrb- born 4 june 1962 -rrb- is a british singer-songwriter , perhaps best known for her vocal work with anarcho-punk and later folk band , chumbawamba .
born in burnley , watts was member of chumbawamba from their formation in 1982 until their disbandment in 2012 .
she joined boff whalley , danbert nobacon and midge and tomi in 1982 to form the original line-up , and the band made their live debut in january of that year .
the band gained a reputation for their anarchist views , and gained popularity for their opposition to homophobia , fascism and support of feminism and gay rights .
watts provided lead vocals for the band 's hit song tubthumping , which gained them international recognition , and topped charts in topped charts in australia , canada , ireland , italy and new zealand .
they were also nominated for a brit award for `` best british single '' at the 1998 brit awards .
