What an incredible conversation! Jennie is such a powerful, compassionate, wise and talented woman, artist and musician! Please watch our video interview, below. Be genius. Give some slaps!
The Belle Stars were an all-female British pop/rock band, founded by former members of The Bodysnatchers in 1980.
After The Bodysnatchers broke up, guitarists Stella Barker and Sarah-Jane Owen, saxophonist Miranda Joyce, keyboardist Penny Leyton, and drummer Judy Parsons decided to form a new band, recruiting bass player Lesley Shone and lead vocalist Jennie Matthias (also known as Jenny McKeown and Jenny Bellestar). Their first performance was on Christmas Day 1980 before they had chosen a name. Within a short time, the group became well-known around London, notably appearing on the front cover of Sounds magazine early in 1981.
Shortly thereafter, they were signed by Stiff Records, then highly successful through its star act, Madness. In January 1983, the Belle Stars released what would be their signature single, “Sign of the Times,” peaking at number three, and a chart success throughout Europe. The song’s music video, showing the Belle Stars in dinner jackets, was also played frequently by MTV in the United States. Or, perhaps you know her from “Iko Iko,” a landmark music video and song from the movie soundtrack Rain Main. Jennie, AKA Jenny Bellestar, is a poet, performer, writer, and mentor: she is the author of Surviving the Storm: How to Embrace Your Pain & Grow Through Adversity (2019).