Melanie Brown is widely recognised by fans as Mel B, but you might not be aware that she briefly adopted a completely different stage name during her solo music career.
The Birth of Melanie G
Following Geri's departure from the Spice Girls in May 1998, all the members chose to pursue their own solo ventures. Yet Mel B was the first from the group to drop solo material and shift towards a distinctive Urban/RandB and hip-hop style. She launched her solo career while still part of the Spice Girls by teaming up with Missy Elliott on the single "I Want You Back". The track dominated the charts and secured a UK Number 1 position.
The star – who hails from Leeds – briefly altered her stage name to Melanie G (or Mel G) after her 1998 marriage to Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar. She formally adopted the moniker for her 1999 solo version of Cameo's track "Word Up!" (featured on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Sh*gged Me soundtrack). Mel even playfully acknowledged the switch in her B-side track "Sophisticated Lady," singing: "Change my name from the B to the G, so my hubby can get with me."
Nevertheless, the name proved fleeting and she returned to Mel B after filing for divorce in 2000, reports Leeds Live.
Solo Music Career Highlights
Mel's debut studio album, Hot, showcased a polished RandB aesthetic crafted by industry giants like Rodney Jerkins and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and delivered two back-to-back top-five UK hits. These were "Tell Me" (a track reflecting on her divorce) and "Feels So Good". However, her second album – "L.A. State of Mind" (2005) – which she put out via an independent label, didn't replicate her initial triumph, with its single "Today" peaking at number 41.
After turning her attention to her hugely successful international TV career, she dropped the dance track "For Once in My Life," in 2013, which climbed to Number 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs Chart.
Current Life and Career
The star is presently juggling prominent TV commitments, worldwide brand collaborations, and a tranquil existence on her rural estate in Yorkshire. Mel B recently hinted at exciting surprises for her position on the America's Got Talent panel, disclosing that fellow Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Mel C will accompany her during the home visit segments.
She also recently thrilled supporters by leaping on stage with Mel C to perform "Spice Up Your Life" during her bandmate's solo album promotion. Mel has carefully tempered fan hopes about a complete Spice Girls reunion tour, pointing out that you 'can't force everyone to tour if they aren't ready'.
Having relocated from Los Angeles back to Leeds, she resides with her husband Rory McPhee on a £2.2 million Yorkshire farmhouse encompassed by 15 acres of woodland, goats, and chickens. Alongside Mel B and Mel G, the star was also known as 'Scary Spice' during her time in the Spice Girls. Her legendary moniker was created by a so-called "lazy journalist" from Top of the Pops magazine who struggled to recall the band members' real names. The nickname endured due to her "in-your-face" attitude, booming laugh, and extravagant personality.
