Twenty years after her breakout hit 'Put Your Records On', Corinne Bailey Rae has released a children's book based on the song. But the soul singer's career was marked by tragedy in 2008 when her husband, saxophonist Jason Rae, died of an accidental drug overdose.
Bailey Rae, now 46, says she still feels the loss deeply. She met Jason when working as a cloakroom attendant in a Leeds club; they married in 2001. On the night he died, he had taken methadone belonging to a friend, combined with alcohol. The singer has often been portrayed as the conservative soul singer to his reckless jazz musician, but she insists they were similar: both religious, academic and driven by music.
The singer's second album 'The Sea', completed after his death, was nominated for the Mercury Prize. She has since released two more albums, including 2024's 'Black Rainbow', also Mercury-nominated. Her latest project is a children's book, 'Put Your Records On', which follows a girl named Bea and her great-aunt Portia discovering the power of music.
Growing up in Leeds, Bailey Rae felt like an outsider due to her mixed-race background, parents' divorce, and her lack of coolness. She found belonging in church, where she learned about music and social issues. She formed a girl punk band at 15 and played in nightclubs.
Looking back, she says the success of 'Put Your Records On' was a resolution to believe in herself, not an assertion of confidence. She continues to create music that defies easy categorisation, staying true to her authentic self.
