GERI HALLIWELL: FROM DIVA TO DESPERADO; She used to fill stadiums all over the world, but her terrible single and album have reduced her to visiting supermarkets to flog her records...
Byline: Words: Rhiannon Vivian. Additional research: Natasha OdettaGeri Halliwell's attempts at resurrecting her pop career have gone from bad to worse. Her second solo single, Desire, has flopped so spectacularly, hopes of a comeback have been crushed. The single limped into the charts at No 18 and only shifted 2,000 copies in its first week - and her album only sold 1,742 copies in the first week.
To top it off, the 32-year-old former Spice Girl was reduced to signing copies of her album, Passion, in Watford's ASDA store, in an attempt to get punters to buy the record.
Poor Geri's luck has been on the wane for a while now - 2001's album Scream If You Wanna Go Faster dropped out of the charts after just a few weeks and her attempt at acting last year failed to make an impact, with her terrible cameo in Sex And The City making her a laughing stock. Now it seems the failure of her third album is the icing on the has-been cake.
Earlier this year, bosses at Innocent Records ordered her back into the studio to re-record Passion. Officially, she was forced to cancel her February UK tour as the album had been put back. In reality, ticket sales were so poor, not one of the 13 venues sold out.
Just a few weeks ago, Geri pulled out of a gig at the 20,000-capacity NIA Arena in Birmingham after sales bombed. She ended up playing in a small venue on a shared bill with almost unheard-of boy band Triple 8. The venue wasn't full, and Geri was heckled by the unreceptive crowd.
But Geri denies her career is heading down the pan. She's been telling pals she's going to play Wembley next year, and that her cancelled tour was down to poor planning, not lack of fans.
'I was over-enthusiastic,' she bleats. 'And when the dates were announced, I realised I wasn't going to be ready for a big arena show. I love to perform - I don't have to do big shows.' Well, she really has no choice. However, there's no end to her delusions. 'She's started comparing herself to Elton John,' reveals a music insider. 'She says he's been through lean periods but came back to be recognised as a musical genius.'
It seems unlikely Geri will ever be classed as a 'genius' - musical or otherwise. The critics have panned Passion (which was three years in the making), calling it 'embarrassing' and Geri's voice 'tired', but Geri begs to differ, claiming, 'It's the best album I've ever written.' She also denied claims she'd been dropped by her label.
When her music isn't a hit, Ms H is mistress of publicity stunts - but even these have failed to work of late. In November last year she was seen riding through London on a horse and wearing a basque to promote her single Ride It.
But the most embarrassing stunt yet has to be her toe-curling documentary There's Something About Geri. The cameras followed Geri as she danced on her coffee table, burst into tears, and constantly demanded reassurance and attention. Sadly for Geri, she simply proved herself to be a needy desperado. She was even filmed declaring, 'GMTV gets on my nerves,' before appearing on the show the next morning. She then proceeded to snap at host Fiona Phillips, who said her documentary was 'at odds with reality'. She later blanked Fiona in the loos. In a rare moment of clarity, Geri recently declared, 'I shouldn't have done the documentary. Even thinking about it makes me cringe.' We know how you feel, Geri.
So what's next? If rumours are to be believed, it could be a reunion with her fellow Spices for Live 8 on 2 July. It certainly can't do their 'careers' any harm. And it'll be the 'big show' Geri's been craving - even if the audience have come to see someone else...
GERI'S OTHER DISASTERS
Geri's cameo in SATC proved once and for all she's no actress
An embarrassing publicity stunt for her single Ride It was just silly
The documentary Something About Geri was cringe-making TV
CAPTION(S):
Geri's gone from being part of a huge best-selling girl band to flogging her CD in a supermarket
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Sunday Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Jun 19, 2005 |
| Words: | 711 |
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