Una Healy

Una Healy

Foden backstage at The Voice of Ireland in 2015
Background information
Birth name Una Theresa Imogene Healy
Also known as Una Foden
Born (1981-10-10) 10 October 1981
Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland
Genres Pop, dance, electropop, R&B, folk, acoustic
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, guitarist, dancer
Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active 2004–present
Labels Polydor, Fascination, Decca
Associated acts The Saturdays, Declan Nerney, Flo Rida, Sean Paul, Shaggy
Website The Saturdays

Una Theresa Imogene Foden (née Healy); born 10 October 1981, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, and a television presenter. She rose to fame in 2008 as a member of the 5 member English–Irish girl group The Saturdays, signed to Fascination and Polydor Records. The group have achieved substantial success with numerous top-ten hits as well as a hit number one single entitled 'What About Us'. In October 2014, it was confirmed that she would become a judge on The Voice of Ireland.

Early life

Healy was born in Thurles,[1] to Anne, a nurse, and John Healy, a GP. She has a sister named Deirdre.[2] She comes from a musical background, and is the niece of country singer Declan Nerney.[3] She is a cousin of Irish athlete Paul Hession.[4] At the age of 13, she gave up swimming (she was an All-Ireland champion swimmer at nine)[5] and decided to teach herself to play using her mother's guitar and from then on began to write songs of her own.

After finishing school at 18, she decided to take a year out and became a medical secretary, and from then went on to study nursing and then primary teaching at Mary Immaculate College, but decided finally to go ahead and pursue her music passion at 23 years old.[6]

She began her music career playing guitar and singing in pubs and clubs around Ireland, solo and in bands.[7][8] Whilst she was slowly finding success in her native Ireland as an indie solo artist, she felt she did not have a firm direction in her career. Therefore, in the summer of 2007 she flew over to London to gain more exposure and experience and landed an audition for The Saturdays, which was her first audition for a major label and abroad.[9]

Career

Early work

Healy won Ireland's Glinsk Song Contest in both 2004 and 2006.[10] She represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 as a backing singer for Brian Kennedy on "Every Song Is a Cry for Love".

The Saturdays

Main article: The Saturdays
The Saturdays from left-right: Mollie King, Foden, Rochelle Humes, Frankie Bridge and Vanessa White.

Healy is a member of the girl group The Saturdays who have enjoyed thirteen top ten hits and four top ten albums. The group released their first single "If This Is Love" in July 2008. It peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart. The Saturdays released a second single, "Up", where it charted at number five in the UK, and later the song enjoyed a certification of Silver in the United Kingdom. In late October 2008, the band released their first studio album, Chasing Lights, where it charted at number nine in the UK, and also achieved a certification of Platinum by BBI.[11]

The band released a third single from the album, "Issues", which also received a silver certificate by the BBI. The Saturdays released a cover of "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode; the song debuted at number 2 in the UK, behind Flo Rida's "Right Round". The fifth and final single from the album was "Work", which was the first single by the girls to not reach the top 20. The Saturdays later went on a tour titled "The Work Tour."

In 2009, The Saturdays appeared in an episode of BBC TV series Myths, which was their first acting venture as a band. They played a singing group called The Syrens in a modern version of The Odyssey, with Healy as "Peisone".[12][13]

In October 2009, the group released a second studio album, Wordshaker, which charted at number nine in United Kingdom and was given a silver certification by the BBI. The first single, "Forever Is Over", charted at number two in the UK.[14] The Saturdays appeared in advertisements for several products including a brand of deodorant, tampons, mobile phones, an operating system, and hair removal products. But in early 2010, the Saturdays released a second and final single from their second debut album, "Ego", which charted at number nine. Although the song became their second lowest single to chart, it became one of their highest selling singles, after getting a certification of silver by the BBI.

In summer 2010, the Saturdays released their first mini album, their third album overall, Headlines!, which charted at number 3 in the UK and number 10 in Ireland. The band released their eighth single, "Missing You", which charted at number three in the UK and number six in Ireland. Group member Rochelle Humes confirmed that the second single from the album would be "Higher". After Flo Rida beat the group to number one for the second time, the American rapper offered to do a collaboration with the band. It was later confirmed by the group's official website that Flo Rida had recorded vocals for "Higher". In November 2011, The Saturdays released On Your Radar.[15]

Healy starred in a reality series called Chasing The Saturdays which premiered on E! on 20 January 2013. The show features the group trying to make it in America. Upon its premiere in the United Kingdom, Chasing The Saturdays became that week's No. 1 most watched show with 72,000 viewers.[16] Living for the Weekend was released by the group on 14 October 2013, and charted at number 10 on the UK album charts, making it their fourth top ten album to date.[17]

Solo work

Healy was a judge on sport/talent ITV show, Let's Get Gold with former EastEnders star Martine McCutcheon and cricketer Andrew Flintoff. On 18 August 2006, she released an extended play called Sorry,[18] which she self-produced. The album includes the songs "So Long", "Raider of My Sleep" and "I Love You". She was selected to present a new programme on RTÉ called Una's Dream Ticket.[19]

In January 2014, she was a contestant in series 2 of celebrity diving TV Show Splash![20] She hosted the first ever Pride of Ireland Awards in June 2014.

As of 2014, Reebok had announced they were teaming with Healy to launch Women's Fitness Collection.[21]

On 6 October 2014, it was announced that she would be a judge on The Voice of Ireland, starting in January 2015.[22] On 18 April, 2016 Una premiered her first solo track, indie-inspired "Staring At the Moon", performing live on the semi-final of The Voice Ireland.[23] On 5 August 2016, Healy confirmed she had signed a solo deal with Decca, with the intention of releasing a solo album in 2016. On 18 October 2016, Digital Spy reported that Healy's debut album would be released in 2017, under the reported title, The Waiting Game.[24]

Personal life

Healy married international Rugby Union fullback Ben Foden on 30 June 2012 in her native Ireland after four years of dating.[25][26][27] She continued using the professional name Una Healy until October 2013, when he started using her legal name, Una Foden, because using multiple names was "confusing".[28] In March 2016 Healy announced that she would be reverting her surname back to her maiden name for professional use. The couple have two children, daughter Aoife Belle (born March 13, 2012) and son Tadhg John (born February 2, 2015).[29][30]

Healy won "Hottest Female 2009" in the Virgin Media Music Awards.[31]

She appeared in the January 2010 edition of FHM along with the other members of the Saturdays.[32] She was ranked number 19 and number 41 in FHM's Sexiest Women poll in 2010 and 2011, respectively.[33][34] In FHM's 2012 poll, she had dropped down to 66th place.[35]

Healy previously ran her own blog where she spoke about family life, The Saturdays, and herself.[36]

Discography

Extended plays

Title Details
Sorry

As main artist

Title Year Album
"Staring At the Moon"[23] 2016 The Waiting Game

References

  1. ↑ "Here come the girls – to Thurles". Irish Examiner. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  2. ↑ "Sorry Una, this is my Saturday" Daily Mail; accessed 2 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Saturdays star Una is singer Nerney's niece" 25 January 2008, Evening Herald; accessed 2 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "Declan Nerney, The Saturdays and the Athenry connection", TuamHerald.ie; accessed 2 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Una Healy — One of a five" at FHM web site; accessed 2 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Profile, metro.co.uk, 15 August 2010.
  7. ↑ "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: BEAUTY Una is tipped to be the next Nadine as she targets chart success with her new girlband", herald.ie, 28 July 2008; accessed 2 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "Thurles Girl In Top UK Band" Tipperary Star, 2 August 2008; accessed 2 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Don't call me a Spice Girl – I'm one of The Saturdays", independent.ie, 12 August 2010; accessed 2 February 2012.
  10. ↑ "Glinsk Song Contest". Glinsk.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "BPI Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  12. ↑ "Switch – Myths – The Syren's Call". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Myths: Season 1, Episode 2 : The Syrens Call". IMDb.com. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "The Saturdays Forever Is Over from new album Wordshaker". Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "The Saturdays talk about their new album artwork". EntertainmentWise. London, UK. September 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Top 10 Programmes – E!". BARB. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  17. ↑ "The Saturdays: Living for the Weekend – Charts at number 10". Official Charts Company. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "iTunes – Música – Sorry de Una Healy". Itunes.apple.com. 18 August 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  19. ↑ Heath, Olivia (18 September 2013). "The Saturdays' Una Healy lands job as a children's TV presenter". Reveal magazine. Nat Mags. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "Una Healy wows in ornate cut-out cream swimsuit on Splash! ... as she laments injured toe". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  21. ↑ "REEBOK Teams up with Una Healy to launch its FW13 Women's Fitness Collections". Her.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  22. ↑ "Pregnant Una Foden covers her baby bump with a skull-print scarf as she and Rachel Stevens arrive in Dublin to shoot Ireland's The Voice". Daily Mail. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  23. 1 2 "The Saturdays' Una Healy premieres her first solo track during The Voice Ireland's semi-final". Digital Spy. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  24. ↑ Houghton, Rianne (18 October 2016). "Una Healy: 'The Saturdays love my new solo music'". Digital Spy. United Kingdom: Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "The farewell kiss... Una Healy and Ben Foden say an emotional goodbye as they prepare to walk down the aisle" 29 June 2012, Daily Mail
  26. ↑ Amy Duncan (29 June 2012). "Una Healy and Ben Foden bid farewell as they prepare for wedding day". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  27. ↑ Wheeler, Rachael (29 June 2012). "Una Healy and Ben Foden's last kiss before their big wedding". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  28. ↑ "The Saturdays' Una Foden explains name change: 'It got confusing'". Digital Spy.
  29. ↑ "Una Healy: My precious moments". gurgle.com.
  30. ↑ "It's uncanny! Una Foden shares adorable pic of Aoife and Tadhg as babies". evoke.ie. 15 April 2015.
  31. ↑ "Cheryl Cole snatches back Hottest Female title, thisislondon.co.uk, 11 February 2010.
  32. ↑ "The Saturdays light up this month's FHM!". fhm.com. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  33. ↑ "Full list of FHM's top 100 world's sexiest women 2010", metro.co.uk, 29 April 2010.
  34. ↑ "FHM 100 Sexiest 2012 voting has closed!" 29 March 2012, FHM web site
  35. ↑ "FHM's 100 Sexiest Women In The World 2012: The full list!", fhm.com, 2 May 2012.
  36. ↑ "Una Healy's exclusive blog for HELLO!". Blog.hellomagazine.com. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  37. ↑ "Sorry by Una Healy". iTunes.
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