ARTIST

Geri Halliwell

Ginger Spice. Quitter Spice. Government Spice. The names could--and probably do--go on for days. But Geri Halliwell split from the '90s girl-power phenomenon the Spice Girls at the height of their fame (and on the eve of the U.S. Spice World tour) in order to jumpstart her solo career. Known for her flaming red hair, her equally colorful outfits (the Union Jack bodysuit being a particularly famous piece), and her raucous behavior (she pinched Prince Charles's butt, for starters), Halliwell is, if not larger than life, at least louder than it.

Born in working-class London to a car salesman who passed away six months before the Spice Girls' formation, Halliwell did some modeling and Turkish game show co-hostessing to support herself before making her way as a group leader upon joining the Fab Five. After an amazing debut album (Spice), a decent follow-up (Spice World), and a Spice Girls movie, Halliwell decided to leave Spice Girls to pursue her own career. Her prepared statement to the public announcing her departure promised, Terminator-style, "I'll be back."

Halliwell dropped out of sight for awhile, and rumors swirled regarding what she would do next (there was talk that she would become the next Bond girl, or that she would star in a '90s remake of the Aaron Spelling "jiggle TV" show Charlie's Angels, for instance). She finally resurfaced with a surprise appearance on the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, looking barely recognizable in her understated black pantsuit, her once-fiery hair now golden blonde and pulled into a Grace Kelly chignon, her once-garish face now virtually makeup-free (on the VMAs, she even made a crack about how she used to look like a drag queen). With her newly cleaned-up image--loafers in place of platforms, tasteful business attire where there was once cleavage--she accepted a post as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (a lucrative position that paid $1 for her first year) and became outspoken about breast cancer (she had experienced a breast-lump scare years earlier, so this cause was especially important to her). Having kindled up a friendship with George Michael--a celebrity who is no stranger to public disdain and scandal himself--she stayed with the singer in Beverly Hills and St. Tropez before finally signing to Capitol Records and releasing her first solo album, Schizophonic, which she maintained would appeal to girls of all ages, since females are accustomed to mood swings.

Never one to mince words, Halliwell is now allegedly working on her autobiography.

Written by Rob O'Connor