Entertainment
It’s been twenty years since Hear’Say released Pure And Simple and where has the time gone?
It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since Hear’Say released their hit single Pure And Simple – where has the time gone?
The five piece group – which originally consisted of Danny Foster, Kym Marsh, Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Noel Sullivan – was formed on the ITV talent competition series Popstars, which sought to create a new pop band.
Releasing Pure And Simple as their debut single following the conclusion of the series on March 12 2001, the song quickly shot to number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the fastest selling debut single at the time.
It spent a total of three weeks on the top spot and sold over one million copies, and has since become the seventh biggest selling debut single to be released in the UK in the 21st century.
Over on Twitter, fans of the group have been sharing their thoughts on the iconic track, with many finding it hard to believe it’s been exactly two decades since it was released.
Popstar Rina Sawayama was among those, as she tweeted: ‘But more importantly Pure and Simple by Hearsay is 20 years old today.’
Another added: ‘How is this song 20 years old?!’ as they shared a YouTube link to the song’s official music video.
Posting a picture of Hear’Say in all their glory, one other chimed in: ‘Good morning to these legends only. Happy 20th Birthday Pure & Simple!’
Following the release of Pure And Simple, Hear’Say went on to release their debut album, Popstars, which peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
They achieved another number one single in the form of The Way To Your Love, before embarking on a sell-out arena tour across the UK.
At the end of 2001, the group released their second studio album, Everybody, which failed to match the success of their debut, only reaching as high as number 24 on the albums chart.
In early 2002, Kym Marsh announced she had left the band, and was replaced with Johnny Shentall, but controversy arose when it was revealed he had previously been a backing dancer for Hear’Say, as well as a member of the short-lived pop group Boom.
In the summer of that year, the five began recording for their third studio album, but they started to be heckled by some members of the public as they toured the UK radioshow circuit.
After the release of one more single, titled Lovin’ Is Easy, in October Hear’Say announced they had disbanded, citing ‘abuse from the public’ as the main reason.
Since their split, the members of the group have all gone on to achieve their own level of success in the entertainment industry.
Danny Foster, 41, has kept a low profile since the group’s disbandment. He has formed his own musical group, Danny Foster & The Big Soul Corporation, which performs covers of Motown and soul songs.
He auditioned for The Voice in 2013, but was not chosen to go through by any of the judges.
Myleene Klass, 42, later turned her attention to classical singing, releasing two classical crossover albums in 2003 and 2007, and after hosting a string of TV series, she is now a radio presenter for Smooth FM.
She took part in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here in 2006 and was the first contestant to be eliminated from this year’s series of Dancing On Ice.
Suzanne Shaw, 39, has had a successful career in the West End, and also played the role of Eve Jenson in Emmerdale between 2010 and 2011.
She won the third series of Dancing On Ice in 2008, and also competed in the all-stars series in 2014.
Noel Sullivan, 40, turned to musical theatre following Hear’Say’s split, and has appeared in productions including Fame, We Will Rock You and Flashdance.
In 2019, he notably made headlines after revealing he had to ‘feed himself up by two stone’ to play the lead role in West End production of School Of Rock.
Kym Marsh, 44, released a solo album in 2003, but has since turned her attention to acting, having starred as Michelle Connor in Coronation Street between 2006 and 2019.
While Johnny Shentall, 42, has also worked extensively in musical theatre. He is married to Steps member Lisa Scott-Lee, and they have two children together.
Last year, it was reported that the original lineup were in talks to reunite for their 20th anniversary, but Myleene was said to not be involved.
In January, she later crushed any hopes she would take part, explaining she doesn’t want to ‘go backwards’.
Speaking to You Magazine, she revealed: ‘They asked me. I told them, “Go forth, with my blessing”.
‘Look at where we are. We are mothers of blended families and second marriages and Kym’s a granny. It’s a lifetime ago.’
She added: ‘If I go backwards, I won’t know who I am. I hope it works. I will be cheering the loudest.’
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