Belinda Carlisle

American musician who formed an all-girl group, "The Go-Go's" in California, 1978, with her friend Jane Wiedlin, joined by Charlotte Caffey, Elissa Bello and Margot Olaverra. Inspired by the punk new wave scene, they created bright, infectious, harmony-pop songs, signing to a record label.

When the group broke up, officially on 10 May 1985, Carlisle remained with the IRS label for a solo career. She withdrew from former excesses and recreated herself as the quintessential modern young California female, joining AA to get off booze and working with a trainer to lose 20 lbs. Her debut single was "Mad About You," 1986, and her first album made the charts. After changing record companies, she reached international acclaim, known and respected in her field.

Carlisle, the eldest of seven kids, is a graduate of Newbury Park High in San Fernando Valley in 1976. As a valley girl, she was a cheerleader in high school and joined the New Wave fashion trend after graduation, dying her hair purple and making clothes from plastic trash bags. Hanging out at Hollywood punk clubs, she met her Go-Go sisters and first formed the band "for laughs." "God, there was so much fun," she says, "We were sort of cocky and felt on top of the world." The giddy times gave way to heavy pressure to perform and compete. "We never thought it would end but guess what? It did." In 1985 she met Morgan Mason, the son of James and Pamela Mason, at a restaurant opening and decided right off that he was the one for her. The two eloped to Lake Tahoe and married on 12 April 1986.

A California girl, she settled down in France where her husband became head of a TV channel network. Not doing personal appearances, she preferred to devote her time to a family which included, in 1992, son James Duke Mason.

The group got together again in 1998 for a few gigs, then officially reunited in 2000. They had 15 years of friction to work out, such issues as jealousy and too many chemicals.