Geri Halliwell

English pop singer-songwriter, clothes designer, author and actress. Halliwell came to international prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the successful girl group the Spice Girls; together they sold over 80 million records worldwide, making them one of the best selling girl groups of all time. Their chart-topping singles, "Wannabe" and "Say You’ll Be There," made "Ginger Spice," the notorious red-head with the provocative costumes and saucy behavior, a household name.

Born Geraldine Estelle Sjovik, she grew up in Watford, England, the daughter of a Swedish-English father and a Spanish mother. Geri was the youngest of five children. As a child, she was the "odd one out," teased because she was much shorter than the other girls. She would make up stories about herself and listen to music to compensate for a life she saw as uneventful. The mischievous, big-hearted girl, who once described herself as a "mongrel," aspired to be like her idol, Madonna, and knew she wanted more from life than Watford could offer.

By the late 1980s, she was on her way, first to Majorca where she became a model, and then to Turkey for a stint as a game show hostess. On the road to success, she worked as a club dancer, an aerobics instructor, a cleaner and a barmaid. In March 1994, the ex-topless model responded to an ad, and joined "The Spice Girls." Naturally endowed with strong leadership abilities, Geri quickly gained a reputation as the girl who spoke her mind, to anyone and about anything. Described as "heaps of fun to be with," she was a fan favorite. The group starred in 1997’s "Spiceworld," but by mid-1998, there were rumors of discontent, and Halliwell abruptly announced she was leaving the group, saying later, "I had to go, get my feet back on the ground." In 1999, Halliwell launched her solo career and released her debut album "Schizophonic".

Once on her own, she underwent a radical transformation.