MUSICIAN, ACTRESS, SONGWRITER, PRESENTER, BROADCASTER AND WRITER

Pauline Black is of Nigerian/Jewish descent and grew up in London. She studied biochemistry at Coventry University and radiography at the Coventry School of Radiography.

In 1979, she became the lead singer with 2-TONE group the The Selecter and enjoyed a string of hits in the early '80'S, gaining two gold discs, to mark 100,000 sales of the albums 'TOO MUCH PRESSURE’ and ‘DANCE CRAZE’. The critically acclaimed album ‘CELEBRATE THE BULLET’ followed. In 1982 she left The Selecter (the band split up soon after), gained her Equity card and diversified into theatre, TV and film acting, TV and radio presentation and writing. A list of her many and varied credits can be found below. She won the Time Out/01 Best Actress Award in 1990 for her portrayal of jazz singer 'Billie Holiday' in a play by novelist and playwright Caryl Phillips.  She also won the 'Manchester Evening News Best Actress Award' 1993 for her performance in 'From The Mississippi Delta' by Dr. Endesha Mae Holland.

The Selecter re-formed in 1991 and toured extensively in U.S.A, Europe and Japan. The band retired from the touring circuit in December 2006. From 2001-2006, Pauline also toured with acoustic 'supergroup' Three Men+ Black with Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers), Jean Jacques Burnel (The Stranglers), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), Dave Wakeling(The Beat), Rhoda Dakar(The Bodysnatchers) and Nick Welsh (Skaville UK).

During 2007, Pauline fulfilled a long-time wish to pay homage to the songs of her two idols, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday.  She toured with The Blue Jazz Trio (Pick Withers: drums (ex-Dire Straits & Bob Dylan)Nigel Portman-Smith: double bass (ex-Pentangle) & Dom Pipkin: keyboards (ex-Morcheeba) in 'The Very Best Of Nina Simone & Billie Holiday'.

Enjoying her new found freedom in 2007, she narrated 'Soul Britannia', a critically acclaimed 3 part TV series for BBC4/BBC2 and then hosted and performed in two televised live concerts from the Barbican Theatre in London featuring many of the artists from the series.  Backstage she met Geno Washington & Eddie Floyd, who invited her to join the 'This Is Soul Tour 2008', which saw her host and perform on a highly successful 30 date UK tour with these two legends of soul music. Pauline performed a set of songs culled from her solo back catalogue and from The Selecter. 

Currently, Pauline has begun work on a new solo album with songwriting partner Neil Pyzer(ex-Spear Of Destiny, Ram Jam Band).  She has also been invited to provide details of her life story for a new feature film about four young black people growing up in Coventry in the late 70's, the four protagonists are based on the lives of Pauline, Neville Staple(The Specials), Danny Thomas & Errol Christie. This project has led her to begin writing her memoirs.

2009 is the 30th anniversary of the legendary '2-Tone Label', which was spearheaded by The Specials & The Selecter.  Pauline will be involved in several celebratory concerts throughout next year.  In March 2009, she embarks on her first South American tour, with concerts in Argentina, Brazil & Chile.

IN THEATRE

THE TROJANS, Riverside Theatre

LOVE IN VAIN, Tricycle Theatre

FREDERICK AVERY VISITS, Man In The Moon

SLEAZE AND DREAMS, Edinburgh Festival

CAPE ORCHARD, Young Vic

TRINIDAD SISTERS, Donmar Warehouse

TALE OF TWO CITIES, Cambridge Theatre Co

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, Actors Touring Co

ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL, as Billie Holiday, for which she received a 'best actress' TIME-OUT AWARD in 1990

OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS, National Theatre Studio

SUGAR HILL BLUES, Croydon Warehouse and Hampstead Theatre

THE TOKOLOSH, Belgrade Theatre

LET THEM CALL IT JAZZ, a one-woman show, at The Drill Hall

MARCHING FOR FAUSA, Royal Court Theatre

FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, Cochrane Theatre and Contact Theatrefor which she received a 1993 'best actress' MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS AWARD

EDWARD SECOND at Bolton Octagon theatre

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, as Titania, at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

SITTING IN LIMBO, Tricycle Theatre

MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN by Bertolt Brecht, as Yvette, starring Tyne Daley(CAGNEY & lACEY) at Olympia Theatre, Dublin.

STAYING ALIVE POETRY TOUR

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES (IMAGINEER/KINETICA PRODUCTION), COVENTRY

ON T.V.

BLACK ON BLACK, Channel 4

SOMETHING'S WRONG IN PARADISE, Granada

CLEOPATRA, Signals, Channel 4

WILDERNESS ROAD, BBC 1

THE BILL Thames T.V.

SHELLEY,Thames TV

SHRINKS, Euston Films

HEARTS AND MINDS, Channel 4

OUT OF THE BLUE, BBC

TWO THOUSAND ACRES OF SKY, BBC 2

THE VICE, ITV Carlton

DOCTORS, BBC1

HOLLYOAKS, CHANNEL 4

SOUL BRITANNIA, BBC4/BBC2

SOUL BRITANNIA @ THE BARBICAN, BBC4/BBC2

GROWNUPS, BBC3

ON RADIO

DEATH OF A KING’S HORSEMAN, Wole Soyinka, Radio4

CV5-A DANCE IN A SUBURBAN BALLROOM, Jonathan Davidson, Radio4

COMING OF AGE, Maya Chowdhury, Radio4.

Presenter of six one hour documentaries on the history of British Black Music, for Radio 1

Presenter of16 part series BLACK TO THE FUTURE, for Radio 5 Live.

THE STRANGEST FRUIT  Radio4 short story (written & presented by Pauline Black)

 OFF THE PAGE Radio 4

GREAT LIVES: discussion about Billie Holiday, Radio 4

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: in discussion with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the 'black farmer' at his home, Radio 4.

ON FILM

THE FUNNY MAN (Polydor), co-starring with Christopher Lee

DANCE CRAZE (Chrysalis)

DIRECTORSHIPS

Board Member of the Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn High Road since 1991.

AWARDS

Time Out/01 For London Award(1990) (Best Actress for ‘ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL')

Manchester Evening News Award (1993)(Best Actress for ‘FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA')