Lily Allen
Date of birth
2nd October, 1985
Occupation
Musician
Sex
1st January, 1970
Height
1.58
Lily Allen (born 2.5.1985) Lily Allen is an English singer-songwriter, with several hit singles and a successful debut album to her name. She also now hosts her own BBC Three talk show, Lily Allen and Friends, in which she invites her MySpace contacts to be the live audience for the show.
Childhood: Lily Allen was born in Hammersmith, London, to the comedian / actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. She has an older sister, a younger brother and sister and several half-siblings. Her parents separated and Lily lived with the comedian Harry Enfield for some time, whilst her mother dated him. She is the goddaughter of the late singer / guitarist of The Clash, Joe Strummer.
Despite claiming that she grew up in a working-class environment, she attended some of England priciest private schools. Including Prince Charles' former school, Hill House, Allen attended 13 schools in total. She was expelled from many of them for drinking, smoking and performing oral sex.
Aged 11, a teacher who overheard her singing an Oasis tune told her that she was talented and suggested that she pursue music further.
Lily Allen left school aged 15 and following a family holiday in Ibiza, she stayed on the island and earned money dealing Ecstasy and working in the Plastic Fantastic record store.
Musical Career: Lily was initially signed to Warner Music, thanks to her dad's connections but when the executive who had signed her left the label, the rest of the company lost interest in her. The folk songs that they had presented to her remained unreleased.
In 2005, she was signed to Regal Records, after having met the production duo, Future Cut. She was given £25,000 to record an album.
Lily Allen's MySpace popularity has been well documented. She began posting demos online in November 2005. The tracks attracted thousands of listeners and a small run of 500 copies of 'LDN' was hastily released. The Observer Music Monthly took interest in her popularity but few people outside of Regal's A&R department knew who Lily Allen was, so the label's response to requests for interviews was slow!
Lily chose to work with producers Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson to finish the album and it was completed in two weeks.
The album was entitled Alright, Still. Entertainment Weekly named it one of the Top 10 albums of 2006, despite it not having been released in the US.
Lily Allen has undertaken a number of collaborations, including providing backing vocals for Robbie Williams on his Rudebox album, for Basement Jaxx on the track 'Lights Go Down' and 'Wanna Be' by Dizzee Rascal.
Personal Life: In 2007, Allen was questioned for an alleged assault on a photographer at Los Angeles airport. Her work visa for the 'States was revoked and she was forced to cancel her appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas. She later sacked her management company, blaming them for the loss of her visa.
Allen also had to cancel a scheduled appearance at 2008's Isle Of Wight Festival, because her album is behind schedule. The event organizer, John Giddings publicly said that the reason for cancellation was unacceptable, but decided not to sue Lily over the cancellation.
Lily's openness in interviews has often landed her in hot water. She attended school with Luke Pritchard of The Kooks and made disparaging remarks about them in interviews. She also called Bob Geldof a 'c*nt' and a 'sanctimonious prat.' When she performed at Glastonbury in 2007, she included negative lyrics about Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud. When asked by the NME how she would celebrate if her debut single went to number one, she replied "gak" (a colloquialism for cocaine). She has since apologized for the remark.
Lily suffered a miscarriage in January 2008, after falling pregnant to Ed Simons of The Chemical Brothers. The couple met in September 2007 but according to her father, Keith Allen, the pair had split by Spring 2008.
Celebrate The Opening Of Pubs With This Booze-themed Playlist
By Holly Mosley in Music / Festivals on 19 April 2021
The songs you need to get you in the mood for drinking.
The sun is shining, the birds are singing and everyone is taking advantage of pub beer gardens being open again as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions continue to slowly lift - well, everyone except Labour Party leader Keir Starmer who was recently thrown out of a Bath pub by a landlord channeling his inner Peggy Mitchell.
In honour of these brighter times, we're curated the perfect playlist to get you back in the mood for your favourite tipple. It seems like it's been forever, but we're ready to pay more for our booze than we've needed to for months...
Continue reading: Celebrate The Opening Of Pubs With This Booze-themed Playlist
The Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist For The Happily Single
By Holly Mosley in Music / Festivals on 14 February 2020
Who needs a lover anyway?
While couples everywhere are enjoying the most romantic day of the year, single people are rolling their eyes and either feeling sorry for themselves or counting their blessings - especially if they've come out the other side of a bad break-up. Here's the playlist you need if you are feeling seriously off Valentine's Day this year.
More: A more traditional Valentine's Day playlist
No Scrubs - TLC
Continue reading: The Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist For The Happily Single
Lily Allen Hasn't Spoken To Her Dad Since Revelations About Him In Her Autobiography
By Charlotte Court in Music / Festivals on 29 November 2018
The singer said her dad had had a cocaine-induced heart attack
Lily Allen is famously the daughter of actor and musician, Keith Allen. But it seems the Smile songstress has not spoken to her father since the release of her memoirs, My Thoughts Exactly, earlier this year.
The British singer, 33, shocked with a series of revelations in her book. One in particular revealed that her father had suffered a cocaine-related heart attack at Glastonbury festival in 1998 when she was 14.
Continue reading: Lily Allen Hasn't Spoken To Her Dad Since Revelations About Him In Her Autobiography
Zoe Kravitz Slams Lily Allen's 'Kiss' Claims
By Ed Biggs in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 15 November 2018
Kravitz threw some hilarious shade at Allen when she appeared on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen'.
Zoe Kravitz has just thrown some serious shade at Lily Allen, claiming that the singer “attacked” her with a non-consensual kiss.
The 29 year old actress, who appears in the new Fantastic Beasts film The Crimes of Grindelwald, was referred to Allen’s recent memoir ‘My Thoughts Exactly’ in regard to a kiss that apparently happened between them back in 2014.
During Kravitz’s appearance on ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’ on Tuesday (November 13th), alongside co-star Eddie Redmayne, a viewer called in and brought up the alleged kiss in a question to her.
Continue reading: Zoe Kravitz Slams Lily Allen's 'Kiss' Claims
Lily Allen Forced To Cancel US Gigs After "Devastating News" From Home
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 01 November 2018
This is on top of a throat complaint she's been battling for a fortnight on her American tour.
Lily Allen has said she’s “truly devastated” having received some bad news from home, which caused her to cancel two shows from her current North American tour.
The British musician, often a controversial presence on social media, pleaded for a bit of lenience from Twitter trolls on Wednesday night (October 31st) as she pulled out of her Chicago and Minneapolis shows, suffering from an inflamed throat and “angry” vocal cords.
While she didn’t share more information, Allen said she’d been “shaken” by an update from home while she tweeted from her sick bed. “I am really quite sick,” she wrote. “And I’ve just had some truly devastating news. Can you trolls just allow me for today? Thanks I’m advance (sic).”
Continue reading: Lily Allen Forced To Cancel US Gigs After "Devastating News" From Home
Lily Allen Hopes A Mercury Prize Win Will Change Her "Caricature Image"
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 20 September 2018
Allen's latest album 'No Shame' is one of the dozen nominees for the 2018 Mercury Prize.
Ahead of the 2018 Mercury Prize winner being announced tonight, nominee Lily Allen has said that, if she emerges victorious, it might help to change the “caricature image” the press and public currently hold of her.
Allen’s fourth studio album No Shame is one of the 12 nominated albums for the prestigious annual award, alongside the likes of Noel Gallagher, Wolf Alice, Florence & The Machine, Jorja Smith and Everything Everything. The overall winner will be announced tonight (Thursday 20th September) at a ceremony at London’s Roundhouse.
The singer told Sky News this week that simply being nominated has helped her be taken more seriously as an artist – a side of her that “gets lost a lot of the time”.
Continue reading: Lily Allen Hopes A Mercury Prize Win Will Change Her "Caricature Image"
Lily Allen Confesses To Romp With Married Liam Gallagher
By Holly Mosley in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 17 September 2018
She opened up about their airplane tryst nearly ten years ago.
Two weeks after she was forced to defend herself over leaked information regarding her enjoyment of female escorts while on her 'Sheezus' tour, Lily Allen opens up about sleeping with a married Liam Gallagher almost ten years ago in her newly released autobiography.
The 33-year-old revealed that she and the former Oasis frontman became fully-fledged members of the mile-high club in 2009 when they were on a flight to Japan together for the Fuji Rock Festival. Lily claimed they got drunk and ended up having a moment of passion in the bathroom.
Continue reading: Lily Allen Confesses To Romp With Married Liam Gallagher
Lily Allen Opens Up About Sleeping With Female Escorts
By Holly Mosley in Music / Festivals on 05 September 2018
She has 'No Shame' about the incident as she unveils details about a tough period of her life.
After a news outlet got hold of some information regarding Lily Allen's forthcoming book, she was forced to reveal to her fans that she had been seeing female escorts while on tour 'around the Sheezus era' in 2014. Now she's opened up about it further in a new interview.
The 33-year-old is set to release her autobiography 'My Thoughts Exactly' later this month, but already it seems details are being leaked to the press. On Saturday (September 1st 2018), she told her fans on Instagram that she had been sleeping with female escorts when she discovered that the Daily Mail were planning to divulge the story.
Continue reading: Lily Allen Opens Up About Sleeping With Female Escorts
Music News Round-Up: Aretha Franklin Tributes, Katy Perry In The Studio, Lily Allen's Book
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 19 August 2018
The week's music news rounded up, including tributes to the legendary Aretha Franklin.
Aretha Franklin TRIBUTES POUR IN
The world of music is in mourning this weekend, following the passing of legendary singer Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, on Thursday at the age of 76. Tributes have been pouring in from the great and good of the worlds of music and beyond.
Sir Elton John took to social media and said he “adored and worshipped” the singer, and “the loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music.”
Continue reading: Music News Round-Up: Aretha Franklin Tributes, Katy Perry In The Studio, Lily Allen's Book
The 2018 Mercury Prize Nominees Are Revealed
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 26 July 2018
A comparatively commercial list of 12 nominees for the 2018 Mercury Prize was revealed on Thursday.
Arctic Monkeys have become the joint second most-nominated artist in the history of The Mercury Prize, with their sixth studio album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino landing them their fourth nod as the 2018 shortlist was announced this morning.
Revealed on BBC Radio 6’s mid-morning show on Thursday (July 26th), Arctic Monkeys join PJ Harvey with four career nominations, both behind Radiohead’s five. The Sheffield-based group won in 2006 for their debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, while Harvey is the only artist to have ever won the Mercury Prize twice (in 2001 and 2011).
They are joined on the 2018 shortlist by a couple of other second-time nominees. Everything Everything received a nod for their fourth record A Fever Dream, as did Wolf Alice for a second consecutive time with sophomore album Visions of a Life. Florence and the Machine’s fourth record High As Hope was also nominated, giving lead singer Florence Welch the third nomination of her career.
Continue reading: The 2018 Mercury Prize Nominees Are Revealed
Lily Allen attends Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party held at his home - London, United Kingdom - Monday 31st October 2016
Lilly Allen attends Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party held at his home - London, United Kingdom - Monday 31st October 2016
Lily Allen attends Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party held at his home - London, United Kingdom - Monday 31st October 2016
Lily Allen - A blue-haired Lily Allen smokes a cigarette on her way to a hairdressers in Notting Hill, accompanied by rumoured new boyfriend Daniel London at Notting Hill - London, United Kingdom - Friday 29th January 2016
Lily Allen - Lily Allen performing live in concert at Fillmore Miami Beach - Miami Beach, Florida, United States - Tuesday 9th September 2014