Forever Manchester Meets...

Here we catch up with professional rally driver and one of Forever Manchester's youngest ambassadors Chris Ingram who chats candidly about his ambition to become a recognised champion and the challenges he faces chasing his dream.

In 2012 Chris won the Motor Sports Association Young Driver of the Year Award and is three time winner of the European Rally Championship ‘Colin McRae - Flat Out’ Award. He signed with Peugeot UK in 2014 for the European Rally Championship, becoming one of the youngest manufacturer-backed rally drivers ever!

After two seasons with Peugeot he signed with Opel Motorsport winning the FIA ERC 3 Title and scoring five-consecutive podiums. In 2017 Chris won the FIA Junior Rally Championship title and as an ambassador Chris is very keen to help Forever Manchester continue to drive forward.

You can listen and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Spotify where you can also check out all the Forever Manchester Meets episodes.

This is Part One of a two-part podcast where we chat to Manchester based singer, Rowetta about her life and love of music, her memories and experiences from School Hall's to Concert Halls, to life in Happy Mondays, her X-Factor adventure and other interesting stories from one of the most sampled and powerful female singers on the planet.

This interview was conducted at the offices of Forever Mancheter who today occupy the same building that used to be home to The Boardwalk, the very place where Happy Monday's cut their teeth!

Rowetta is secret voice on the Black Eyed Peas worldwide hit. “Boom Boom Pow”
She is also the voice on the renowned 1989 track "Reach Out", which has been sampled by many, including Steve Angello, DJ Zinc and Todd Terry to name but a few.

Steve Angello and Laidback Luke used her voice for the hit dance tune “Be” which David Guetta and Hardwell often use it to open their dj sets, it is also used on the Steve Angello/Robin S hit “Show Me Love”

Rowetta wrote the original with Sweet Mercy and it continues to be sampled and played globally today.
Cheryl Cole also sampled Rowetta on her Brits performance of 'Fight For This Love"

Rowetta is also the original female singer with the recently reformed Madchester band, Happy Mondays, singing on all their hits, and touring the world. She played herself in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People and was Simon Cowell’s favourite and the last lady standing in the UK’s very first X Factor in 2004.

She has collaborated with many house producers including Lights Out feat Rowetta with Tom Stephan and Pete Gleadell on New York label, Nervous Records and No More Comin' Down with J Nitti on Dos or Die (Unlimited Sounds) with remixes by Darude.

Rowetta also sings with Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order) and his new band The Light and was the lead singer on the EP 1102/2011. Rowetta also performs and is a big hit at all the UK Gay Prides including London, Manchester and Brighton. She has also headlined the infamous, G-A-Y night twice.

Rowetta has toured with the Hacienda party including Graeme Park, Todd Terry, Marshall Jefferson, Mike Pickering and many more with performances in Japan, Thailand and Dubai alongside many Hacienda parties in the UK.
New Years Eve 2013 saw Rowetta at the Albert Hall, Manchester where she shared the stage to sing with the legendary Frankie Knuckles.

Recent collaborations will see releases with Eddie Le Funk, Mirror People & Shimi Sonic, as well as her own live funk band while recent releases include on Cr2 Records: Alex Gray & Rowetta “It’s All About House Music’; FSOE: Will Atkinson & Rowetta“Mesmerise”; Zulu Records: My Digital Enemy feat Rowetta “It Would Be”
Greco feat Rowetta: ‘BE' was named as one of Billboard's Top 20 House and Techno tracks of 2017. Rowetta currently tourws with Happy Mondays and Hacienda Classical as well as performing solo.

Days after the Manchester bomb, Rowetta was asked to perform on The Andrew Marr Show with Manchester Camerata strings as a tribute to the victims and along with Peter Hook, they led a minute’s silence at the opening of Glastonbury, before performing with Hacienda Classical and they also led a fitting tribute at The Royal Albert Hall.

Rowetta is also involved with and an ambassador of many charities and is passionate about Manchester. She fronted the ‘End the Fear’ campaign with Greater Manchester Police and continues to work with domestic violence support groups.

Forever Manchester is a charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester, for more information please visit www.forevermanchester.com

Forever Manchester is a charity that raises money to fund and support grass-root community activity across Greater Manchester, for more information please visit www.forevermanchester.com

This is the seconfd part of a two-part podcast where we chat to Manchester based singer, Rowetta about her life and love of music, her memories and experiences from School Hall's to Concert Halls, to life in Happy Mondays, her X-Factor adventure and other interesting stories from one of the most sampled and powerful female singers on the planet.
This interview took place at the offices of Forever Mancheter who today occupy the same building that used to be home to The Boardwalk, the very place where Happy Monday's cut their teeth!
Rowetta is secret voice on the Black Eyed Peas worldwide hit. “Boom Boom Pow” and is also the voice on the renowned 1989 track "Reach Out", which has been sampled by many, including Steve Angello, DJ Zinc and Todd Terry to name but a few.

Steve Angello and Laidback Luke used Rowetta's voice for the hit dance tune “Be” which David Guetta and Hardwell often use it to open their dj sets, it is also used on the Steve Angello/Robin S hit “Show Me Love”. The original version was written by Rowetta with Sweet Mercy and it continues to be sampled and played globally today.
Rowetta is also the original female singer with the recently reformed Madchester band, Happy Mondays, singing on all their hits, and touring the world. She played herself in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People and was Simon Cowell’s favourite and the last lady standing in the UK’s very first X Factor in 2004.
Rowetta is also involved with and an ambassador of many charities and is passionate about Manchester.
Forever Manchester is a charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester, for more information please visit www.forevermanchester.com

Col Skinner is a Digital Marketing Consultant and founder of the Profoundary consultancy.
Col also supports Forever Manchester through the sale of items at an online shop called GRAFT which started after Col started producing items to celebrate our wonderful city following the tragedy of the Manchetser Arena bombing.

In this podcast Col talks about his early years, his work, the development of GRAFT and his support for Forever Manchester.

Forever Manchester is a charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester, for more information please visit www.forevermanchester.com

Here we catch up with actress Julie Hesmondalgh to chat candidly about her life as an actress including 15 years as Soap Opera’s first transgender character Hayley Cropper. Hayley tackled everything from gender recognition and picking knickers to pancreatic cancer and assisted suicide in Coronation Street.

Julie also shares her memories of amazing teachers and drama schools, building a theatre in a basement, being a street cleaner and receiving the freedom of Accrington & Hyndburn.

Julie is about to perform Mother Courage at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre and has a new book ‘Julie Hesmondhalgh – A Working Diary’ just published by Methuen Drama.

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