Whatever Happened To... Damage?
Any self-respecting nineties kid must remember R & B band Damage who somehow managed to tally up eleven hit singles - including four Top 10's - throughout the 1990's.
The band was made up of school friends Jade Jones, Andrez Harriott, Coreé Richards
Rahsaan J Bromfield and Noel Simpson who collectively managed to churn out two hit albums,1997's Forever and 2001's Since You've Been Gone.
Despite forming when the boys were just teenagers, they sent a demo tape of a cover version of the Jackson Five song Anything to Jazz Summers of Big Life Records in early 1995. But it was a painful wait for the five friends, as Summers waited 18 months before issuing their first record, despite being thoroughly impressed with damage's talents! Even though it charted outside the Top 40 it achieved excellent reviews and Damage were born. Woo!
Success
They made quick inroads into the UK Singles Chart and the guys' second single Love II Love charted at an impressive number 12 while the follow-up Forever was a number 6 hit during the Christmas period.
It wasn't only the hit singles that the boys bagged either; the guys were lucky enough to support Boyzone (who were in their heyday at the time) at their Wembley Stadium performance in 1996.
Their self-titled debut album followed in the spring of 1997, along with two further UK Top 10 singles - Love Guaranteed and a cover version of Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, which was the first song i really 'got into' by the guys.
The fivesome subsequently embarked on an extensive touring schedule while negotiating a new recording contract following the collapse of Big Life.
But possibly the main reason these lads lasted in the spotlight for so long was due to Jade Jones; long-term relationship with Spice Girl Emma Bunton, who was making waves in the pop industry.
Although, after the spark of their debut album fizzled out, the boys seems to disapper into oblivion for a few years until they returned in 2001 with their Cooltempo Records' début album, Since You've Been Gone. And since that, they really have been, well, gone.
Where are they now?
Jade Jones
Jade Jones orignianally joined his fellow Damage bandmate Andrez Harriet in his new band, Cherry BlackStone until deciding to call it a day shortly afterwards.
In 2006 he thought it was time to show off his hunky body and decided to participate -and subsequently win- the Channel 4 reality show, The Games.
He's also been busy with his wife Emma Bunton since they gave birth to their first baby, Beau Lee, on 10 August 2007. So as well as been a singer, sportsman and dad, Jade also works as a trainee chef! Wow... what a bloke!
Andrez Harriott
Andrez Harriet knew he was onto a good thing in the music business, so after the breakdown of damage, he went on to form CherryBlackStone, a four piece group with their name taken from the American rock band Black Stone Cherry.
Andrez formed the group with his wife ReDD and their aim was to create a new sound and to make an album that lived up to its title: Forget the Formula. Jade Jones was originally the singer, but left shortly afterwards.
The groups first gig was at the OTR Studio's in Hackney, London on May 18th 2005, from then they performed at several venues included The Cobden Club and The Metro Club.
The group have also performed numerous gigs at the iconic Half Moon Pub in Putney, London - a venue which has seen performances from the likes of the Rolling Stones, Kate Bush and Elvis Costello in its 40 year history. CherryBlackStone also supported musician Jamie Cullum on his UK tour in July 2006.
The group released their debut single, "Kushti", via a download only format in November 2006. The song, which was available on leading download sites such as iTunes, was to be the first release from the groups debut album, Forget the Formula, although the album has yet to be released.
Coreé Richards
Like most of his other bandmates, Corée has since set upon a solo journey after leaving Damage in 2004.
Although this was somewhat hampered when he was jailed in 2006 for possessing an offensive weapon; he threatened nightclub bouncers with a set of nunchuks (two coshes linked by a chain) in an Essex nightclub. Not a pretty boyband member anymore are we?
According to a Coree profile of MySpace; "Coree has all of the tools and indeed the following to emulate and surpass the success of Damage." Yes Coree, I'm sure you have... just get your skates on please.
Rahsaan J Bromfield & Noel Simpson
Whilst endlessly 'googleing' Rahsaan J Bromfield and Noel Simpson I couldn't find a scrap of news about what these little tinkers are getting up to at the moment, so I'm just going to assume the boys are living in a swanky house spending all their 'hard-earned' cash wisely... but if anyone can expand on that, I'd really love to know what the pair are up to.
Rahsaan or Noel; call me yeah?
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison