| Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is an English | | | | license from UEG entertainment, later included on an |
| pop and R&B singer–songwriter. Lewis rose | | | | album called Best Kept Secret. However, none of |
| to fame in 2006 as the winner of the third series of | | | | Lewis's demos were released and she considered |
| the British television series The X Factor. | | | | taking a hiatus from her music career to attend |
| Lewis has become a multi-platinum selling artist and | | | | university until her boyfriend persuaded her to enter |
| three times Grammy Award nominee. She has | | | | The X Factor which subsequently severed her |
| released two albums to date, Spirit and Echo, in 2007 | | | | connections with UEG. |
| and 2009 respectively. Spirit became the | | | | Lewis lives in Hackney with her boyfriend Lou |
| fastest-selling debut album and the biggest seller of | | | | Al-Chamaa, an electrician, whom she has known since |
| 2007 in both the UK and Ireland, and made Lewis the | | | | she was approximately ten years old. She has a |
| first British solo artist to top the Billboard 200 with a | | | | tattoo of Hebrew letters on her left wrist, |
| debut album. Her second album, Echo, was released in | | | | symbolising her relationship with Al-Chamaa. A |
| November 2009. | | | | vegetarian since she was 12, Lewis won PETA's |
| Lewis's debut single "A Moment Like This" became | | | | Sexiest Vegetarian along with Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded | | | | frontman Anthony Kiedis in 2008, and again in 2009 |
| over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. | | | | with actor Scott Maslen. She also was named PETA's |
| Her second single, "Bleeding Love", reached number | | | | Person of the Year for 2008. Lewis is a supporter of |
| one positions in over thirty singles charts around the | | | | the World Society for the Protection of Animals. |
| world. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK | | | | At a book "Signing for Dreams" on 14 October 2009 |
| for the fastest selling download-only release with her | | | | at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone's book store in |
| cover version of the Snow Patrol song "Run" which | | | | central London. She later released a statement, |
| sold 69,244 copies in two days. In November 2009, | | | | saying "Thank you so much for your support, it is |
| the first sets of dates for her 2010 debut world tour | | | | truly overwhelming. Yesterday was a horrible shock |
| were announced. Lewis has sold over 6.5 million | | | | and left me extremely hurt and upset. I'm very sorry |
| albums worldwide. | | | | to those I wasn't able to meet at the signing. Thank |
| Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, | | | | you again for all of the lovely messages. Love you all. |
| to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Guyanese descent and | | | | Kowalczyk was subsequently sectioned under the |
| Maria Lewis of Welsh descent. She initially trained in | | | | Mental Health Act. He is charged with common |
| opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, | | | | assault, for which he was due to appear before City |
| eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie | | | | of Westminster magistrates on 26 October 2009. |
| Ripperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her | | | | The case was adjourned until 23 November as |
| main influences. After leaving the School at 17, she | | | | Kowalczyk was "not fit to attend court". It was |
| took a number of jobs to fund studio time, recording | | | | reported that he had a history of health problems |
| a demo album called Twilight. The album, comprised | | | | and may have attacked Lewis due to jealousy, as he |
| almost exclusively of her own compositions, was | | | | had attempted to enter The X Factor but was |
| recorded under Spiral Music, a production company | | | | rejected by producers. |
| based in Fulham. Other demos were recorded under | | | | |