Lisa Scott Lee's schoolgirl dreams of fame whilst growing up in NE Wales were realised as part of Steps, one of Britain's biggest ever pop acts.
From singles and albums to TV shows, magazines and merchandise, Steps were a pop phenomenon. Lisa was determined from childhood that fame and fortune would be hers. She was encouraged by her parents, declaring "My dad was my inspiration, he always told me, 'you'll be alright princess, your face will be your fortune!' I used to laugh and say I hoped I'd get recognised for my talent as well!"
In her teens Lisa's ambitions grew, often using family weddings and parties as an excuse to show off her singing and dancing skills. Her profile rose locally on winning two beauty contests - Miss Rhyl and Miss Abergele. This exposure, combined with modelling for her father's photography, ensured that she was no stranger to the camera.
At Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan Lisa excelled at music, dance and drama, while treading the boards in school theatre led to leading roles in their productions of 'Grease' and 'Bugsy Malone'.
In spite of high aspirations, Lisa went through several jobs to earn extra money. Free cakes singled out her stint at a baker's as her favourite, while serving fries in McDonalds comes bottom - although the money from it enabled her to buy her first car. Despite thinking signs for road bumps meant camel humps, she passed her test and was able to leave the burgers behind - though she says she can still remember the prices by heart!
At 17 she left Rhyl, having won a place at the prestigious London Conti Stage School, and after graduating went on tour as a professional singer & dancer.
Meanwhile, in 1997 music television producer Tim Byrne was finding success with a project he had run for the soap 'Emmerdale'. A line-dancing song performed by the show's band The Woolpackers had proved popular, and when research revealed that line -dancing classes were booming, it was quickly released as a single. To the surprise of everyone the song was a smash hit, and Byrne saw an opportunity to capitalise on the trend.
With no one at the soap keen to follow it up, he placed an advertisement in 'The Stage' newspaper, announcing open auditions for a five-piece line-dancing pop group. Five thousand applications later Byrne had Lisa, Clare, Faye, 'H' and Lee on board for what was first seen as a 1-record project. The first 'Steps' single '5,6,7,8' was released in November 1997 and went on to spend 17 weeks in the UK Top 40.
Throughout 2001 rumours persisted that the band were planning to split, with the release of 'GOLD', their greatest hits album, seen as a capstone to their success. The rumours were eventually proved true in December, when the band announced they were amicably splitting to 'pursue solo projects'. Steps had come to an abrupt, if unsurprising, end. But Lisa bounced back immediately and launched a solo career.
And while she hasn't been able to capture the success she had with Steps, she still has a big following. She has also maintained a TV profile appearing in popular programmes such as Dancing on Ice. Lisa also appeared in the Christmas 2007 episode of BBC comedy Extras which sends up famous people and celebrity status.
Moment of Glory: Jan 2 1999: After 8 weeks in the Top Ten Steps' double A-side single 'Tragedy / Heartbeat' finally reaches Number 1. Their first chart-topper spends 16 weeks in the Top 40, selling over a million copies.
Off the Record: Lisa (and the rest of the band) on first hearing their debut song '5,6,7,8' thought it was extremely naff. The critics agreed.
Singer who rose to fame in Steps, once the UK's biggest pop group.
