Amanda Ghost
Died: December 31, 1969 (at age -5)
Birthplace: Enfield, North London, England
Amanda Louisa Gosein-Cameron (born July 1974), known professionally as Amanda Ghost, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, music executive and former president of Epic Records (2009-10).
Born in Enfield, North London, after performing as a solo artist, she formed a band which performed under her name, and of which she was the lead singer.
Career
Born in North London to a Gibraltarian mother and an Indo-Trinidadian father, Ghost was encouraged at an early age to play guitar. Her first recording contract was with Warner Bros. Records in Los Angeles, California, for whom she recorded her first album, Ghost Stories. Ghost's second album was released in autumn 2006 on her own record label, Plan A Records, and was preceded by a limited edition EP, Blood on the Line.
Ghost co-wrote James Blunt’s “You're Beautiful”, "Beautiful Liar" for Beyoncé and Shakira, and Jordin Sparks' first single "Tattoo". Amanda also co-wrote four songs for Beyoncé's third album, I Am… Sasha Fierce: "Disappear", "Satellites", "Ave Maria" and "Once in a Lifetime". She co-wrote and sang backing vocals on "Colours", which was on the Prodigy's 2009 album, Invaders Must Die. She also collaborated with John Legend on the lyrics for the track "Getting Nowhere" by Magnetic Man.
On 3 February 2009, Ghost was named the new president of Epic Records. She replaced Charlie Walk, who left at the end of 2008 to start his own company.
Ghost co-wrote, with Scott McFarnon and Ian Dench, "Red" a top 5 hit for Daniel Merriweather in the UK in May 2009 and "I Did It for the Glory" by Ian Brown, which she co-wrote with Ian and Dave McCracken. She also co-wrote and produced the Shakira multi-platinum selling single "Gypsy", from the album She Wolf.
Amanda left her position as president of Epic Records in 2010. and is now the CEO of her own record label, Outsiders, a joint venture with The Universal Music Group. In 2011 she was executive producer for the Scissor Sisters album Magic Hour, and co-wrote the smash hit "Only The Horses", co-produced by Calvin Harris. She co-wrote two songs for the Florence and The Machine album Ceremonials, and has more recently collaborated with John Legend, Sub Focus and ASAP Rocky.
Ghost is a three time Ivor Novello Award winner, a Golden Globe nominee, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. One of the latter was as co-producer of two tracks on Beyoncé's album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, which was nominated as Album of the Year, and the other for "Once in a Lifetime", which she co-wrote with Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, Jody Street, James Dring and Beyoncé. The song was the title track from Beyoncé's film, Cadillac Records and was nominated for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture Award.
Discography
Singles
- "Idol" (2000) - UK #63
- "Glory Girl" (2000)
- "Filthy Mind" (2000) - only released in the U.S./Australia
- "Break My World" (2004) - UK #52 †
- "Feed" (2004) †
- "Girls Like You" - digital only release (2005)
- "Monster" - digital only release (2005)
- "Blood on the Line" EP (2006)
- "Time Machine" (featuring Boy George) (January 2007)
† Credited to Dark Globe featuring Amanda Ghost
Albums
- Ghost Stories (2000)
- Blood on the Line - The Download Collection (2008)