Britta Phillips
Britta Phillips | |
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![]() Phillips performing in New York City in June 2007
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Background information | |
Birth name | Britta Phillips |
Born | Boyne City, Michigan, United States |
June 11, 1963
Genres | Dream pop, indie rock, folk |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, actor, voice actor |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar |
Years active | 1985–present |
Associated acts | Dean and Britta, Luna, Ultrababyfat, The Belltower, Galaxie 500, Ben Lee |
Britta Phillips (born June 11, 1963) is an American musician, songwriter, actress and voice actor.
She is perhaps best known as the singing voice of the title character of the 1980s animated series Jem; and as a member of the bands Luna and as one half of the duo Dean and Britta, both with her husband Dean Wareham. Her acting credits include the 1988 film Satisfaction.
Early life
Phillips was born in Boyne City, Michigan, to a musical family, but grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[1] Her father, Peter Phillips, was a musician, songwriter, jingle composer, and former music teacher of Paul Simon.[2] She has also worked on several Broadway plays. At the age of 19, Phillips moved to Brooklyn, New York to pursue a career in music. In 1985, through her musical contacts, Phillips father secured an audition for her for the role of "Jem". Phillips was hired on the strength of her demo for the show's theme song, and that version was the one used in the opening credits.[3]
Music career
Phillips was a member of the bands The Belltower and Ultrababyfat in the 1990s and Luna from 2001 to 2005. Since then, Phillips has released albums with fellow Luna bandmate (and second husband) Dean Wareham. Wareham, a former member of the band Galaxie 500, toured with Phillips in 2010 performing the band's back catalog.[4][5] Phillips has also toured with Ben Lee.[6] Phillips and Wareham have also composed original score for the Noah Baumbach films Mistress America and The Squid and the Whale and the Morgan J. Freeman film Just Like the Son. Their song "Knives From Bavaria" (Sonic Souvenirs) appears in the Olivier Assayas film, Clean, (starring Maggie Cheung). Their song "Your baby" appears in the Italian movie "A/R Andata e Ritorno" directed by Marco Ponti. In 2001, Phillips provided vocals on the Anika Moa album Thinking Room.[7] In 2007, Britta produced and recorded a cover of Neil Young's "I Am A Child" for the benefit CD Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity. In 2010, Phillips performed vocals on the MGMT single "It's Working" from their album Congratulations.[8]
Acting career
Britta's first acting job was as the singing voice of the lead character in the animated series Jem, alongside actress and singer Samantha Newark, who provided Jem's speaking voice.[9] The series ran from 1985 to 1988.
In 1988 she co-starred in the teen rock band movie Satisfaction, starring Justine Bateman, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Trini Alvarado and Scott Coffey. Phillips performed several songs during the movie and is featured on the soundtrack album. Also in 1988, she guest starred in an episode of the cult TV show Crime Story, in which she played a former homecoming queen turned high-class escort in Las Vegas ("Always A Blonde"). She followed that with a starring role as a nurse in the pilot episode of the short-lived TV series Nightingales.[10][11] From 2005 to 2008, she voiced various characters for the Adult Swim series Moral Orel, most notably as Bloberta Puppington. In 2006, she featured as herself in the Luna band documentary Tell Me Do You Miss Me. Since 2010, Phillips has voiced various characters in Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, most noticeably Elizabeth Frankenstein. Both Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole were created by Dino Stamatopoulos. In 2010, Phillips appeared alongside Wareham on Yo Gabba Gabba in the episode titled "Ride".[12]
Britta had a cameo (along with husband Dean Wareham in the Noah Baumbach film, Frances Ha (written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig)
References
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External links
- Articles with hCards
- Living people
- 1963 births
- American female singers
- Female rock singers
- American film actresses
- American voice actresses
- Actresses from Pennsylvania
- Luna (1990s American band) members
- Actresses from Michigan
- People from Boyne City, Michigan
- People from Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- 21st-century American actresses
- American television actresses
- 20th-century American actresses
- American film score composers
- 20th-century American musicians
- 21st-century American musicians
- Singers from Pennsylvania
- Musicians from Michigan
- American female guitarists
- American rock bass guitarists
- Female bass guitarists