Belinda Carlisle
b. 16 August 1958, Hollywood, California, USA. When the Go-Go's broke up in 1985, Carlisle remained with the IRS label and pursued a solo career. After the excesses of her former group, Belinda underwent a period of physical recuperation and image remodelling—emerging as the quintessential modern young Californian female. With artistic assistance from former fellow Go-Go Charlotte Caffey, Carlisle hit the US Top 3 with her debut single Mad About You in 1986 and her first album peaked at number 13 in the Billboard chart. It was not until a move to the MCA label in the States and on signing to Virgin Records in the UK that she achieved international acclaim with the release of Heaven Is A Place On Earth. This infectious piece of perfect pop reached number 1 in the USA and UK and gave her a whole new generation of fans who had previously never heard of The Go-Go's. This winning formula was subsequently used for a string of albums and other chart singles such as I Get Weak (US number 2/UK Top 10, 1988), Circle In The Sand (US number 7/UK number 4, 1988), Leave A Light On (UK number 4, 1989) and We Want The Same Thing (UK number 6). Using her new-found position as a respected pop star, Carlisle, along with another ex-Go-Go, Jane Wiedlin, put her name to various environmental and humanitarian/animal rights causes.