If you were listening to music during the last 3 decades then chances are Tessa Niles performed live with some of your favourite artists and sang on your most loved tracks...
Tessa‘s first big break came when Sting asked her to provide backing vocals on the Synchronicity World Tour with his band The Police. She went on to perform with David Bowie at the legendary Live Aid concert of 1985 and sang on the Bowie and Mick Jagger worldwide hit ‘Dancing In The Streets’. She joined Eric Clapton‘s band and collaborated on the first of MTV’s Unplugged series which spawned the classic versions of ‘Layla’ and ‘Tears In Heaven’. Tessa then went onto tour with Clapton for over 12 years.
Record producer Trevor Horn and Tessa worked on many project together including the Pet Shop Boys, ABC, Grace Jones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Tatu and Seal. Tessa featured on full albums with Tina Turner and on the worldwide hits ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ and ‘Simply the Best’.
She provided vocals on four hugely successful albums for Duran Duran including the US hit ‘Come Undone’ and Nile Rodgers produced, ‘Notorious’. Movie soundtracks include Love Actually and Ronan Keating’s ‘When You Say Nothing’ at all from ‘Four Weddings And A Funeral’.
Throughout the last three decades Tessa has performed with some of the biggest most iconic artists in music: George Harrison, Annie Lennox, Tears For Fears, The Pet Shop Boys, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Grace Jones, Robbie Williams, Seal and Kylie Minogue to name a few. She hosts master classes and workshops on her extraordinary career and has published her autobiography ‘Backtrack - The Voice Behind Music’s Greatest Stars’.
Tessa‘s experience of recording and touring with a dazzling array of global artists has assured her place in rock history. She shares her insight and experience on radio and is a regular contributor to music documentaries.
When it comes to Rock ‘n’ Roll it’s fair to say Tessa Niles was very often in the room where it happened.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that I’ve contemplated sleeping with Tessa knows his talent on several occasions.” Robbie Williams
“Tessa went on to be one of the busiest and certainly in my view the best session singers of her generation.” Trevor Horn
“Tessa Niles is the ultimate backing singer and not only because she does it with grace and excellence but because her knowledge of harmony is second to none and she always brings so much joy with her wherever she goes. I fall in love with voices rarely but I fell in love with hers the moment we did our first session together and I’ve been that way ever since.” Steve Anderson, Producer/Musical Director for Kylie, Leona Lewis, Marisha Wallace, Steps and Delta Goodrem.
Current projects