Felicity Buirski

Biography

Felicity Buirski is a former English journalist, model and actress. In later years she found recognition as a folk singer and composer. She has also worked and performed with folk musician and former Steeleye Span member, Peter Knight.

== Background == Felicity Buirski was born in Orpington. She is the daughter of a musician. She worked as a journalist in her teens but left that career when she entered into the world of modelling. In addition to being a journalist, model, actress and musician, Buirski has also been a psychotherapist. In 1989, the Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian referred to her as "one of the ‘most gripping performers to grace modern music". She had an association with Leonard Cohen, and Jim Devlin, the author of In every style of passion : the works of Leonard Cohen wrote, "If she were ever to turn her attention to covering some of Leonard’s songs (perhaps ‘Nancy’ and ‘If It Be Your Will’), she could easily look Judy Collins and Jennifer Warnes in the eye and have nothing to fear".

== Early career ==

=== Page Three === In 1976, Felicity Buirski was the lead singer in the vocal group Page Three, which was made up of three Page 3 models from The Sun, herself, Clare Russell and Stefani Marrian. They were signed up to Warner Bros., and worked with arranger Brian Bennett and producer Bruce Welch, recording the single "Hold on to Love", which was released in July 1977. The song was a hit, and was in the Record Mirror Star Breaker list for the week of 13 August 1977, and the 20th. For the week of 27 August, it was at the top of the Star Breakers list, and it stayed there for another week.

== Solo music career ==

=== 1970s === Felicity Buirski recorded the song "Poor Painted Lady". Backed with the old Foundations and Herman's Hermits song, "I Can Take or Leave Your Lovin'", it was credited to her first name, Felicity and released on Poker POS 15071 in 1978. According to the 22 December 1978 issue of TV Times, Buirski was making her television debut on the Benny Hill Show.

=== 1980s === Buirski released the single "Angel" on the Philips label. It was reviewed by John Shearlaw in the 15 March 1980 issue of Record Mirror. It was not complementary with Shearlaw referring to her as a "breathy Lorraine Chase clone" and saying that it took too long to get to the point. The song played on Italy's IV Canale on 16 December 1982.

==== Repairs & Alterations ==== Felicity Buirski's critically acclaimed debut album Repairs & Alterations came about as a result of her songs she recorded as demos in 1985 being heard by Fred Underhill, a British-based American. After listening to the recordings, he offered to release an album for her. She took him up on his offer. It was released in the United Kingdom on the Run River Records label in 1987. There were also negotiations for distribution in the United States. According to John Tobler in the 30 January 1988 issue of Music Week, Repairs & Alterations was one of the first five albums released by the budding Run River Records label that was to attract the most attention. There were comparisons made to Carly Simon. One song, "The Executioner's Song" was singled out for mention, with Tobler saying that it deserved investigation by those who enjoyed Suzanne Vega and it had a passion that Vega sometimes seemed to lack. The album's release in the US on RRA 004 was noted in the 21 April 1989 issue of the CMJ New Music Report. The album had some airplay in the US, at Radio WEMU. The album was a CD Hi-Fi Music Awards winner for 1989 in the Best Folk Album category.