Legendary Pop music icon Belinda Carlisle is hitting the road in 2023 with an all-new headlining tour. Hear songs from Carlisle’s internationally acclaimed recording catalog performed live at Rose Music Center at The Heights on Tuesday, July 11.
Rock stars come and rock stars go. In an everchanging landscape of shifting musical trends, few artists stand the test of time. Belinda Carlisle is one of those rare talents who continues to remain relevant after nearly four decades in the business. Amidst changing tastes, the gifted and glamorous singer-songwriter has indelibly touched the hearts of pop fans around the world with her unique blend of gutsy vocals, emotively charged melodies and picturesque lyrics.
With a multi-dimensional, internationally acclaimed recording catalog and countless tours showcasing her chameleonic musical prowess, the woman who began her career as co-founder and lead vocalist of groundbreaking all-female new wave/rock band The Go-Go’s has amassed worldwide sales in excess of 15 million albums and singles. The Go-Go’s played a pivotal role in setting the tone of 1980s pop with their self-penned, multi-platinum debut album, Beauty and the Beat. Buoyed by Carlisle’s unmistakably emotive and edgy phrasing, the international top-10 singles “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat” became enduring anthems for independent women from ages eight to 80 while redefining traditionally restrictive notions of so-called “girl groups.”
When the Go-Go’s went their separate ways in 1985 after three game-changing LP’s (boasting further timeless anthems like “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels”), Belinda wasted no time in greasing the wheels for a solo career based on musical individuality and authenticity. Teaming with prolific film, TV, and record producer Michael Lloyd, she quickly released Belinda in 1986 and scored an out-of-the-box, gold-certified smash via the romantic slice of classic pop that is “Mad About You.” The unforgettable tune rocketed to #3 on the US pop charts, and its accompanying music video became a staple on MTV.
Heaven on Earth, Carlisle’s 1987 sophomore solo album, was undoubtedly the catalyst in transforming her from a successful artist with a loyal following to a household name in demand in arenas across the globe. The album’s lead-off single, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” climbed the top ten in no less than twelve countries while achieving multiple gold and silver certifications. Bolstered by an iconic video directed by Academy Award- winning actress Diane Keaton, the anthemic, driving pop gem marked the first of more than twenty top-charting global singles from five Carlisle albums reaching gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales marks.
The Grammy-nominated “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” was followed in 1988 by “I Get Weak” and “Circle in the Sand,” which put Belinda-mania into full effect. The next year, she upped the ante even further with the Runaway Horses album and world tour. Six intercontinentally impactful singles, including “Leave a Light On”, “La Luna,” and “Summer Rain,” kept her on the charts into early 1991, and she wasted no time entering the studio once again for the eclectic follow-up, Live Your Life Be Free.
The mid-‘90s signaled significant changes in Carlisle’s career and life. Becoming a mother, she relocated from her native Los Angeles to southeastern France and took creative control of her fifth solo disc, 1993’s Real. She served as co-producer and co- writer for over half of the album, which simmered with punk-driven undertones that informed her musical beginnings in the late ‘70s while still remaining boldly modern—as evidenced by the top-20 UK hit, “Big Scary Animal.” After a brief reunion with The Go- Go’s in 1994, she expanded her solo horizons further with the 1996 release of A Woman and A Man.
Although a decade would pass before the release of her next studio album, Carlisle broadened her horizons in a number of outside ventures. Aside from actively engaging in work for non-profit organizations such as PETA and Greenpeace, she became a world traveler (outside of the touring circuit, that is) and reunited with her original bandmates for 2001’s God Bless The Go-Go’s. Several years later, she put into practice her love of the French language and her adopted homeland’s chanson style for her seventh solo set, 2007’s Voila.
2010 saw the publication of Carlisle’s revealing autobiography, Lips Unsealed, in which she discussed in depth the fascinating late-‘70s Los Angeles punk scene of which she was an integral part and her personal hard-won victory over substance abuse. The following year, she once again reteamed with The Go-Go’s for the 30th-anniversary ‘Ladies Gone Wild’ tour, during which time the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After The Go-Go’s farewell tour in 2016, Carlisle embarked upon her most adventurous musical project yet. Adapting her longstanding love for the practice of Kundalini yoga to her enduring passion for performing, she upped the ante on her studies of the form’s musical premise: Sikh chants performed in Gurmukhi scripture. Combining the music’s traditional mantras with eclectic raga rock sounds, 2017’s Wilder Shores broke new artistic ground with its seamless integration of time-honored Hindu teachings into a modern American pop song structure.
Carlisle’s commitment to her craft and her well-rounded approach to life have kept her going strong throughout her career, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at 10am on Friday, February 17 atTicketmaster.com and RoseMusicCenter.com.
