Sheila Diana Ferguson was born on October 8,1947 and is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and author, who has worked primarily in the United Kingdom.
42 Facts About Sheila Ferguson
1.
2.
Sheila Ferguson has forged a prolific stage and screen career in the UK, starring in numerous musicals, soul legend tours, and her own sitcom Land of Hope and Gloria.
3.
Sheila Ferguson is the best-selling author of Soul Food: Classic Cuisine from the Deep South.
4.
Sheila Ferguson achieved this dream some time later when, appearing at the Apollo Theater, she talked to Gaye in his dressing room.
5.
Subsequently signed to Swan Records, Sheila Ferguson recorded the first two songs she wrote herself "I Weep for You" and "Don't Leave Me Lover" out of three solo singles for the label during 1965.
6.
Sheila Ferguson recorded two up-tempo numbers written for her by a talented up and coming songwriter by the name of Leon Huff.
7.
Sheila Ferguson left The Three Degrees in 1986 as a result of wanting to spend more time being a mother to take care of her very young daughters of the time.
8.
Sheila Ferguson had mentioned in a 2006 interview that after she gave birth to her daughters, she was still singing and touring with The Three Degrees, but it caused her to limit her availability to her daughters and whenever she came home from her singing projects and tours, her daughters were noticeably clinging onto the nanny, instead of her.
9.
Sheila Ferguson commented that it was very difficult finding someone to replace Ferguson in the group, which eventually they did, but Holiday permanently took over Ferguson's former spot as the lead singer of the group, and has been in this current role since her departure.
10.
Since then, Sheila Ferguson has had very limited contact with The Three Degrees and she has never made any public appearances with The Three Degrees.
11.
In 1994, Sheila Ferguson appeared as a solo artist in the UK Singles Chart with her remake of the Three Degrees' hit "When Will I See You Again".
12.
In 2004, Sheila Ferguson released her debut solo album A New Kind of Medicine.
13.
Sheila Ferguson is a lead on the original cast recording of Always and recorded two other albums Misty Blue.
14.
Sheila Ferguson featured in Star Alliance's recording of "He's a Runner" in 2006 and recorded "Fool of the Year" for the album Disco 2008, produced by Ian Levine.
15.
Sheila Ferguson has performed in multiple soul legend tours and appeared as the Acid Queen at the 50th anniversary of The Who at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in November 2014.
16.
In June 2016, Sheila Ferguson performed in a series of soul gigs in Cyprus with Andy Abraham.
17.
Sheila Ferguson has starred in numerous musicals and pantomimes in the UK.
18.
Sheila Ferguson then starred in Soul Train, Oh What a Night, playing Roxia, and Thoroughly Modern Millie, playing Muzzy Van Hossmere.
19.
In 2005, Sheila Ferguson starred in the premiere of the West End musical Behind the Iron Mask at the Duchess Theatre and then toured in Hot Flush, a musical based on the menopause.
20.
In 2010, Sheila Ferguson joined the cast of the Irish National Tour of Fame the Musical playing the strict head teacher Miss Sherman.
21.
From December 2012 to January 2013, Sheila Ferguson appeared in Cinderella at the Nottingham Theatre Royal as the Fairy Godmother, a role she reprised at the Theatre Royal Norwich from December 2013 to January 2014.
22.
Sheila Ferguson then starred as the Wicked Queen in Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre Royal, Windsor from December 2014 to January 2015, followed by appearing as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at The Sands Centre, Carlisle in December 2015.
23.
Sheila Ferguson headlined Ipswich Regent Theatre's pantomime, playing the Wicked Fairy in Sleeping Beauty from December 2016 to January 2017.
24.
Sheila Ferguson is the first and only black woman to star in her own sitcom in the UK.
25.
Sheila Ferguson played the lead role in the TV sitcom Land of Hope and Gloria, which ran for six episodes in 1992 and was her first acting venture.
26.
Sheila Ferguson wrote and sang the title song for the series.
27.
Sheila Ferguson has appeared in the British sitcom Desmond's, playing nightclub owner Rochelle Jackson, and the British soap opera Brookside, playing Susan Robinson.
28.
Sheila Ferguson was a panelist in Les Dawson's first hosting of the quiz show Blankety Blank in 1984 and has appeared on the TV show Never Mind the Buzzcocks several times, three times as a panelist and once dressed as a pirate in the celebrity line up.
29.
In 2004 Sheila Ferguson was a contestant on the fourth series of I'm a Celebrity.
30.
Sheila Ferguson appeared in the second BBC series of The Real Marigold Hotel, and spent a month in India with seven other celebrities.
31.
Sheila Ferguson presented the documentary The Philadelphia Records Story for Smooth FM in the UK on March 22,2009.
32.
In 1989, Sheila Ferguson published a cook book inspired by recipes from her African American background, Soul Food: Classic Cuisine from the Deep South.
33.
Sheila Ferguson is the first African American in England to ever publish a cookbook related to Soul food.
34.
In 2013 Sheila Ferguson was awarded the Variety Legends of Industry Award for services to music.
35.
Sheila Ferguson was awarded an Ethnic Minority Business Foundation national achievement award by the Bank of England and its Governor Eddie George in 1999 and was awarded the City of Compton California Book Award for her book Soul Food: Classic Cuisine from the Deep South.
36.
Sheila Ferguson is a patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and has long been a supporter of the Combined Theatrical Charities taking part in the launch of its Acting for Others campaign in 2003.
37.
Sheila Ferguson is a supporter of WaterAid and appeared in the 2014 To Be a Girl campaign.
38.
Sheila Ferguson has been an active supporter of artists rights through her membership and work for both the Phonographic Performance Ltd and the Performing Rights Society.
39.
Sheila Ferguson has been an Equity Councillor and an events speaker at and on behalf of Equity.
40.
Sheila Ferguson has been a judge at the Race in Media Awards on several occasions.
41.
Sheila Ferguson has been an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust since 2008.
42.
Sheila Ferguson has commented in some interviews that because her encounter with Prince Charles back in the 1970s, which created media attention in England, this lasting media impression made it difficult for her to find new relationships after her divorce.