Tessa Niles

Tessa Margaret Niles (née Webb; born 27 January 1961) is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of contemporary artists. She began her professional singing career in 1979.

Early life and career Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979. Throughout her career, Niles has worked with many artists including ABC, Eric Clapton, Kiri Te Kanawa, The Rolling Stones, Annie Lennox, Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, The Police, Take That, Grace Jones, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Morrissey–Mullen, Snowy White, Tom Jones, Marillion, Fish, Pet Shop Boys, Buddy Guy, B*Witched, Victoria Beckham, Nick Carter, Living in a Box, Cliff Richard, Mike + The Mechanics, Zucchero, Status Quo, Robbie Williams, Bill Sharpe, Gary Numan, Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley, Dusty Springfield, The The, Jimmy Nail, Cher, Cabaret Voltaire, Seal, Liza Minnelli, John Denver and The Escape Club.

In 1985, Niles signed with Rainbow Records as a solo artist. Her debut single, "The President's Girl", was released in November 1985 and was followed in May 1986 with "Tough Girls". Both singles failed to reach the UK Singles Chart and Rainbow Records folded before Niles' album could be released.

In the mid-1980s, Niles was featured the lead vocalist (along with Clive Griffin) for the jazz ensemble Bandzilla, which was led by her then-husband Richard Niles. The band toured and were featured as the resident house band on the Channel 4 television show Don't Miss Wax in 1987. In 1991, the band released their debut album, Blue Movies, again featuring Niles as lead vocalist.

Niles has also voiced and sung on various television commercials for products including Barbie, Levi's, Cadillac, Diet Pepsi, Delta Air Lines, Aquafresh, KFC and DHL.

Her association with Eric Clapton began with his 1986 album August. She toured with him from 1988 to 1992, again in October 1997, and again on his 1999 tour of Japan. She sang backing vocals during the George Harrison/Eric Clapton tour of Japan in 1991 and for Clapton's Unplugged concert in 1992. Niles also appeared at Clapton's Crossroads Benefit Concert on 30 June 1999 and the Concert for George on 29 November 2002.

Niles performed vocals during one version of the song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" for the 2003 film Love Actually.

Niles also performed at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985, where she provided backing vocals for David Bowie (who introduced her as "Theresa" in the prelude to "Heroes"). On 16 & 17 June 1989 she performed vocals at Cliff Richard's gigs: From a Distance: The Event recorded at Wembley Stadium. In 1993, she featured in the Cliff Richard´s studio album The Album.

Personal life She is the former wife of American musician Richard Niles, whom she married in 1982. Later she married Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane Jr., the son of Eduardo Mondlane. In 1998, Niles gave birth to twins. Eric Clapton Backing vocals 1991 Changing Faces Bros Backing vocals 1991 Flashpoint The Rolling Stones Backing vocals 1991 Live in Japan George Harrison Backing vocals 1992 All the Fool's in Town Sweet Addiction Backing vocals 1992 Great Expectations Tasmin Archer Backing vocals 1992 Unplugged Eric Clapton Backing vocals 1992 And Still I Rise Alison Limerick Backing vocals 1992 Dream Juice Efua Backing vocals 1992 In the Running Howard Jones Backing vocals 1992 Miserere Zucchero Backing vocals 1992 The Curse of the Higsons The Higsons Backing vocals 1993 Breakaway Kim Appleby Backing vocals 1993 Clive Griffin Clive Griffin Backing vocals 1993 The Album Cliff Richard Backing vocals 1993 The Wedding Album Duran Duran Backing vocals 1993 Beverley Craven Beverley Craven Backing vocals 1993 Very Pet Shop Boys Backing vocals 1993 Painted Desert Serenade Joshua Kadison Backing vocals 1994 Dog Man Star Suede Backing vocals 1994 Sean Maguire Sean Maguire Backing vocals 1994 The Lead and How to Swing It Tom Jones Backing vocals 1995 Arabesque Mike Batt Backing vocals 1995 Big River Jimmy Nail Backing vocals 1995 Hold On Jaki Graham Backing vocals 1995 Live! The Police Backing vocals 1995 Nobody Else Take That Backing vocals 1995 Thank You Duran Duran Backing vocals 1996 Don't Stop Status Quo Backing vocals 1996 The View from the Hill Justin Hayward Backing vocals 1996 Wildest Dreams Tina Turner Backing vocals 1997 Across from Midnight Joe Cocker Backing vocals 1997 Salvation Alphaville Backing vocals 1998 11 Maneras De Ponerse Un Sombrero Miguel Bosé Backing vocals 1998 Eden Sarah Brightman Backing vocals 1998 Marshall & Alexander Marshall & Alexander Backing vocals 1998 Awake and Breathe B*Witched Backing vocals 1999 Nightlife Pet Shop Boys Backing vocals 1999 Prince's Trust Rock Gala Various (Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Eric Clapton) Backing vocals 2000 Here and Now Worlds Apart Backing vocals 2000 Sing When You're Winning Robbie Williams Backing vocals 2001 Closer to Heaven Pet Shop Boys & Jonathan Harvey Backing vocals 2001 White Lilies Island Natalie Imbruglia Backing vocals 2002 Escapology Robbie Williams Backing vocals 2002 Concert for George Various (Eric Clapton) Backing vocals 2003 What My Heart Wants to Say Gareth Gates Backing vocals 2003 Live at Knebworth – Live Summer 2003 Robbie Williams Backing vocals 2003 Pop Art Pet Shop Boys Backing vocals 2003 Seven Years - Ten Weeks David Sneddon Backing vocals 2003 Seal IV Seal Backing vocals 2004 Allow Us to Be Frank Westlife Backing vocals 2004 Astronaut Duran Duran Backing vocals 2004 A Concert For The Prince's Trust – Live at Wembley Arena London 2004 Various (Trevor Horn) Backing vocals 2018 Change Your Mind (Live) Bill Sharpe Lead vocals +