Pop star-activist produces tracks in lockdown

Many Young People who listen to music in 2020 may not of heard of Jennie Matthias, however back in the early 80s Jennie was the lead singer of the band ‘The Belle Stars’ who formed after the break up of the all girl group ‘The Bodysnatchers’.

The Belle Stars had many hits which included “The Clapping Song” and “Iko Iko” which featured on the 1988 Oscar winning movie Rain Man staring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. It was their 1983 single ‘Sign Of The Times’, which hit the number 3 position in the UK charts and was a huge success throughout Europe which the band will be best remembered.

The music video for ‘Sign Of The Times’ was broadcast frequently on the newly formed music platform MTV in the United States. 

Since the band split up in 1984 following band differences, Jennie has continued performing and recording tracks with various artists whilst working with disadvantaged children.

She used her poetry to raise awareness of issues that are important to her and her poem ‘Scag Man’ was made into an animated movie to help young people become more aware of the dangers of drugs.

Jennie is also the founder of S-teem, a project developed to help young people make better informed choices about their lives which she received an Intermix Positive Contribution Award in 2003 for her work with young people.

In 2017 we interviewed Jennie on our station Defiant Radio, where she spoke about the causes she supports and events she has hosted to raise awareness.

The 2020 world Corona Virus pandemic didn’t stop Jennie from writing and recording, during lockdown she met online a fellow writer and musician John Watkins, and collaborate on 5 songs. ‘ WAKE UP’ is the title of the second song they wrote and recorded from the batch of lockdown songs

” We found that being creative was a cure for our forced house arrest and we changed what could have been a frustrating time into something helped to keep our vibration raised”. Jennie Matthias.