Shaznay

Full Name: Shaznay Tricia Lewis
Date Of Birth: 14th October 1975 (23)
Weight: 120 lbs
Height: 5"7’
Eyes: Dark Brown
Hair: Brown with blonde streaks
Distinguishing Marks: Year of the Rabbit character tattoo in her breast, tattoo of a sun with the Chinese characters than translate as her mum's name on her left shoulder, birthmark on her right hand, nose ring in her left nostril.
Nickname: Bart - because she sounds like Bart Simpson when she raps! Banana Man.
Most Used Phrase: "For real?" and "No way" ("But not 'no way no way no way'," she says careful to avoid comparisons with Vanilla)
I'm the ... "Quiet, shy one of the group. I can be a bit mad like the others sometimes, but usually I'm the most serious. . ."
Saint or Sinner? "Probably a sinner. I'm quite religious, but I do some little things I know are bad!"
Essential accessory: Travel cosmetics
Best thing about being in All Saints: Recognition for the music
Worst thing about being in All Saints: Being recognised on the street!

SHAZ TRIVIA
- She loves to thrash people at badminton
- She once dyed her hair blonde and hated it.
- Shaz hates cooking but has a sweet tooth and loves Twix bars.
- When she found out she'd passed her driving test, she kissed her examiner.
- She saved a man's life by stopping his bleeding with a pile of tissues before the ambulance turned up.

"I was born on 14 October 1975 in Islington, north London, to Del and Cleven Lewis. I've lived there all my life. My mum works with kids and dad used to be a bus driver but he isn't any more.

My first memory is watching my sister leave to go to school in her green uniform. She's called Elaine and she's twelve years older then me. I've got a nephew, her son, Leon - he's like a brother to me. He's seventeen now.

In the house my parents played a lot of Bob Marely and Johnny Mathis, I remember I used to sing along - I think I was taken by Johnny Mathis' lyrics in 'When A Child Is Born'. The first record I bought was Bill Ocean's 'Wen The Going Gets Tough'. I always wanted to sing."

Forget all the showbiz glamour and celebrity boyfriends. There is no doubt who is the most important person in Shaznay Tricia Lewis' life - her mum. "Music isn't more important to me than my family," the half-Jamaican, half-Barbadian insists.

Her mum emigrated to England from the West Indies and had to sweat it out as a dinner lady to support the family - that's Shaz and her elder sister, Elaine, who is eleven years older. Shaz was born in Islington in London and has lived there with her mum all her life. Their relationship is especially close as her father left them when Shaznay was just a kid. "She put up with me bumming around, borrowing money when I was doing my music and now for the first time in my life I can give her money," says Shaz, adding that her ambition is "to do everything I want in life and make mum proud."

Shaz describes herself as "quiet, shy, genuine and a deep thinker" and despite being the driving force behind the band, she is surprisingly modest in interviews, mumbling barely audible answers if she speaks at all. "I don't want people to get the wrong impression. When they respect us for the music I'll start messing around and having a laugh."

While Shaz comes across as sensitive and sensible, she has got a fun, crazy side to her - and she isn't afraid to speak her mind. She recently lost her temper in an interview when being asked about the Spice Girls (yet again), and she's not afraid of naming people she doesn't like - which includes the self-styled man of rock, Liam from Oasis. "Shaznay's a Jekyll-and-Hyde character," says Nic.

When she's got time off, she'll hang out with her best friend, Rochelle, who lives next door, or curl up on the sofa to watch soaps like EastEnders, Hollyoaks or Brookside (Sinbad is her favourite character) and chat shows like Ricki Lake. She says the thing she hates most is "losing the remote control". Her favourite film is Dumb and Dumber, but that's no reflection on Shaz's own mental abilities - she's got five GCSEs in photography, media studies, English, music and art, and she can even speak a little bit of Japanese.

When she was sixteen, her dentist told her she needed braces because she used to suck her thumb when she was younger, but she refused because she thought it would put boys off. Eventually her sensible woman side won out and she joined Ike Hanson as being one of a tiny group of people who wear braces while having a number-one record. She now has perfect teeth after removing her braces in February. She describes herself as "the same as Naomi Campbell but shorter," and thinks her back is her favourite part of her body, but potential boyfriends should be worry about the other bits: "I can't stand my belly button being touched. It freaks me out," she says.

Despite being terrified by spiders and moths, Shaznay's brave when it comes to other scary stuff. "I used to play with a ghost when I was about six. He was a rockabilly and had greased-back hair like Elvis. My mum says I was talking to nothing." Maybe her gave her some top music tips - her inspiration clearly didn't come from her parents. "They're not musical at all, unless you count my mum singing round the house all the time. My dad wants me to get a proper job. But I don't know how to do anything else."

Shaz did try other careers, but nothing clicked. She was a gardener, a postwoman and, at one time, seriously thought about becoming a policewoman, She even played football (AKA soccer) for Arsenal Ladies, but would miss the practises and just turn up for the matches. "And if I didn't score loads of goals, I'd get really upset and quit!" she laughs.

But after all the hard work and setbacks, everything came good for Shaz and All Saints won those two Brit awards. That's why the tears cam flooding. "It was overwhelming," she says. "I remember thinking, 'God I wish I'd written something down . . .' I'm so embarrassed. My mum made me watch it the next day, and guess what? I cried again because I felt really sorry for myself."

"Everyone else felt sorry for you too," interrupts Mel.

"Moments like those are the only time our success feels real," adds Shaz. "Most of the time what is happening to the band doesn't effect me I'm usually to busy to notice."

When it comes to her love life, Shaz's been positively Saintly compared to the others. Despite the fact that the three other say she's the sexiest Saint, she has only dated three guys in her life. One of those was mechanic Michael Miller, who inspired the lyrics for 'Never Ever'. "Love's the nicest thing in the world - but also the most dangerous," warns Shaz.

She's put off by indecisive men, and goes for caring, thoughtful, romantic types who like to cuddle, ideally someone tall and well-scrubbed. She likes quiet blokes, although she admitted in the past that her ideal man was Robbie Williams. Apparently, she was hoping to meet him when All Saints played at the Concert of Hope in December '97 for the Princess Diana Memorial Fund, "I've been quoted saying I want him to ask me out. But he hasn't called, I guess he's too busy." In the end of course it was Nic who ended going out with Robbie, but it hasn't affected their friendship.

The youngest All Saint (only by 6 months and 20 days) has been lnked with Matt Goss from eighties' boy band Bros, and Wyna from Boyz II Men, but she insists they're both "just good friends". However, Shaz did admit in April that there was a new love in her life, rumoured to be Damon from Blur. She wouldn't reveal her new guy's identity, however. "It's a secret," insists Shaz. "But he's got a great personality. My way of getting close is by teasing him the whole night, so I never compliment him that much. But I should because he's gorgeous." She also says she would never cheat on a guy - so whoever he is, he's a lucky bloke. One thing's for sure, its' not Peter Andre - she says if he ever asked her for a date she'd definitely be washing her hair!

Shaz still can't believe that people are singing along to the songs that she wrote in her bedroom. Se is just a normal girl trying to lead a normal life - but when you're mega-famous it's not easy. She'll go shopping, dancing or work out. But even then she can't escape and hates being recognised "I went to the gym and our video came up on the screen. I was so embarrassed." Shaz doesn't like being under the spotlight and says that the more famous she gets, the more likely it is she's become a hermit. "I've never been one of those people who's thought, 'I'm going to be famous.' I just think of my life as doing music, getting into a studio, releasing a record and that is it." Let's hope she keeps doing it well into the next millennium.

STAR QUALITIES

Librans are extremely cautious, weighing up all the options before making a decision. But if they are born in Chinese Rabbit years, like Shaz, they are even more reluctant to commit themselves and find it difficult to trust people. They are very suspicious and often end up holing up in the safety of their homes, which will be the ultimate in cosiness and comfort. Because they do hate to fight and don't like being told what to do, Libran Rabbits are best suited to careers in which they have a lot of freedom to do what they want - such as music or interior decorating. Libran Rabbits prefer to remain behind the scenes and let someone else to the talking (and in the case of All Saints, Shaz has three band members only too willing to do just that). They come across as calm, sensible and graceful and when they do go out they make an effort to entertain and be the centre of attention. After meeting them just once, you will never forget them. They see beauty everywhere, are generous and passionate and regularly fall in love, but will rarely commit to a long-term relationship and struggle to find anyone who comes up to their high standards. If a guy is interested in Shaz, he must try to keep his distance a bit and keep her guessing. Best love matches are Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius.