Livvi Franc

Birth name Olivia Charlotte Waithe[1]
Born 1988 (Age 21)
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England[2]
Genres Pop, R&B, folk, reggae[1]
Occupations singer-songwriter, dancer
Years active 2008-present
Labels Jive Records
Zomba Label Group
Associated acts Rihanna, Shontelle, Pitbull
Website Home | The Official Livvi Franc Site

Olivia Charlotte Waithe better known by her stage name Livvi Franc (born 1988), is an English-Barbadian R&B, soul, and Pop singer.[2][3] She is signed to Jive Records.[4] Her debut album will include production from RedOne (Sugababes, Lady Gaga), JR Rotem (Rihanna, Leona Lewis), Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue) and more.[5] Her debut single, "Now I'm That Bitch" was released on June 15, 2009 to mainstream radio[6] and was released digitally on June 23, 2009. Livvi confirmed in an interview on BBC Radio 1 (UK) with Nick Grimshaw that her second single is called "Automatik" which will be a "Club Banger" in Livvi's words. You can listen to "Automatik" on her official Myspace.

Biography

Franc spent the first five years of her life in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England with her English mother, Bajan father and elder sister. At five, the family moved to her father's homeland of Barbados, after her parents decided their daughters should fully experience their Barbadian heritage. Her maternal grandfather, Frank Wilson, the inspiration for her stage name: “When I was about two, my grandfather noticed me sitting at the piano, playing a tune of my own with two hands, and predicted I was going to be a musician. Sadly he is no longer here. So, in honor of him, I called myself Livvi Franc, Livvi because it’s my nickname, and Franc because it’s a funkier version of Frank.”

Franc co-wrote most of the tracks on her debut album, collaborating with a host of songwriters and producers. In the U.S., she worked with JR Rotem (Rihanna, Sean Kingston) who produced "Lovey Dovey" and "My Window", a track written by Amanda Ghost (James Blunt, Shakira). The surf-guitar powered "She Loves Love" was produced by Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Natasha Bedingfield), and the track "No Chance" was co-written with Eg White (Duffy, Adele, Will Young) when Franc spent some time in London in summer 2009.[1]

Speaking of the wide range of musical styles to be found on her debut album, in September 2009 she told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul': "Because I've grown up listening to so many different styles, I'm very limitless when it comes to music. Like living in Barbados, I heard the Caribbean styles like dancehall, soca and calypso. Then, with me growing up spending my summers in the UK, I'd hear the dance and more retro-type sounds. While being in The States more recently, I've heard the more commercial pop stuff. So my album is basically like a fusion of all those three - and a perfect representation of who I am."[7]

Livvi Franc is also an accomplished songwriter, having written most of the songs from her forthcoming debut album. As well as this Livvi has written songs for Jordin Sparks (Walking On Snow), Cheryl Cole (Rain On Me), Marie Digby (Overboard), Jay Sean and a song on what would've been Michael Jackson's upcoming album before he sadly passed away.
[edit] Awards

Livvi Franc has been nominated for Best Female Music Video at the 2010 Barbados Music Awards for her video Now I'm That Bitch. [8]