Born Melanie Brown in 1975 in Leeds, England, Melanie B shot to fame as one-fifth of the world’s hottest girl band, Spice Girls. In 1998 she tested the solo-career waters, recording “I Want You Back” for the Why Do Fools Fall In Love soundtrack; a year later she covered “Word Up” for Austin Powers. Her debut album, Hot, with production by R&B heavyweights Teddy Riley and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, came out in 2000, and L.A. State of Mind followed in 2005. In 2007, Melanie B competed on Dancing With the Stars, coming in second. Since then, she has released solo singles, appeared as a judge and mentor on the TV shows The X Factor and America’s Got Talent, and performed with the Spice Girls on multiple reunion jaunts, including at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.