Lisa Maffia

Lisa Maffia

Lisa Maffia artist profile

She's been known as The First Lady of So Solid, the Jewel in the Crown and the 24-Carat Princess. She's become an icon of high-rolling glamour and a model of determination for young mums everywhere - and managed all this as one piece of a 30-strong Battersea garage troupe.

Lisa Maffia - her real name. When she was growing up, she would sing in front of the bedroom mirror, and on holidays to Pontins, always sought out the kids' talent shows. "I wasn't always mad about being a star, "Lisa recalls, "but I was always mad about singing." She grew up listening to the pop soundtrack of the early 80s, but "pop was fickle," so it was the stadium soul of Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston and Marvin Gaye that made the more enduring impression.