Bucks Fizz is a British pop group, formed in 1981 to compete in the
Eurovision Song Contest that year. They won with Making Your Mind Up and went on to have a successful pop career.
The initial group members were
Jay Aston,
Cheryl Baker,
Bobby G (or Gee, actually Gubby) and
Mike Nolan,
the classic 'two male - two female' Eurovision line-up established by
ABBA. Already experienced singers they were gathered together by
producer/writing combo Nicola Martin and Andy Hill. The group were
quick to build on their Eurovision success, Making Your Mind Up was
their first Number One in March 1981 and they followed up with two Top
Twenty singles and a further Number One in November 1981 with The Land
Of Make Believe and also an eponymously-titled album. In 1982 the group
had their final Number One in March with My Camera Never Lies and their
output of singles slowed as they concentrated on touring. Their last
Top 10 hit came in 1986, A New Beginning (Mamba Seyra), with a few more
minor hits up until 1988.
In December 1984 the group's tour bus crashed and Nolan was badly
injured. In 1985 Aston left and was replaced by Shelley Preston. She
left in 1989 and the group decided to continue as a trio. Baker, with
some successful television work, left in 1993 and the 'female space'
was filled by Heidi Manton and Amanda Szwarc. Nolan left in 1996 and
David Van Day, ex-Dollar, succeeded him for a while before being
supplanted by Graham Crisp and then Wayne Chinnery. Gee married Heidi
Manton in 1999. Amanda Szwarc was replaced by Louise Hart and she by
Nikki Winters.
The feud and legal battles between Bobby G and David Van Day as to who
owned the name "Bucks Fizz" was the subject of a BBC television
documentary. The band is named after a cocktail. In 2004 Bucks Fizz
reunited with a line up of Cheryl, Bobby, Mike and Shelly and were a
part of the Here and Now Tour 2004.