Born on September 18: Joanne Catherall, one of the two female faces of The Human League

Just like that of singer Phil Oakey and blonde Susan Ann Sulley, her destiny is inextricably linked to the English city of Sheffield. She was born there in 1962.

Barely 18 at the time, the two very young girls only joined the legendary synth-pop group (a synthesizer-based pop group) when Martyn Ware and Ian Craig left. The commercial orientation advocated by Phil Oakey bothered them.

The story goes that the singer of The Human League fell under the spell of the two childhood friends, still students, during a night out at a Sheffield nightclub, the Crazy Daisy, if you must know.

Even though they had no part in the writing of Dare! in 1981, which immediately became his breakthrough album, the fluty voices of the two young ladies, as well as their awkwardly suggestive hip movements, were all present. More than four decades later, the two vestal virgins, now in their sixties, still wear—how can I put this?—slightly excessive makeup and surround Phil in their long, flowing dresses.

The band hasn't recorded any new songs since 2011 (the album "Credo" went relatively unnoticed), but this ultimately has little significance, since the audience mostly comes to relive their younger years by chanting "Don't You Want Me" along with the band. "You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar / When I met you / I picked you out, I show up and turned you around / Turned you into someone new." It's not great writing and probably not very "me too" compatible, but it still has its effect.

Happy birthday Joanne!

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Phil Oakey in the center with Joanne Catherall on the right on stage at the Diamond Awards at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, in October 1990.