Beverley Craven, an English singer, songwriter and pianist, focuses on lushly arranged ballads that cast her in the vein of a more accessible Kate Bush. From 1990 onward she has released several albums on Epic, each one shifting fewer copies than the last, yet she continues to draw audiences on stage, her visibility affected mainly by extended gaps between projects.
Born on 28 July 1963 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Craven was raised in Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire. Her mother, a classical violinist, encouraged her to begin piano lessons at seven. After secondary school she studied at art college while gigging with local bands in London pubs and composing her own material. Her songs eventually reached Bobby Womack, who asked her to join him as a backing vocalist on a lengthy European tour. By the close of the 1980s she had secured a publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music and, shortly afterward, a recording deal with Epic.
Initial sessions for her first album were overseen by Stewart Levine, producer for Simply Red, yet Craven found the results overly polished and commercial, so she scrapped the tapes and began again with Paul Samwell-Smith, the seasoned producer best known for his work with Carly Simon. That decision aligned more closely with her introspective, understated style of songwriting. Propelled by the remarkable reception of her debut single “Promise Me,” later recognised as a modern standard, the self-titled album quickly gained traction across Europe. When the earlier Levine mixes of tracks such as “Holding On” and “Memories” surfaced as b-sides, they carried the dismissive credit “west coast version.”
Eight months pregnant with her first child, Craven collected the Brit Award for Best British Newcomer in 1992 and performed before an enthusiastic crowd. Thereafter her career slowed. She concentrated on raising her three daughters with husband and fellow songwriter Colin Campsie, whose songs have been recorded by Natalie Imbruglia and B*Witched, while issuing new music only sporadically. Later releases failed to match the commercial heights of her debut, though she has maintained an occasional presence on the lower tiers of the UK chart and in occasional concert-hall appearances.
