Biography
Although recognition may not come immediately to nu-disco diva Shena, her vocal contributions have graced a greater number of U.K. dance hits over the past 15 years than those of any fellow performer. Tracey Elizabeth McSween entered the world in Reading, Berkshire in 1971 and discovered her voice early, delivering solos within her gospel choir. She later studied at the Royal Academy of Music and completed her training with honors. Her stage debut came in Mama I Want to Sing alongside Chaka Khan, after which she took leading roles in the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, Carmen Jones, and What a Feeling. Shifting focus toward pop, she supplied backing vocals for James Brown, Mariah Carey, and Lisa Stansfield. The year 1995 marked her first credited appearance on JX’s Top 20 single “You Belong to Me,” an entry that launched a sequence of 14 chart records featuring her voice, among them Alex Gaudino’s “Watch Out,” Michael Gray’s “The Weekend,” and Jurgen Vries’ “Wilderness.” Following independent success on the worldwide club and PA circuit, she turned to original material in partnership with her husband and producer James Winchester. No Prisoners Records issued her debut album One Man Woman in 2009, which included the airplay hit “Can’t Stop the Rain.” One year afterward came the follow-up 2079, incorporating three selections from the earlier release.