Miss Dominique

Miss Dominique
Birth nameDominique Michalon
Born (1978-09-07) 7 September 1978 (age 46)
OriginSarcelles, France
GenresPop, R&B, Gospel
OccupationSinger-songwriter,
Years active1998—present
LabelsBlue Silver (1998)
2006 Sony BMG

Miss Dominique [as she is generally known as], born Dominique Michalon 7 September 1978 in Sarcelles, France, is a French singer and second-place finalist of the fourth edition of Nouvelle Star [based version of "Pop Idol"]. Her parents are both Caribbean.

Early life

Michalon was born on 7 September 1978 in Sarcelles. She started singing when her parents sent her to a gospel chorus. At 8, she was in her first concert, the "bébés chérubins" in Sarcelles (a suburb of Paris).

She is also known by the stage name "Beth Sheba". She sang in a masterclass in Louisiana in the United States. Later, her band, "Beth-Shéba and Les Gospel Wave Singers" toured with Ray Charles and Manu Dibango. In 1998, she released an album "A Chans' ou an destin'" in Martinique as Beth Sheba.

Nouvelle Star

On her audition, Michalon's performance of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" marked her as a favorite; judge Marianne James cried and said "Alleluia". Many felt that her best performance was "Calling You" from Bagdad Café. Despite this, Dominique lost in the final round to Christophe Willem. There have been claims that Dominique's chance of winning were significantly reduced because her home, Martinique was not allowed to vote.

Performances

After Nouvelle Star

She recorded an album Une femme battante (#9 FR) which was released on 13 November 2006. She backed French conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy during his campaign for the 2007 presidential elections and was among the singers who sang to celebrate his victory over Ségolène Royal the night of his election. Michalon took part in a TV reality show called la ferme celebrité.

In 2008, the singer decided to follow a strict diet recommended by her doctor and managed to lose more than 110 pounds (50 kg) in a space of a year.

Discography

Albums

Album Singles
Une femme battante
  • Released: 13 November 2006
  • Peak chart positions:
    • #8 France
  • French sales: 150 000 copies
"It's a Man's Man's World"