"Don't You Want Me" - Is that a trick question?

Amazing how a bit of surfing on Youtube can prove to be an utter revelation.

Today’s subject is Susan Sulley one of the lead singers of 80's band The Human League.

‘Don’t You Want Me’ was a huge hit in 1981 and even though I was 11 years old I remember it well. The bloke with the funny hair-do and the pretty blonde walking around in the London fog. So you can remind yourselves here it is courteously of Youtube:



So who was the pretty blonde girl? Bizarrely she’s had about four names now, back in 1981 she was called Susanne Sulley, then when she grew up she called herself Susan Ann Sulley in the 1990s. She got married and changed it to Susan Ann Gayle in 2000, then got divorced and is apparently going to call herself Sulley again. Human League fans just call her Sue, I can see why. But its Susan to the likes of me and you.

This is Susanne/Susan/Sue in 1981 in a classic 80's look (which is going in the Ladies of the 80s hall of fame):

Photo (c) susanne-sulley.net (used with permission)

Her background story is amazing! She was just a 17 year old schoolgirl out for a night on the town in Sheffield in 1980 with her mates when Phil Oakey spotted her and Joanne Catheral (the other League girl)in a Sheffield Nightclub. Phil was desperate for a female singer for a tour that was in crisis so with no experience she and Joanne were whisked away to a world of fame and popstardom like a pair of Cinderellas.

She was 18 when she made that video which was nearly 30 years ago now. This is the Susanne Sulley of 2007:

Photo (c) susanne-sulley.net (used with permission)

She might be 44 now, but she is petite, pretty, fitter than a butchers dog and believe it or not still in The Human League. Who are still recording and touring.

I'm obviously not the only one who is impressed, as she has a massive fan base on the internet and her own website. I was astounded just how much she still looks like the girl from 1981. My obvious thought was "that's a lot of plastic surgery", has she had her boobs done.?
I made the mistake of asking the webmaster of her website that, when I was getting permission to use the photos. After a telling off I was informed that apparently Miss Sulley is 100% au natural, and that amazing body and young looking face is the result of 5 days a week in the gym and a healthy lifestyle.

So what is she doing today, well much the same as she was doing 30 years ago in fact! The Human League are about to go on an International 30th Anniversary Tour in November and December; and are going to release a new album in 2008.

Apart from Susan, now the only other survivors of the old group are Phil Oakey (who doesn’t have silly hair anymore, actually he doesn’t have any hair anymore) and Joanne Catheral (The dark haired one, she's a mum of teenagers now I think). They are coming my way in December and I might just pop along to see if Susanne is as fit in real life!

Many thanks to: Andy@Susanne-sulley.net for the photos and info.

Links:
http://www.susanne-sulley.net/ Susan’s Unofficial Website
http://www.league-online.com/ Human League Official Website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_League The Human League on Wikipedia