Belinda Carlisle (born Belinda Jo Kerzeskhi Carlisle on August 17, 1958 in Hollywood, California) is the lead vocalist for the rock & roll band The Go-Go's and also a solo artist.
Carlisle's first venture into music was as the drummer for the punk band The Germs, under the name Dottie Danger. Soon after leaving this band she joined The Go-Go's. After the initial breakup of The Go-Go's in 1985 (allegedly due to hedonism and drug abuse by Carlisle and some of the other band members), Carlisle cleaned herself up and embarked upon a solo career. Her first solo album, Belinda, was released on I.R.S. Records in 1986. Since Carlisle was somewhat overweight during her stint with the Go-Go's, fans were surprised to see a new svelte singer in the video for her hit single of music video "Mad About You", showing new curves featured on her album cover that were not due to airbrush work.
It was also in 1986 when Carlisle married Morgan Mason, son of the British actor James Mason. Morgan made appearances in Carlisle's videos "Mad About You" and "Heaven is a Place on Earth".
Carlisle flaunted her glamorous image on the cover of 1987's Heaven on Earth, her second solo album (released in the United States through MCA but in the United Kingdom through Virgin). Critics and fans noticed that not only was Carlisle's image more glamorous than during her time with the Go Go's, but also her solo music was more polished and dismissed by some critics as being confection. The new sound was certainly due in part to producer Rick Nowels, who had previously worked with Stevie Nicks and would later work with Madonna.
