Tessa Niles

Visiting Professor

Her first big break came when Sting asked her to provide backing vocals on the Synchronicity World Tour with his band The Police. Niles went on to perform with David Bowie at the legendary Live Aid concert of 1985 and sang on Bowie and Mick Jagger’s worldwide hit ‘Dancing In The Street.’ Tessa then joined Eric Clapton’s band and collaborated on the first of MTV’s Unplugged series which spawned the classic versions of ‘Layla’ and ‘Tears In Heaven’. She then went on to tour with Clapton for over 12 years. Record producer Trevor Horn and Niles worked on many projects together including The Pet Shop Boys, ABC, Grace Jones, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Tatu and Seal Tessa featured on four albums with Tina Turner and on the worldwide hits “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and “Simply The Best”. She provided vocals on four hugely successful albums for Duran Duran including their U.S hit ‘Come Undone” and Nile Rogers produced, ‘Notorious’. She sang on the soundtrack to the movies ‘Love Actually” and Ronan Keating’s ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ from ‘Four Weddings And A Funeral.’

Throughout the last 3 decades Tessa Niles has performed with some of the most iconic artists in music; George Harrison, Annie Lennox, Tears For Fears, The Pet Shop Boys, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Tears For Fears, Sarah Brightman, Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue to name a few. Tessa gives keynote speeches, talks and workshops on her extraordinary career and 2015 sees the launch of her long-awaited autobiography ‘Backtrack’ – the voice behind music’s greatest stars.’