The 411
| Company type | Vocal group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Carolyn Owlett, Tisha Martin, Tanya Bryson, Suzie Furlonger |
| Defunct | 2005; 2008 (two disbandments) |
| Fate | Disbanded twice; reunited in 2021 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, France, Japan, Australia |
Key people | Carolyn Owlett, Tisha Martin, Tanya Bryson, Suzie Furlonger (former) |
| Products | Studio album: Between the Sheets; Singles: "On My Knees", "Dumb", "Teardrops" |
Number of employees | 3 (2022–present), formerly 4 |
| Website | the411official |
The 411 is a British female vocal trio comprising Carolyn Owlett, Tisha Martin, and Tanya Bryson. The ensemble was established in late 2002 after Martin and Bryson contributed backing vocals to Lemar's rendition of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together". Their name was inspired by Mary J. Blige's 1992 album What's the 411?. The group produced one studio album, Between the Sheets, alongside three singles that reached the UK top forty before disbanding in 2005.
In 2007, they reassembled under the name Sunshyne, introducing two new members following Suzie Furlonger's exit; shortly thereafter, they reverted to The 411, substituting Furlonger with Nuala Farrelly. Martin announced via her personal Myspace page in 2008 that the band had disbanded once more, though there was potential for future releases.
On 6 December 2021, The 411 declared a reunion initially planned as a single appearance at Mighty Hoopla in June 2022, which later expanded to include additional summer performances. In July 2022, Furlonger left again due to her commitments as a backing vocalist.
2002–2005: Formation and Between the Sheets
In 2002, Tanya Bryson and Tisha Martin—known for their roles in children's television programs such as Kerching! and The Basil Brush Show—provided backing vocals on Lemar's cover of "Let's Stay Together". Encouraged by a Sony Music executive to form a group with more members, they recruited Carolyn Owlett, a childhood friend of Bryson, and Suzie Furlonger, whom they met at the Notting Hill Carnival. The quartet secured a single record contract with Sony. The group's name, "The 411", references both the American information hotline and Mary J. Blige’s debut album.
Critics likened them to "the hip hop Supremes". Their debut single "On My Knees" achieved a UK top-five position and reached the top thirty in Australia, leading to an album contract. Their follow-up "Dumb" peaked at number three on UK charts and also charted in Australia. Both singles were included on Between the Sheets, which featured compositions by Diane Warren, Redeye, and the group itself, along with a rendition of SWV's "Weak".
Between the Sheets saw international releases including editions for France and Japan. The French version contained localized tracks: "Face À Toi Baby" featuring Mag and "Chance" with K'Maro. The Japanese release offered two bonus songs—"Drop Top Jeans" and "Soaking Wet"—and included music videos for "On My Knees" and "Dumb". The album earned Silver certification on 10 December 2004.
2005–2007: Breakup and individual pursuits
Following the release of their third single "Teardrops", which failed to enter the UK top twenty, and with Between the Sheets not reaching the top forty, The 411 were dropped by Sony in 2005 and subsequently disbanded. Furlonger later revealed that Sony’s merger led to cuts of less commercially successful acts and hesitance regarding further singles from their album. She also noted that their promotional efforts were limited compared to contemporaries like Girls Aloud and The Saturdays.
After the split, Owlett and Furlonger secured a development deal with Polydor aimed at creating a new girl group involving former members from other bands. Owlett disclosed that despite attempts to replicate The 411's achievements, they were unable to establish a consistent sound or group chemistry, resulting in the project's termination.
Furlonger transitioned into backing vocalist roles for artists such as Paloma Faith, Kevin Rowland, Percy Sledge, Sheila Ferguson, Emily Sandé, and frequently performed duets with Peabo Bryson. She toured regularly with Candi Staton and Cliff Richard, appearing on programs including CD:UK, GMTV, The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, T4 on the Beach, as well as performing at events like the Royal Variety Performance and Glastonbury Festival in both 2008 and 2010.
In 2008, Furlonger competed solo on The X Factor within the Over-25s category under mentor Dannii Minogue. She advanced to the final six but did not proceed to live shows. Subsequently, she signed with Mousse T.'s Peppermint Jam label, recording an album in Germany while continuing backing vocal work in the UK and touring alongside David Gest.
Bryson appeared on the identity parade segment of Never Mind the Buzzcocks series 23 in October 2009 but went unrecognized due to assumptions about her age relative to her period with the group.
2007–2008: Transition to Sunshyne
In September 2007, Bryson and Martin established a new ensemble named Sunshyne, which included Daizy Agnew and Nuala Farrelly. Shortly after, Agnew exited the group and was succeeded by Stephanie Barnes.
Following the disbandment of Sunshyne, Bryson and Martin revived The 411, introducing Owlett and Farrelly as replacements for original member Furlonger, who had chosen to focus on other pursuits. Nevertheless, The 411 dissolved once more in 2008.
During this reformation phase, the band commenced work on a sophomore album; plans were made to release "LoveFool" as the fourth single, but both the single and the album were ultimately shelved.
2021–present: Reunion and Furlonger's Exit
On 6 December 2021, The 411 revealed their comeback, announcing a performance at Mighty Hoopla scheduled for 4 June 2022 alongside the Sugababes, with all four founding members reuniting. Owlett explained that the timing was favorable due to a reduction in family obligations.
In July 2022, Furlonger departed from the group owing to her demanding commitments as a backing vocalist, leaving the band as a trio.
Initially intended as a single event, the reunion extended into additional appearances on the 90s Baby Pop Tour in late 2022, sharing the stage with Atomic Kitten, Five, and Liberty X. They also confirmed performances at Mighty Hoopla Weekender in January 2023 and at a Butlins Weekender in January 2024.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart positions |
Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | GER | FRA | ||||||||||||
| Between the Sheets |
|
46 | 74 | 162 |
| |||||||||
| "—" indicates releases that either did not chart or were unavailable in that region. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | GER | AUS | SWI | AUT | FRA | BEL | TUR | |||
| "On My Knees" | 2004 | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Between the Sheets |
| "Dumb" | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | ||
| "Teardrops" | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | Template:Center | ||
Tours
Joint headlining
- 90s Baby Pop Tour (2022)
Special appearances
- Mighty Hoopla (2022)
- Mighty Hoopla Weekender (2023)
- Butlins Weekender (2024)
Current
- Tisha Martin (2002–2005, 2008, 2021–present)
- Carolyn Owlett (2002–2005, 2008, 2021–present)
- Tanya Bryson (2002–2005, 2008, 2021–present)
Former
- Suzie Furlonger (2002–2005, 2021–2022)