Lauren Laverne

Lauren Cecilia Gofton (born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, singer, author and comedienne. She currently presents a radio show on BBC 6 Music, and has presented a variety of television programmes including 10 O'Clock Live for Channel 4, and The Culture Show and coverage of the Glastonbury Festival for the BBC. Laverne has also written a published novel entitled Candypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits.

In her previous career as a musician, Laverne was best known for being lead singer and sometime guitarist in pop band Kenickie, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals on Mint Royale's "Don't Falter" single.

Early years

Laverne was born and brought up in Sunderland. She first attended St. Mary's R.C. Primary School in 1982, where she befriended Marie Nixon, later to become a fellow Kenickie guitarist, and then St. Anthony's R.C. Comprehensive School between 1989 and 1994, where she and Nixon met Emma Jackson. Laverne went on to study at City of Sunderland College from 1994 to 1996.

Music

During her time at college, Laverne, Nixon and Jackson formed a teen punk band called Kenickie with Laverne's brother Peter, taking the stage names Lauren Laverne, Marie du Santiago, Emmy-Kate Montrose and Johnny X. As their popularity grew, Laverne had to continually alternate between studying for A-levels and touring with the band. Despite...
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