Love them or loathe them, the Spice Girls were undeniably a pop phenomenon, selling more than 85 million albums to become the best-selling girl group of all time.
But it all started to unravel 20 years ago today when, to the dismay of millions of fans, Geri Halliwell – aka Ginger Spice – announced she was quitting the group.
The announcement (made by Halliwell’s solicitor) came on May 31st, 1998, after days of feverish speculation, sparked when the red-haired singer was missing from the group’s appearance on the BBC’s National Lottery Show and missed two concerts in Norway. There were claims she was ill or just exhausted, but other rumours had circulated of fall-outs among the band members.
They seemed to be confirmed by Halliwell’s statement, which read: “Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. This is because of differences between us. I’m sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best... PS, I'll be back.”
It was followed by another statement on behalf of the remaining four ‘Spices’, nicknamed Scary, Sporty, Baby and Posh to reflect their on-stage personas. Read by another solicitor, it said they were “upset and saddened” but would carry on as a foursome and fulfil their commitments, including a forthcoming American tour. It added that they were supportive of whatever Geri did in the future and concluded: “The Spice Girls are here to stay… Friendship never ends” – the final words being a quote from their breakthrough and biggest hit, “Wannabe”.
In theory, each of the five members had equal standing within the group, all taking their turn in the spotlight, but for many fans it was Geri who unofficially ‘fronted’ the Spice Girls. The iconic photo of her in a figure-hugging Union Jack minidress is still the standout image that for many people sums up the group’s ‘girl power’ identity. She also tended to take the lead in TV interviews, being naturally outgoing, articulate and comfortable in front of the camera.
It was widely reported that there had been a power struggle between Halliwell and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), the other contender for the role of ‘frontwoman’, and arguably a better vocalist. The group was created in 1994 by a management company keen to emulate the success of popular boy bands such as ‘Take That’ and ‘East 17’. After adverts were placed in The Stage, about 400 women were auditioned, ultimately resulting in the line-up that became the Spice Girls, after Halliwell suggested the name ‘Spice’.
After a change in management, their breakthrough came in July 1996 when their debut single shot to number one in the charts and stayed there for seven weeks through the summer, aided by a sassy video. In fact, the single was a global hit, reaching number one in 37 countries and becoming the biggest selling single by an all-female group ever. ‘Spice mania’ had arrived, mirroring the ‘Beatlemania’ of the sixties, and a string of successful follow-up singles and albums followed.
The next two years were a rollercoaster of constant touring, performing, recording and public appearances, which inevitably caused intense pressures and tensions within the group. It was later revealed that Halliwell had been suffering from depression in the run-up to quitting the Spice Girls.
She kept her promise that “I’ll be back” by launching a solo career a year after quitting the group, with four singles from her debut album all reaching number one. She would also go on to travel the world as a UN goodwill ambassador, write a best-selling autobiography, a series of children’s books, become a judge on TV talent shows and make regular appearances on countless other TV shows.
The remaining Spice Girls also kept their promise to carry on without Ginger. They continued to perform as a foursome with some success, but by the end of 2001 the band had effectively fizzled out, with each of its members pursuing solo projects. Since then they have briefly reunited a couple of times, most recently for an acclaimed on-off performance at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony and, later that year, for the launch of the ill-fated Spice Girls musical “Viva Forever!”.
In May 2015 Geri Halliwell married Christian Horner, team principal of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, after dating for 15 months. They had a son together in 2017 and also have two children from previous relationships. She is apparently back on good terms with the rest of the Spice Girls, fuelling fans’ hopes of a potential reunion at some point in the future.