Shipley, Ellen

Born on 24 March 1949, Ellen Shipley recorded several singles in the 1970’s before turning to songwriting to earn her living. Doing this, she has triumphed with a string of hit songs for recording artists as varied as Belinda Carlisle, Hanson and Faith Hill.

In 1995 Shipley earned a Grammy nomination for Anita Baker’s ‘Body and Soul’. Belinda Carlisle‘s ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ and ‘Circle in the Sand’ as well as Jennifer Rush’s cover of ‘I Come Undone’ gave Ellen three international Top 10 hits within the first two years she devoted to writing. Her music has made its way to television and film, including Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.

In 1992, she wrote Kim Wilde’s Love Is Holy together with Rick Nowels. She also performed backing vocals on the tracks I Won’t Change the Way that I Feel and A Miracle’s Coming.