Deborah Anne Dyer (born 3 August 1967), known mononymously by the stage name Skin and often erroneously as the name of her band Skunk Anansie, is a British singer, songwriter and electronic music DJ. She is the lead vocalist of British rock band Skunk Anansie, a band often grouped as part of the Britrock movement in the UK and gained attention for her powerful, wide-ranging soprano voice and striking look. In 2015, she joined the judging panel of the Italian version of the talent show The X Factor for one season, and 2016 was on the cover of the UK lesbian magazine Diva. After releasing new music and touring with Skunk Anansie, in 2018 Skin was featured as one of the cover stars of Classic Rock magazine's special "She Rocks" issue and was honoured with the Inspirational Artist Award at the Music Week Awards ahead of celebrating 25 years of Skunk Anansie. She also appeared on the cover of Kerrang! magazine in November 2018. Mavis Bayton, author of Frock Rock, stated that "women like Skin, Natacha Atlas, Yolanda Charles, and Debbie Smith are now acting as crucial role models for future generations of black women". Early life Deborah Ann Dyer was born on 3 August 1967 in Brixton, London, to Jamaican parents. Her father was in the Royal Air Force and later worked on oil rigs. Her mother was a nurse before taking a government position in the environmental department. She describes her parents as "very strict, very Jamaican". At the age of 6, she moved in with her grandfather into a two-up two-down in Acre Lane, Brixton, who ran a nightclub in the basement, in which she mentions there was "always music and rum" and posters of Bob Marley and Muhammad Ali, which inspired her. As a child, she wanted to be a pianist. At the age of 14, she read Macbeth, later stating that she loved the "intricacy and complexity of Shakespeare's play". Skunk Anansie After forming in 1994, the band released three albums, Paranoid & Sunburnt, Stoosh and Post Orgasmic Chill, which sold more than 4 million copies worldwide; their biggest hit was the single "Weak". The band disbanded in 2001 after which she embarked a solo career and reformed in 2009. they are still recording and touring. Skunk Anansie have been unapologetic in their reluctance to alter their substance or aesthetic to satisfy others around them