Beverley Knight says it was easier for artists 'with more European features' to ...

Beverley Knight says it was easier for music artists 'with more European features' to market themselves as she discusses implicit racism in the early days of her career

By Sean O'grady For Mailonline

Published: 01:51 BST, 17 June 2019 | Updated: 01:51 BST, 17 June 2019

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Beverley Knight has revealed how she felt there was implicit racism in the music industry when she first started out 25 years ago.

The singer, 46, recalled how when she was making a name for herself in her early twenties, it was easier for white artists to market themselves and thought she was considered 'maybe too dark'.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, she said: 'It was easier to market someone who was much lighter, with more ‘European’ features.

Speaking out: Beverley Knight, 46, has revealed how she felt there was implicit racism in the music industry when she first started out 25 years ago

Speaking out: Beverley Knight, 46, has revealed how she felt there was implicit racism in the music industry when she first started out 25 years ago

'I’ve always been an optimistic, happy, and driven person, and I was very secure about myself in my music. But I was a boffin. And I was insecure about how I looked. 

'I felt I had all the things that were needed – strong music and vocals – except what a star was meant to look like.'

Beverley said she felt insecure about her looks while in her

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