Belinda Jo Carlisle ( KAR-lyle; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of The Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in Southern California, Carlisle became the lead vocalist of The Go-Go's after the band's formation in 1978. With their chart-topping debut studio album Beauty and the Beat in 1981, the group helped popularize new wave music in the United States. The Go-Go's were the first (and to date only) all-female band in history who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to achieve a No. 1 album. The Go-Go's have sold over seven million records worldwide. After the break-up of The Go-Go's in 1985, Carlisle went on to have a successful solo career with radio hits such as "Mad About You", "I Get Weak", "Circle in the Sand", "Leave a Light ... ()