What country did Corinne Bailey Rae grow up in?

Corinne Bailey Rae grew up in England.

She was born and raised in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, where she attended Allerton High School. Her upbringing in Leeds was central to her musical development: she performed in church, studied classical violin, and later became interested in guitar, rock, soul, and jazz. She also studied English literature at the University of Leeds.

Bailey Rae began performing publicly through church music before forming the all-female indie band Helen as a teenager. During university, she worked at a Leeds jazz club, where she met saxophonist Jason Rae. Her local connections also led to collaborations with Leeds-based groups such as the New Mastersounds and Homecut Directive.

Her English background is sometimes obscured by her internationally popular R&B and neo-soul style. Her father was from Saint Kitts and Nevis, while her mother is English, giving her Caribbean and British family heritage. She became widely known after releasing her debut album in 2006, including the hit “Put Your Records On.”