A renewed interest in British pop is being witnessed with the hit parade dominated by Spice Girls, Eternal, Peter Andre, Eternal, Boyzone, East 17, Gina G and three former members of Take That, Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams and Mark Owen. Now, Scottish trio 911, formed by Lee Brennan, 22, Jimmy Constable, 24, and Simon 'Spike' Dawbam, 23, are ready to launch their quest for stardom. The winning formula is there - good looks, squeaky-clean image, dancing ability and well-produced but unadventurous love songs. 'The market for pop acts that appeals to younger buyers in the '90s is certainly becoming more diverse,' said Francis Cheng Siu-hong, promotion officer with Virgin Records. 'The success of the Spice Girls is opening up a new trend. 'And we believe 911 can build a strong fan base in Hong Kong.' The band and its Glasgow-based record label, Ginga, has landed a production deal with Virgin. Initially 911 were an indie band. Their debut single, Night to Remember, reached number 38 in the British singles chart last April. They started to tour during last summer, wrote some songs with John McLaughlin and worked with producer Eliot Kennedy. Both follow-up singles, Love Sensation and Don't Make Me Wait, climbed to 21 and 10 respectively. Some critics say 911 will soon rival Boyzone and Backstreet Boys. Constable and Dawbam began their showbiz careers as dancers on the late-night TV pop show The Hitman and Her. Brennan met them at a roadshow and convinced them to let him join the band. Dawbam is a Janet Jackson fan, while Constable prefers Michael Jackson and Bobby Brown. Brennan likes Wet Wet Wet, George Michael and Take That, especially former member Gary Barlow. Although 911 have achieved a lot in their short time together, Brennan has faced many obstacles before his success. As an eight-year-old, he was struck with Hodgkin's disease - a form of cancer. The treatment meant he had to take 18 pills a day, use a wheelchair and also suffered hair loss. He was given the all-clear after a year, but unfortunately, following a regular check-up, the nightmare returned when he was 14, and he had to beat cancer once again. Being in 911 is Brennan's way of doing something special with his life and setting an example to others diagnosed as having cancer.
