Aishah is a Malaysian pop singer who initially found success during the late-1980s as frontwoman of Aishah and The Fan Club, then embraced a solo career and a new calling as a politician during the decades that followed. She was born as "Wan Aishah binti Wan Ariffin" on January 3, 1965, in Jempol, Negeri Sambilan, Malaysia. While studying in New Zealand during the 1980s, she formed Aishah and The Fan Club with guitarist Paul Moss, keyboardist Malcolm Smith, bassist Glenn Peters, and drummer Dave Larsen. The band's 1988 debut, Sensation, was a hit in New Zealand and Malaysia, with the singles "Sensation," "Paradise," and "Call Me" (a cover of Spagna's own hit) all becoming Top 20 hits in both countries. Respect the Beat followed in 1989 and spawned another trio of international hits, with "Don't Let Me Fall Alone" becoming the first single by a Malaysian artist to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in America. Nonetheless, Aishah left the lineup shortly thereafter and returned home to Malaysia. Performing in her native language of Malay, she released her self-titled solo debut in 1990, scoring a Number 1 hit with "Janji Manismu." Nearly a dozen solo albums followed, with Aishah cementing her status as a Malaysian pop legend with hits like 1994's "Menjadi Satu," 1995's chart-topping "Cinta Beralih Arah," 1996's Number 1 smash "Merenung Bulan," 2005's "Tiada Lagi Tangisan," and 2007's "Kasihnya Balqis." She became increasingly involved in politics as her career progressed, ultimately running for parliamentary seat in 2013 and, two years later, joining the political party Parti Amanah Negara.
