I dont get starstruck much, but chatting with David Bowie at Glastonbury - I turned to jelly. We welcome the brilliant Rowetta to Gossip Q&A.
With the opening of Fac 251 last week do you think the Manchester music scene is hung up on past glories? I think Manchester is proud of it's past glories, and rightly so. That should be celebrated, but FAC 251 is a great place for new bands to showcase their talent.
You've obviously met some famous people down the years have you ever been starstruck ? And if so by whom ? I don't get starstruck much, but having my dressing room right next to David Bowie at Glastonbury in 2000 and chatting to him at the door, I turned to jelly. He's a real legend and has an aura about him. I also got to sing with Tim Robbins at a party and as a huge fan of The Shawshank Redemption, it was like an out of body experience. Fab.
How has appearing on the x factor changed your life and would you recommend this as a route to stardom for young singers. I entered drunk and for a laugh, but it worked out really well for me, and I enjoyed working with Simon. It's been great for work and got me fantastic fan base. I wish there were better ways of making it for young singers, but the industry has changed so much now, and is so hard to get into. It really depends what music you do and if you write. If you're a young pop singer it's great. Anything else and it's great exposure, but can lose you credibility. It's a big risk. I was old and wise enough not to take it too seriously, and to make the most of what it offered without selling my soul.
What advice would you give to the 16 year old Rowetta if you could talk to her now. I was pregnant and at the start of a bad marriage at 16, but I had 2 amazing children, and I managed to get out of the bad marriage after 5 years. I then started singing and have never stopped. I was touring the world with the Mondays at 24, so really I wouldn't change anything. I think I've always had a good attitude. Maybe I wouldn't have trusted as many people, especially managers.
Any good new bands or singers we should be looking out for in Manchester? There's a great girl singer who's only 15 from Manchester. She lives on the Costa del Sol now, but she's still a Manc. Her name is Becky Tate. And a band I have guested on recently from Warrington called China White. I co-wrote a song with them called Our Dylan and we've supported The Furious Five. They're cool and I will be appearing with them when I can.
Were are you playing next and what does 2010 have in store for Rowetta fans? I have loads of gigs coming up on my own, here, as well as in Spain and Euroski Pride in Austria in March. I will be doing Manchester Pride and hopefully some other Pride festivals. I also hope to do some more gigs with Hooky, as I love working with him, and I love singing Ian Curtis' lyrics and melodies. They are so beautiful.
I have 2 dance tunes imminent, Lights Out feat Rowetta
on New York label Nervous Records, and No More Comin'
Down by J Nitti feat Rowetta on Dos Or Die.
I would also like to re-release the 1989 hit Reach Out feat Rowetta with Sweet Mercy. It has been sampled by so many, most recently on the Robin S hit, Show Me Love, and by The Black Eyed Peas on Boom Boom Pow.
It was the number 1 dance download at Beatport for 3 weeks at the turn of 2009, but it would be nice for it to have a worldwide release on day, and a remix by Will-I-Am would be nice, as he's a fan of the tune.
I am next appearing in a show called Pop Goes The 80's at The Albert Halls in Bolton, where I sing Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Diana Ross and lots of 80s hits with a West End cast of singers and dancers. I love doing family shows like that, as it's in complete contrast to my house tunes and indie stuff.
With the opening of Fac 251 last week do you think the Manchester music scene is hung up on past glories?
I think Manchester is proud of it's past glories, and rightly so. That should be celebrated, but FAC 251 is a great place for new bands to showcase their talent.
