| Currently
starring in a Las Vegas Revue show written and co-starring
David Cassidy, Sheena Easton is taking time out from her
busy schedule to promote a new disco stomper of an album,
mostly of classic cover versions. 'The video is really
over the top' drewls Sheena, without a whiff of either
irony or even her original Scottish accent. 'I get to
dress up as the ice queen surrounded by red devils, then
as a sex kitten with a whip then as a wild horse untamed
and free.' Phew! the mind boggles. 'I'm not touring the
album but I'll be doing a lot of press, TV, and I'll be
doing a gig at G-A-Y, which I'm really looking forward to.' |
| Sheena,
as you may remember, won a TV talent show hosted by
Esther Rantzen almost 20 years ago, has a huge hit album
in America and Europe with two top ten singles. She then
caught the eye of the purple poser Prince. 'I think my
collaborations with Prince are some of my best work. He's
one of the greatest talents of the 20th century.'
Sheena's rags-to-riches cliche with her recording career,
a part as Don Johnson's wife in Miami Vice, and
continuing works as an actress and singer hasn't always
been a smooth ride. 'I've divorced husband number three
and abopted two beautiful children, Skylar and Jake, as a
single mum. It's the best thing I've ever done,' Sheena
admits. Despite the total loss of her Scottish lilt, the
tiny tartan tit-willow still retains a refreshing slice
of Scottish realism. 'I've been really lucky, I've made
shitloads of money and never stopped working', she adds
enthusiastically. |
| Sheena
has indeed done well materially, but her personal
relationships have caused her to seek therapy to help
unravel all the knots. 'All therapy is, is an opportunity
to speak the truth to yourself in front of a non-judgemental
person, it only works if you absolutely stop the
bullshit'. The bullshit free Ms Easton seems to have
found her reason d'etre as a mother and still retains her
Catholic faith, albeit the liberal version. 'I was a
closet Catholic for years then I thought: oh Fuck it,
I'll go get baptised'. So how religious is she given that
the Catholic church is famously homophobic. 'Of course
I'm pro-contraception and freedom of choice (abortion). I
also believe in gay rights.' So what would she do if one
of the kids turned out to be gay? 'Who cares?, as long as
they gave me grandkids'. Sorry? 'Well they'd have to buy
some sperm or something.' |
| Her
liberal ethic doesn't quite stretch to capital punishment
however. 'Since I've become a mom, I've been pro death
penalty. If anyone touched my kids I'd shoot them
personally. I'm sorry, but I can't pray for those kind of
sinners.' Sheena has grown up in gun-culture USA and is
suitably chastened by the school shooting dramas over
recent times. 'You never had to think about some whacko
freaking out. This is the first generation of kids who
can't take school safety for granted' she says. |
| She
supporteed Al Gore in the recent elections Stateside, she
is against the moral majority and doesn't understand our
Section 28. 'Lets be honest, none of the gay issues are
properly dealt with in sex education in our schools. For
example, a couple of my friends are lesbian mums with a
couple of kids at pre-school. So they've got two mommies,
big deal!' |
| So why is
such a dedicated mommie fronting a new disco album at
this stage of the game? 'I was approached by the
producers Ian and Terry but I couldn't get time off to
come and record. They overcame every obstacle I put in
the way so I relented and we got together to choose the
tracks together. All the backing tracks were sent over
and they let me put most of the vocals on Stateside.' The
tracks contain many disco classics but the big hitter is
a cover of the Three Degrees hit 'Giving Up Giving In',
which has been given a dancefloor supermix by Joey Negro.
With its wah-wah guitar intro, thumping four-on-the-floor
and 70's syn-drum effects it really evokes the dance
round your handbag days. 'I used to dance round mine in
Glasgow in the early years,' admits Sheena. Nowadays her
handbag is probably from Fendi and probably cost more
than the plane fare from Glasgow to L.A. where she
currently resides. Does she miss bonnie Scotland enough
to come back and live? 'Never say never' is the enigmatic
reply. But somehow you know that the bleak mists of the
glens are no match for Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills
sunshine, with or without the guns. |
| |
Sheena Easton's Island/Universal CD
'Fabulous' is released on 13 November. Sheena appears at
GAY on 18th November.
|
