PETULA CLARK

SINGER PETULA CLARK, 83, LAUNCHES A NEW ALBUM AND TOUR AND REVEALS HOW SHE HAS STAYED AT THE TOP

IS STILL LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL – AT 83

1 Know your roots

I’LL NEVER STOP MAKING MUSIC. IT HAS BEEN PART OF MY LIFE SINCE CHILDHOOD. I GREW UP IN WEST EWELL, SURREY, BUT DURING THE WAR I STAYED WITH MY GRANDPARENTS IN SOUTH WALES. THEY WERE POOR BUT IT NEVER FELT LIKE THAT. THEY LIVED IN A LITTLE HOUSE THAT MY SISTER AND I THOUGHT WAS AMAZING. IT WAS STONE WITH NO ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER, AND THERE WAS A LOO AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN. OUR GRANDPARENTS SPOKE LITTLE ENGLISH AND I LEARNED WELSH. THERE WAS A GREAT SENSE OF FREEDOM. I USED TO WALK DOWN THE VILLAGE STREET SINGING.

2 Love the new

I COULDN’T JUST BE AN OLDIES ACT, SINGING THE SAME HITS YEAR AFTER YEAR.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME TO PERFORM NEW MATERIAL ON EVERY TOUR.

I DESCRIBE MYSELF AS A FULL-TIME SINGER AND AN OCCASIONAL SONGWRITER. I WRITE MORE SONGS NOW THAN I USED TO, THOUGH ONLY WHEN THE MUSE VISITS. I WROTE Miracle To Me, ON THE NEW ALBUM, ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. I’M VERY CLOSE TO MY THREE CHILDREN, BARBARA, KATE AND PATRICK, AND I’VE GOT TWO GRANDCHILDREN SO FAR. I LOVE BEING A GRANDMOTHER. THE NEW SONGS ARE ALWAYS MY FAVOURITES BECAUSE, LIKE THE START OF A LOVE AFFAIR, YOU’RE STILL FINDING OUT ABOUT THEM.

3 Be your own boss

THESE DAYS I RUN MY OWN CAREER.

FOR A LONG TIME, IT WASN’T LIKE THAT. I HAD MY DAD, LESLIE, AS MY MANAGER, THEN MY HUSBAND, CLAUDE (WOLFF), BOTH STRONG MEN. CLAUDE AND I MARRIED IN 1961. WE’RE NOT

IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP ANY MORE, BUT WE’RE NOT DIVORCED. IT’S AN AREA I HAVE

KEPT VERY PRIVATE. FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, I’VE MORE OR LESS HANDLED EVERYTHING

ON MY OWN. I FEEL NOW THAT, IF I’M GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES IN MY CAREER, I WANT THEM TO BE MY MISTAKES. I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOMEONE ELSE’S WRONG DECISION.

4 Cherish family

I DON’T HAVE A LOT OF CLOSE FRIENDS. PERHAPS IT’S BECAUSE I’M NEVER LONG ENOUGH IN ONE PLACE. SASHA DISTEL WAS A FRIEND BUT, SADLY, HE’S GONE NOW. I HAVE A GREAT FRIEND IN LONDON CALLED STELLA, WHOM I TALK TO ABOUT EVERYTHING, AND I CONSIDER MY TWO DAUGHTERS TO BE FRIENDS. BARBARA, MY SISTER, IS FOUR YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME. WE ARE CLOSE BUT VERY DIFFERENT. WE LOVE EACH OTHER VERY MUCH. I’M ALSO CLOSE TO JOHN WILLIAMS, MY PRODUCER. HE KNOWS THE GOOD AND BAD ME. SOMETIMES IN THE STUDIO, I GET FRUSTRATED AND JUST LOSE IT. POOR JOHN KNOWS ALL ABOUT THAT!

5 Keep moving!

FORTUNATELY, I DON’T HAVE TO TRY TO

STAY FIT. WHEN YOU’RE PERFORMING EVERY NIGHT, NOT ONLY ARE YOU SINGING, WHICH IS SURPRISINGLY PHYSICAL, BUT YOU’RE ALSO CONSTANTLY MOVING. ONE OF MY CREW WORKED OUT THAT I CAN WALK 5KM DURING A SHOW. I WALK A LOT OFF STAGE TOO. IN WHATEVER CITY I’M PLAYING, I GO OUT AND EXPLORE. YOU SEE SO MUCH MORE OF A PLACE ON FOOT. AT HOME IN GENEVA, YOU’LL OFTEN FIND ME WALKING THROUGH BERTRAND PARK.

Petula’s new album, FROM NOW ON, is released on 16 September, and she will be touring the UK in October, tickets from eventim.co.uk