I was lying about my age to make myself older. I enjoy being 50
Multi-award winning singer/songwriter Gabrielle’s star is on the rise once more. She tells MARION MCMULLEN why she’s still breaking barriers
I’M THE happiest 50-year- old in the world,” declares Gabrielle with a hearty laugh. “It’s my time to be naughty, my time to be me.
“I’m older and my kids are older now and I can do things without the panic. I’m looking forward to just touring and being back on the road. I’ve got the most incredible band and this amazing back catalogue of songs... and I’m still here after 27 years.”
Gabrielle reached her milestone birthday last year, but says she was already telling everyone she was 50 long before the big day even came along. “I was actually lying about my age to make myself older,” she laughs “I’m really enjoying being 50. It’s so exciting and liberating. I love it.
“When I started you were expected to look a certain way, especially in the music industry. Now you have people like Adele – although she’s about a size 10 now – and Lizzo, who do things on their terms.
“They are big girls and talented women. Sexy and phenomenal. I love that. You need to be confident in you skin, and if you’re not, do you need to do something about it? Be the best version of you and just enjoy your life.”
Gabrielle says she was aware when she started that she was not a typical chart-topper with her “lazy eyelid” (ptosis) hidden by an eyepatch.
“I didn’t fit into any mould... there was no mould to put me into,” she chuckles. “I was always myself, always positive. Mind you, I see myself called a soul singer and I’d be ‘no, no, I’m a pop girl’.”
Her numerous accolades over the years have included Brit and MOBO awards and a prestigious Ivor Novello. She was also part of the BBC’s all-star version of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day and recorded for the 2011 movie Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Now the mother-of-two is preparing to hit the road later this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her smash hit album Rise released late in 1999 and at number one by 2000.
The album has gone on to be a certified 4 x Platinum in recognition of more than 1.2 million sales.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years,” says Gabrielle. “How did that happen?
“We spent a lot of time in Ireland recording in Dublin Monday to Friday and then going home at the weekends.
“We had a lot of fun with amazing producers and lots of creative people. We were eating lots of rubbish although there was always someone on a diet. We just had fun recording and writing it.
“I always find if an album’s fun for me to make then we are onto something... and this was so much fun. So many people just buzzing, just wanting to do the music, I felt I was in my element.”
Gabrielle returned to the top of her game with her 2018 album Under My Skin and has already had to add extra dates to her Rise Again Tour later this year.
“I’m 50, Rise is 20. I’m truly over the moon to have added more dates to my tour, apparently I’m in ‘phenomenal demand’. I can’t wait to celebrate an album that means a great deal to me.”
She adds: “You never know how new music is going to be perceived. I know people come along to concerts to hear songs like Rise, Dreams and Out Of Reach, but they also enjoy the new material as well, which is just amazing. I’ve always written from my heart and it’s always good going on stage with new material and having such an amazing response to new songs.
“I have the best life. I want to be able to tell my grandchildren and great grandchildren – I don’t have either yet – about it all one day. The fact I was able to do this. No-one ever thought I would be the singer I am today, but I thought I could.
“Someone wrote in my school book once ‘See you on Top Of The Pops, big HA, HA. HA.’
“I still have it 27 years later.
“There was no-one like me on TV at the time, but I was happy to different, to be me. You can be whoever you want to be.”
■ Gabrielle will be appearing in concert across the UK from November 9 as part of the Rise Again Tour. Go to gigst.rs/Gabrielle and ticketmaster.ie for more details.
Someone wrote in my school book once ‘See you on Top Of The Pops, big HA, HA. HA. ’I still have it 27 years later