I really wanted to be Joe Strummer, out there at the front with a guitar, I still do
Her band, Texas, might be known worldwide, have sold more than 40 million albums and been laden with awards but Sharleen Spiteri says it’s never been just about fame and fortune.
And the Texas frontwoman hails Joe Strummer, who fronted punk legends The Clash, as her inspiration then and her inspiration now.
“I left hairdressing because I wanted to be in a band, not because I wanted to be famous,” said the 53-year-old star. “In my head, I wanted to be Joe Strummer. I wanted to be standing there with a guitar and have people say I was an amazing musician or singer or songwriter.
“That’s still what I want to this day and I still work really hard to keep that going. That’s what it is for meandtheband–all choices are made on that.
“Ihavea brand and it’s called Texas, and I will protect Texas at any cost. It’s allowed me the freedom and lifestyle I have, where I can go to bed without worrying about paying the bills. For me, that’s everything.
“Sometimes I look out to an audience and just think, wow. I can’t believe we do this and I really do think I’m lucky.
“There’s young people who come into this job and say they want to go home each weekend. But, if that’s the way you think, this job isn’t the one for you, because you’ll miss every single family event – weddings, funerals, birthdays. You have to do this job 100%.”
Texas release their 10th studio album, Hi, next month,andinan exclusive interview with P.S. magazine today, Spiteri says
she doesn’t feel the band’s success over five decades is truly recognised.
“We’ve had such a massive, long career, but do people really know we’ve had that? Would it be different if we were an all-male band?
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather be massively successful and have it on the down-low, but my point is, if we were a male-fronted band I think we’d be seen quite differently in theUK.”
The rocker also reveals the sexism she faced as a woman in a maledominated music industry. She says: “To be a female-fronted band in a very male-dominated industry feels really good. I feel very proud...proud of us.”