Glory days and Dylan
When Texas released their debut album in 1989, it gave them the opportunity to go on tour with some huge names like Robert Plant and Bryan Adams.
But Sharleen says it was gigs with US rock legend John Mellencamp that were most memorable.
“We spent three months opening for him and he taught me so much, he really took me under his wing,” smiles Sharleen, who made two music videos with the late actor Alan Rickman, her good friend.
“The record company said we’d never see him, but on the first night he walked into our dressing room and said he was so happy to have us on tour and asked us to watch the show. During a song, he ran over and asked me if I knew Pink Houses, and I said yeah. ‘Next song, you’re on,’ he told me. Every night he got me up to sing it.
“I watched him work an audience. That was a massive learning curve.
“We were a town ahead of Bob Dylan’s tour and one night John asked if I wanted to go see Dylan, who was doing an early show. They’re good mates.
“I ended up having to get a police escort back to our show when I realised I was late – it was fantastic!
“Then Dylan came to the show. He walked across the stage during Mellencamp’s gig – he thought he was walking behind the scrim, but the whole place went crazy!”