Sheena Easton - SHEENAnews

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.


		U.K. 'RAINBOW TICKETS' MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER 17 2000