Before Bo, Clay or Kelly, there was Sheena Easton. Easton's big break came 25 years ago and well before Fox's "American Idol," but television did help launch the '80s pop star's career nonetheless.
Easton, who performs in Tucson Saturday, was an undiscovered singer when she auditioned and was chosen for "The Big Time: Pop Singer." The 1980 BBC documentary followed her for a year through record contract auditions, getting signed and recording her first song.
"It was, in a way, like a reality show but different — there was no getting voted off or anything like that," Easton, who retains a hint of a Scottish accent, said in a phone interview from her Las Vegas home. "They filmed all sorts of aspects of what happened my first year and put it on TV, and overnight everyone knew who I was."
The show launched her career, and Easton became the first British female singer to have her first two singles make the United Kingdom Top 20.
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Her single "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" hit No. 1 in the United States, and she won the best new artist Grammy in '82.
The following year, her duet with Kenny Rogers, "We've Got Tonight," reached No. 1 on the U.S. country charts. She recorded a Spanish-language album, 1984's "Todo Me Recuerda a Ti," which snagged her another Grammy, for the Luis Miguel duet "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres."
The song "Sugar Walls" sparked a controversy in '85 due to claims of sexually explicit lyrics. This, more catchy dance tunes and the '87 duet with Prince, "U Got the Look," kept Easton in the music charts through the '80s.
She was the first artist to score Top 5 hits on each of Billboard's major charts — pop, R&B, country, adult contemporary and dance.
So what was the highlight of her incredibly diverse singing career?
"When I'd had enough," she said candidly.
"When I turned about 30, I went, this is great, I've done all of that and I can keep doing that and that could be my life and I could die very successful and shallow. Or I could get my act together and get off the treadmill and get a real life."
She chose the latter.
"I realized I loved music, I loved being creative, I loved performing, but I didn't want to have that to govern my life. I wanted to have a life where that was part of it."
Since her epiphany, Easton has performed on Broadway, co-hosted a Las Vegas morning TV show, recorded music for soundtracks and done more acting for the big and little screens.
"I do a lot of different things because I can't stand being trapped in one area," she said. "I like to change things up. Once I've been doing something for a year, I'm ready to change it up."
Her life is a little different these days. Instead of constant recording, promoting and touring, Easton deals with laundry, social engagements and kids. The singer, 46, adopted two babies, Jake, now 11, and Skylar, who turns 10 this month.
"How can you knock that?" she said. "I have music. I have creativity. I have beautiful kids — one who has a cough."
She pauses to tell her daughter that the girl can go to the park with a friend for two hours if she brings her cell phone and takes cough medicine before departing.
Easton still performs about two weekends a month, and she sings her hit songs.
"I can't stand when you see an artist or band and they don't do any of the songs they're known for," she said. "I like to do a broad cross-section of the hits. Plus, I weave in through the hits tributes to artists or writers that I admire and I explain what they have to do with my life. By the end of the night, I always say the audience leaves knowing me a little bit better."
Past hits will have to suffice. "I don't want to be Cher," she said. "I don't want a big comeback album. Maybe when my kids are in college and I'm — how old will I be then? — 50-something, maybe I'll drag my fishnets and high heels out and tease up my hair and suddenly go, 'Wouldn't it be a blast to have a big album.' I don't know. I can't seriously imagine doing that, but hey, you never know. Right now I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing."
Courtesy of www.sheenaeaston.com
quick take
Sheena Easton in concert
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7
Where: Desert Diamond Casino, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road
Tickets: $20, $25, $35 through Ticketmaster, 321-1000
