Former M People singer Heather Small in Marbella
Originally post on: June 5, 2011@ theolivepress.es
By James Bryce
SHE has sold over 10 million records, performed in front of royalty and contributed to London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics.
And now Heather Small is bringing her magic touch to the Costa del Sol, with two intimate shows at Marbella’s Polo House restaurant next week.
The former M People singer is no stranger to Spain having had a number of holidays here, with one trip in particular, holding special memories.
“I’ve got a soft spot for Spain because I found out I was pregnant just before I went on holiday there, so I suppose you could say it was my son’s first holiday,” the 46-year-old Londoner told the Olive Press.
“He’s learning Spanish now and really enjoying it and he’s a massive sports fan so we’ve been to see Real Madrid play, which was fantastic,” she added.
Small will return to Spain again this summer with friends in Ibiza, but relaxation won’t necessarily be on the agenda.
“Some people like to relax on holiday but I love being active and going to the gym, which is probably a good thing with all that wonderful Spanish food,” she says with a hearty laugh.
“I went to Mallorca for New Year once and I remember having lots of fantastic tapas, with vegetable-based dishes and of course the Spanish love their meat.”
Small recently performed in Washington to an audience including Prince Charles, who she describes as being ‘very complimentary’, and is now setting her sights on the Polo House show.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” she enthused. “It will be quite an intimate show which is nice because you get a better feel for the nuances of the crowd.
“But regardless of whether it is a big or small crowd you have to have a passion for it, and performing will always make me happy.”
Heather is performing June 7/8…Tickets from 100 euros including dinner. Call 952 900 380.
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
Euro Weekly News interview
KNOWN for the soulful voice behind 1990s' pop sensation the 'M People', Heather Small is visiting Spain for a concert in Marbella next month. She tells EWN reporter Nicole Hallett about stage fright and her favourite dance as a contestant in 2008 Strictly Come Dancing.
Born and raised on a West London council estate, Heather Small joined her first group, Hot House, as a teenager in 1987. She later moved to Manchester after a chance meeting with Hacienda DJ Mike Pickering and shot to fame in the 1990s as the lead vocalist of M People with hit songs including ‘One Night in Heaven’, ‘Search for the Hero’, and ‘Moving on Up’.
In 2000, she released her debut solo album ‘Proud’, a critically acclaimed collection of self-penned soul and gospel anthems, followed by her second album ‘Close to a Miracle’ in 2006. Heather has visited Spain on several occasions: “I have been to Barcelona and done the Gaudi thing; I took my son to see the big games in Madrid, La Manga, and I spent New Year’s Eve 2010 in Palma de Mallorca with my son.
“We stayed in the old part, which I loved and we spent New Year’s Day walking around the harbour. I love looking at the water and the boats. I do not like actually going in the water, but the water from a distance is very nice.”
After decades in the spotlight, Heather admits she still gets stage fright. “It is terrible. I know that the best thing for me to do is to know my steps and to know what I am doing inside out. To get on that stage and do well I have to be confident that I know my song well.
“As the years go by I have realised that what an audience will forgive is a bad note; but that ain’t gonna happen. What they want is 100 per cent commitment.
“They want you to go for it and I have always gone for it, you know, and with experience you learn how to do that night after night without damaging your voice. You look after yourself.
“I actually have this little ritual I do to learn my songs. I am a bit superstitious ... I have this really old Walkman where the back has fallen off. I have to cover the backwith paper. When I go to the gym people look at me like they are thinking "that poor girl, she cannot even afford an iPhone."
"I do have an iPhone, my son puts stuff on the re for me, but I just feel more comfortable doing it the old way. When at home i just put my CD on.
"I drink herbal tea before going on stage. I do breathing techniques and relaxation."
But, once on stage, her stage fright disappears: "I love it", Heather says.
"When you get out there and you say the first few words and the sound is good, especially when you go out there with a band, it's amazing.
"There is no experience like it. It is well documented that I do not smoke, drink or do drugs. I understand the life you lead as a musician, the highs are so high and then you come off the road it is hard to come down from touring.
"I can understand how sometimes people can get into bad habits, but I have got a really solid family."
When asked which of her songs contain the most important message to her personally she is quick to answer. "'Proud', because I wrote it to myself. I have been able to put a roof over my head and I have been happy through singing. For me that is success.
“People think you can just measure it from what is in your bank account. I do not want to be known as a rich woman, but as a singer.”
She admits she has always admired Gladys Knight, Mavis Stapels, and Nina Simone.
“I like heartfelt singers that have that element of something...” Heather was a contestant in the British television show Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.
“The dancing and the training were absolutely wonderful. Getting up in front of the judges and being on TV was nerve-racking, she recalls.
“I am glad I did it because I met some people who are now friends for life.
“The waltz was my favourite dance. I didn’t have a least favourite but the judges might have done!” Heather laughs.
EuroWeeklyNews.com - Originally posted on Monday 30th May, 2011
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Monday, 22 November 2010
Daily Mail article
Three loud and proud vocal legends turn it up to 11 as they explain how they got together for a touring celebration of sisterhood!
We hear them before we see them. The three women striding across the courtyard of BBC Television Centre in West London are exuding enough oestrogen – no, let’s call it tes-sisterone to power a small city. The turbocharged voices of Lulu (diminutive, all in white), Heather Small, late of M People (Amazonian, all in black) and Anastacia (statuesque, in black and white) are drowning out the sounds of traffic, which will be reassuring to those who’ve bought the cheapest seats for their forthcoming sisterhood soul revue Here Come the Girls, back for a second run after its sellout debut last year (when the original line-up included Chaka Khan, now replaced by Heather). Yes, these girls can P-R-O-J-E-C-T.
This time we’re louder, yells Lulu, as they clamber into the cab.
This time we’re prouder, bellows Anastacia. We’re starting at 11 and cranking it up from there.
Our cabbie, Paul from Uxbridge, shoots me a stricken look and quietly turns off his intercom.
Fittingly, the 2010 incarnation of Here Come the Girls is bigger and brasher, with a £1 million stage set, a seven-piece band, and new songs, sequences and routines. Of course, the whole extravaganza stands or falls on the interplay between its front-women – so how’s the chemistry shaping up?
We need to outdo Lady Gaga. How many costume changes does she do – nine or ten? We'll do 12!
It’s awful, says Anastacia, wrinkling her nose. Will we make it to opening night? She beams. Get out of here! I knew I’d like Heather before I even met her.
Heather attended last year’s tour as a punter. As soon as the ladies came out, they gave it their all, and the audience were with them, she enthuses. The first time I met Anastacia, she gave me a warm hug, not a showbiz hug.
The show was Lulu’s brainchild, or, as she calls it, all my fault. She adds, I did a couple of concerts with friends, and we had such fun, and I thought, why not turn this party into a tour where the audience can stand up, rock out, and come out thinking, What a great night ?
This philosophy is helped along by the kind of roof-raising anthems – I’m Every Woman, Sisters Are Doin it for Themselves – that had last year’s audiences swinging in their stilettos, aided this time out by the addition of Heather’s M People back catalogue (Search for the Hero, What Have You Done Today, etc).
With Chaka Khan deciding she wasn’t up to the rigours of a second go-round, it falls to Heather to play the stormin soul sister. She seems energised at the prospect of sharing the stage with her generously-lunged peers. I just kept knocking till they let me in,’she grins.
She’s got the cojones, declares Lulu. While there are a lot of females who want to join us, there are certain ones who wouldn’t do it. She’s one of us, she beams at Heather. She’s disciplined, with a similar drive.It’s not rivalry, it’s camaraderie, explains Heather. We all love to perform. We’ve got no product to sell – we’re singing live on-stage just for the hell of it.
No Auto-Tune for us, declares Lulu.
What about the routines – will it be all headsets and oiled-up backing dancers? Anastacia appears to be genuinely taken aback. We have to sing, honey,’she protests. We’re not Beyoncé. But I think there’ll be a few costume changes.
We need to outdo Lady Gaga, cries Lulu. How many does she do – nine or ten? We’ll do 12!
It’s easier for her, right? She’s only wearing a bra and pants to start with, points out Heather.
This seems an appropriate moment to ask if they expect any men to come to the shows. A lot came last year with their wives, asserts Anastacia. They were dragged in…
The gay guys were in their feather boas before the show even started, adds Lulu.
A relieved-looking Paul drops us off after the photo shoot. But Lulu has a parting shot: Women together are great, the best, the strongest, she pronounces. We are the power.And when you get three together? Unstoppable.
The Here Come the Girls UK tour will start on 22 November in Edinburgh : for full details visit gigsandtours.com
We hear them before we see them. The three women striding across the courtyard of BBC Television Centre in West London are exuding enough oestrogen – no, let’s call it tes-sisterone to power a small city. The turbocharged voices of Lulu (diminutive, all in white), Heather Small, late of M People (Amazonian, all in black) and Anastacia (statuesque, in black and white) are drowning out the sounds of traffic, which will be reassuring to those who’ve bought the cheapest seats for their forthcoming sisterhood soul revue Here Come the Girls, back for a second run after its sellout debut last year (when the original line-up included Chaka Khan, now replaced by Heather). Yes, these girls can P-R-O-J-E-C-T.
This time we’re louder, yells Lulu, as they clamber into the cab.
This time we’re prouder, bellows Anastacia. We’re starting at 11 and cranking it up from there.
Our cabbie, Paul from Uxbridge, shoots me a stricken look and quietly turns off his intercom.
Fittingly, the 2010 incarnation of Here Come the Girls is bigger and brasher, with a £1 million stage set, a seven-piece band, and new songs, sequences and routines. Of course, the whole extravaganza stands or falls on the interplay between its front-women – so how’s the chemistry shaping up?
We need to outdo Lady Gaga. How many costume changes does she do – nine or ten? We'll do 12!
It’s awful, says Anastacia, wrinkling her nose. Will we make it to opening night? She beams. Get out of here! I knew I’d like Heather before I even met her.
Heather attended last year’s tour as a punter. As soon as the ladies came out, they gave it their all, and the audience were with them, she enthuses. The first time I met Anastacia, she gave me a warm hug, not a showbiz hug.
The show was Lulu’s brainchild, or, as she calls it, all my fault. She adds, I did a couple of concerts with friends, and we had such fun, and I thought, why not turn this party into a tour where the audience can stand up, rock out, and come out thinking, What a great night ?
This philosophy is helped along by the kind of roof-raising anthems – I’m Every Woman, Sisters Are Doin it for Themselves – that had last year’s audiences swinging in their stilettos, aided this time out by the addition of Heather’s M People back catalogue (Search for the Hero, What Have You Done Today, etc).
With Chaka Khan deciding she wasn’t up to the rigours of a second go-round, it falls to Heather to play the stormin soul sister. She seems energised at the prospect of sharing the stage with her generously-lunged peers. I just kept knocking till they let me in,’she grins.
She’s got the cojones, declares Lulu. While there are a lot of females who want to join us, there are certain ones who wouldn’t do it. She’s one of us, she beams at Heather. She’s disciplined, with a similar drive.It’s not rivalry, it’s camaraderie, explains Heather. We all love to perform. We’ve got no product to sell – we’re singing live on-stage just for the hell of it.
No Auto-Tune for us, declares Lulu.
What about the routines – will it be all headsets and oiled-up backing dancers? Anastacia appears to be genuinely taken aback. We have to sing, honey,’she protests. We’re not Beyoncé. But I think there’ll be a few costume changes.
We need to outdo Lady Gaga, cries Lulu. How many does she do – nine or ten? We’ll do 12!
It’s easier for her, right? She’s only wearing a bra and pants to start with, points out Heather.
This seems an appropriate moment to ask if they expect any men to come to the shows. A lot came last year with their wives, asserts Anastacia. They were dragged in…
The gay guys were in their feather boas before the show even started, adds Lulu.
A relieved-looking Paul drops us off after the photo shoot. But Lulu has a parting shot: Women together are great, the best, the strongest, she pronounces. We are the power.And when you get three together? Unstoppable.
The Here Come the Girls UK tour will start on 22 November in Edinburgh : for full details visit gigsandtours.com
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Friday, 17 September 2010
Birmingham Mail Interview
Music: Strictly no dancing for Heather Small
Sep 17 2010 by Andrew Coleman, Birmingham Mail
THERE will be strictly NO ballroom dancing when singer Heather Small joins Lulu and Anastacia in Here Come The Girls.
The M People vocalist insists the skills she learned with professional partner Brian Fortuna on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008 won’t be on display when the show plays Birmingham’s NIA Academy on November 26.
‘‘There is a time and there is a place,’’ she laughs. ‘‘I still do a bit of dancing but nothing for public consumption at this moment in time!
‘‘When you’re on Strictly you enter a different kind of sphere and now that I’m safely out I shall leave it alone.’’
Not that the Strictly experience was a bad one for Heather.
‘‘It was great, absolutely fantastic. I was fit as a fiddle, I met Brian – we’ll be friends for life – but you are in a definite Strictly bubble and when you come to the real world, and you put on your civvies, it’s quite surreal. You think to yourself, did I really do that?’’
Heather says she got a great response from the public, even after losing to Rachel Stevens after six dances. ‘Strictly has a phenomenal number of fans, I didn’t realise how many,’’ says 45-year-old Heather. ‘‘People know me from singing but they do say to me that they enjoyed my stint on Strictly. I’ve had nothing but positives from the public; very, very warm because it’s a lovely show. When people see faces they are familiar with doing something quite different, out of their comfort zone, they are very kind and warm to that. It’s the judges you have to contend with!’’
She has no intention of entering other ‘reality’ shows.
‘‘People have offered me the chance of going into the jungle and that’s a definite ‘no’. I’m vegetarian and what they do with rats and little creatures is not my idea of fun at all.’’
Heather now has a new challenge – being on stage with Lulu and Anastacia.
Here Come The Girls first toured last year with Chaka Khan as the third vocalist but Heather doesn’t see herself as Chaka’s replacement.
‘‘There’s only one Chaka Khan, I don’t see that I’m filling her shoes, that’s quite impossible. It isn’t even something that would come into my head.
‘‘I just bring what I bring to the party. I think it’s wonderful that they’ve started off the whole ball game and have now invited me. ‘I don’t see me as a replacement, I see me as an alternative. You can’t replace Chaka. I’m just a baby diva compared to her!’’
Heather saw the glamorous show last year and jumped at the chance to join the sisterhood.
‘‘It looked like such fun on stage, lots of songs you know and can sing along to. An evening of pure entertainment and enjoyment and the audience really, really loved it.
‘‘I’ll be alongside two very distinct voices, two very strong female characters, so I know it will be fun.’’
It will be the first time Heather has worked with Lulu and Anastacia.
‘‘I met Lulu to talk about the whole project and she’s very warm, very professional.’’
The show itself, which features the three singers showcasing their hits and cover versions, promises to be more spectacular than the last tour which visited Symphony Hall.
There’s a new £1 million stage set, new songs and routines and a new seven piece band.
* HERE COME THE GIRLS
Nov 26: NIA Academy
Tickets: 0844 338 8000.
Sep 17 2010 by Andrew Coleman, Birmingham Mail
THERE will be strictly NO ballroom dancing when singer Heather Small joins Lulu and Anastacia in Here Come The Girls.
The M People vocalist insists the skills she learned with professional partner Brian Fortuna on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008 won’t be on display when the show plays Birmingham’s NIA Academy on November 26.
‘‘There is a time and there is a place,’’ she laughs. ‘‘I still do a bit of dancing but nothing for public consumption at this moment in time!
‘‘When you’re on Strictly you enter a different kind of sphere and now that I’m safely out I shall leave it alone.’’
Not that the Strictly experience was a bad one for Heather.
‘‘It was great, absolutely fantastic. I was fit as a fiddle, I met Brian – we’ll be friends for life – but you are in a definite Strictly bubble and when you come to the real world, and you put on your civvies, it’s quite surreal. You think to yourself, did I really do that?’’
Heather says she got a great response from the public, even after losing to Rachel Stevens after six dances. ‘Strictly has a phenomenal number of fans, I didn’t realise how many,’’ says 45-year-old Heather. ‘‘People know me from singing but they do say to me that they enjoyed my stint on Strictly. I’ve had nothing but positives from the public; very, very warm because it’s a lovely show. When people see faces they are familiar with doing something quite different, out of their comfort zone, they are very kind and warm to that. It’s the judges you have to contend with!’’
She has no intention of entering other ‘reality’ shows.
‘‘People have offered me the chance of going into the jungle and that’s a definite ‘no’. I’m vegetarian and what they do with rats and little creatures is not my idea of fun at all.’’
Heather now has a new challenge – being on stage with Lulu and Anastacia.
Here Come The Girls first toured last year with Chaka Khan as the third vocalist but Heather doesn’t see herself as Chaka’s replacement.
‘‘There’s only one Chaka Khan, I don’t see that I’m filling her shoes, that’s quite impossible. It isn’t even something that would come into my head.
‘‘I just bring what I bring to the party. I think it’s wonderful that they’ve started off the whole ball game and have now invited me. ‘I don’t see me as a replacement, I see me as an alternative. You can’t replace Chaka. I’m just a baby diva compared to her!’’
Heather saw the glamorous show last year and jumped at the chance to join the sisterhood.
‘‘It looked like such fun on stage, lots of songs you know and can sing along to. An evening of pure entertainment and enjoyment and the audience really, really loved it.
‘‘I’ll be alongside two very distinct voices, two very strong female characters, so I know it will be fun.’’
It will be the first time Heather has worked with Lulu and Anastacia.
‘‘I met Lulu to talk about the whole project and she’s very warm, very professional.’’
The show itself, which features the three singers showcasing their hits and cover versions, promises to be more spectacular than the last tour which visited Symphony Hall.
There’s a new £1 million stage set, new songs and routines and a new seven piece band.
* HERE COME THE GIRLS
Nov 26: NIA Academy
Tickets: 0844 338 8000.
Liverpool Daily Post article
M People frontwoman Heather Small joins Here Come The Girls tour at the Liverpool Echo Arena
Sep 17 2010 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post
Who is she? Soul singer, best known as lead singer of Manchester-based M People.
What is she famous for? As the frontwoman of M People, she was a chart regular throughout the 90s, winning a Brit Award two years running for Best Dance Act in 1994 and 95.
Distinguishing features? Distinctive booming vocals and big hair.
Career high? M People had a string of huge hits including Search For The Hero, Sight For Sore Eyes and Moving On Up. A Best Of album, released in 1998, sold 1.75m copies and was certified triple platinum. In 2000, Heather released her solo album, Proud, and a single of the same name, which became the soundtrack to the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.
Career low? Two years ago, Heather was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, partnering Brian Fortuna. She was placed 9th overall in the series but was in the bottom two on four occasions.
Significant others? Heather has an 11-year-old son, James, with rugby player Shaun Edwards, although the couple split not long after his birth.
Not to be confused with? Little and Large.
She says? “Proud has taken me to so many different places, from schools to sports grounds to churches, so it symbolises music as a unifying force.”
Interesting fact? When Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up her 20-year career, she got in touch with Heather and Proud became the theme song to The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 2005, Heather made her American TV debut on the show.
HEATHER SMALL joins Anastacia and Lulu on the Here Come The Girls Tour, at the Liverpool Echo Arena, on November 25.
Sep 17 2010 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post
Who is she? Soul singer, best known as lead singer of Manchester-based M People.
What is she famous for? As the frontwoman of M People, she was a chart regular throughout the 90s, winning a Brit Award two years running for Best Dance Act in 1994 and 95.
Distinguishing features? Distinctive booming vocals and big hair.
Career high? M People had a string of huge hits including Search For The Hero, Sight For Sore Eyes and Moving On Up. A Best Of album, released in 1998, sold 1.75m copies and was certified triple platinum. In 2000, Heather released her solo album, Proud, and a single of the same name, which became the soundtrack to the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.
Career low? Two years ago, Heather was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, partnering Brian Fortuna. She was placed 9th overall in the series but was in the bottom two on four occasions.
Significant others? Heather has an 11-year-old son, James, with rugby player Shaun Edwards, although the couple split not long after his birth.
Not to be confused with? Little and Large.
She says? “Proud has taken me to so many different places, from schools to sports grounds to churches, so it symbolises music as a unifying force.”
Interesting fact? When Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up her 20-year career, she got in touch with Heather and Proud became the theme song to The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 2005, Heather made her American TV debut on the show.
HEATHER SMALL joins Anastacia and Lulu on the Here Come The Girls Tour, at the Liverpool Echo Arena, on November 25.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Interview: Gordon Barr chats to Heather Small
Originally posted on: Sep 7 2010 by Gordon Barr, Evening Chronicle
THREE divas, three big voices – and an show packed from beginning to end with hits.
The Girls are back in Toon, with Here Come The Girls, and this year they have taken on board former M People star Heather Small.
She will join Lulu and Anastacia on stage at the Metro Radio Arena on December 7. Tickets for the divas show go on sale on Friday, following on from a highly successful outing last year.
“I went to see the show last year. I saw them on stage, with those wonderful songs, and it was such fun. When I was asked to get on board I did jump at the chance. It really is fun,” Heather tells me.
“They’re feisty, distinctive ladies and voices so I thought it would be an environment which I would love to be part of. The songs are familiar and to see people enjoying themselves and everyone on stage giving their all is moving and inspiring.
“The songs are ones everyone knows and to get up there and sing with other lead singers is quite different to doing a solo show, being up front and being the only singer.
“You’re still an individual but you have to make a real beautiful whole. That’s a challenge in itself. Lulu is very warm, professional and a perfectionist and that really works for me.
“Even though we are individual singers, sometimes when you go to see a show and people do a collaboration, it can feel like it is two or three separate events, whereas with this you are on stage with everybody, you do back-up for each other, that’s really what people want to see.
“We are all women who are known for their voice and style. People want to see how that meshes together and how effective it all is.
“Petite and feisty women, with attitude – that always works with me!”
The show will include a £1m stage set, new songs, sequences and routines. The brainchild of Lulu, the show is favour-ite with fans young and old. The music extravaganza mixes high-octane, high-camp, get-up-and-dance, feet-just-can't-keep-still songs against a backdrop of breathtaking glamour and fun, fun, fun – celebrating all that it means to be a woman, the show defies anyone not to dance. Such has the success been for Here Come The Girls that the producers are in talks with European and North American pro-moters to take the show oversees in 2011.
The Girls are back in Toon, with Here Come The Girls, and this year they have taken on board former M People star Heather Small.
She will join Lulu and Anastacia on stage at the Metro Radio Arena on December 7. Tickets for the divas show go on sale on Friday, following on from a highly successful outing last year.
“I went to see the show last year. I saw them on stage, with those wonderful songs, and it was such fun. When I was asked to get on board I did jump at the chance. It really is fun,” Heather tells me.
“They’re feisty, distinctive ladies and voices so I thought it would be an environment which I would love to be part of. The songs are familiar and to see people enjoying themselves and everyone on stage giving their all is moving and inspiring.
“The songs are ones everyone knows and to get up there and sing with other lead singers is quite different to doing a solo show, being up front and being the only singer.
“You’re still an individual but you have to make a real beautiful whole. That’s a challenge in itself. Lulu is very warm, professional and a perfectionist and that really works for me.
“Even though we are individual singers, sometimes when you go to see a show and people do a collaboration, it can feel like it is two or three separate events, whereas with this you are on stage with everybody, you do back-up for each other, that’s really what people want to see.
“We are all women who are known for their voice and style. People want to see how that meshes together and how effective it all is.
“Petite and feisty women, with attitude – that always works with me!”
The show will include a £1m stage set, new songs, sequences and routines. The brainchild of Lulu, the show is favour-ite with fans young and old. The music extravaganza mixes high-octane, high-camp, get-up-and-dance, feet-just-can't-keep-still songs against a backdrop of breathtaking glamour and fun, fun, fun – celebrating all that it means to be a woman, the show defies anyone not to dance. Such has the success been for Here Come The Girls that the producers are in talks with European and North American pro-moters to take the show oversees in 2011.
BBC News appearance
Extract:
On replacing Chaka Khan in the tour line-up, she said she wanted to join the tour after seeing last year's show.
On finding her place in the trio, she said she "realised I needed big elbows so I can get a word in edgeways" - and that "the mix of the three of us... is exciting for people".
Watch the interview again | Source: bbc.co.uk
Video:
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Heather Proud of success - Sunday Sun (Barbados Interview)
Heather Small spoke about her career as an international singer and the Bajan heritage which so heavily influenced her upbringing.
Published on: 4/4/2010.
by GERCINE CARTER THE DEEP, raspy voice of a female British singer filled the air on the closing night of this year's Holders Season, and there was talk in the audience about the uniqueness of the singer.
It was the voice of Heather Small proudly used by Britain at the ceremony celebrating the handover from Beijing to London as host city for the 2012 Olympics.
It is anticipated that Proud, the official Olympics song will heard by millions all over the world as it will be played repeatedly.
Small was born and raised in West London, but proudly lays claim to her Bajan roots. Her Barbadian parents migrated to England in the 1960s.
On the day before she made her debut on the Holder's stage, Small spoke to the SUNDAY SUN about her career as an international singer and the Bajan heritage which so heavily influenced her upbringing.
"I make sure my son understands that he has Bajan roots and be proud of those.
"The biggest thing for me is that I always wanted to sing and as a young girl growing up on a council estate, that was my dream. That I am here, coming to sing in Barbados, where my parents were born, I am just so proud to be asked".
While she went in search of opportunities, Heather was often teased by friends who simply refused to believe she would ever pursue a singing career. Whenever she headed off to the library to check newspaper ads for singers, they joked: "You are never going to apply for any of those jobs".
They were so wrong.
"I saw one that jumped out at me. It said Aretha Franklin. It also said Gladys Knight . . . .She had a very great influence on me. She had a very rich voice and beautiful phrasing".
The shy teenager applied for the job, and joined her first band at age 18.
"I had nothing called technique but they liked the sound of my voice and I got signed for two years".
She later joined the band M People and How Can I Love You and Colour My Life - the first two songs they wrote for her - received such a good response that M People soon discovered that any song performed by their lead singer always got chosen as the single.
She was really the injection M People needed. With her energetic songs, big voice, big hair, the reception from audiences was overwhelming. For Heather it was "quite good because it was musical and it was visual and our own enjoyment of it seemed to translate to the audience".
20-year career
This year marks 20 years since M People got together and there is talk of big celebrations. Heather will be an integral figure in any such celebration as her distinctive voice helped to sell over ten million albums worldwide for the group.
In 2000, she released her solo album Proud. Her single of the same name is the signature song with which she has achieved international success. Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey chose it as a theme song for her show when she was looking for a song that summed up her work over a 20-year career.
Indeed, Heather was a bit taken aback when she learnt that it was to be included in the package for Great Britian's Olympic bid.
"I had done it so long ago" she said.
Heather sings songs she enjoys, and she acknowledges people "either hate or like" her "deep, unpredictable" voice .
She said: "People are really enjoying the live scene and I think because you are allowed to be that more creative and you don't have to pander to record companies, there is that added dimension - your personality and yourself delivering what you do, take on a different dimension".
"I think that chart music has become very predictable and homogenised. There isn't quite that diversity and that's quite sad", the singer observed.
As Heather chatted with the Sunday Sun, organisers of Holder's Season said they were thrilled to attract this well-known British singer with Barbadian connections, for the 17th season.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Heather Small's big soul - The Nation
Heather Small's big soul
By Daniel Calderbank
Special to The Nation
Published on March 2, 2010 [available at nationmultimedia.com]
The British singer talks about her involvement with a children's foundation and the future of M-People
British soul singer Heather Small opened her three-date Thailand tour with a short but sweet set in the leafy grounds of the British Club in Bangkok last Friday.
On a day when Thailand was transfixed by the ruling of the assets of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the theme of the M-People singer's concert was all about helping those with nothing, with proceeds going to the Melissa Cosgrove Children's Foundation, a not-for-profit charity to help orphans and children living in squalor.
The charity was created by Pattaya-based Brit Tracy Cosgrove in 2001 and has received international recognition for its work.
On a breezy night not conducive to good sound projection, Small's distinctive voice, accompanied by two female backing singers, compensated for the absence of a band with a powerful performance that featured hits from the heyday of the '90's Manchester club scene, an era when M-People won two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize.
Opening with a "Sight for Sore Eyes", the singer ran through the Manchester band's greatest repertoire, including "One Night in Heaven", "How Can I love You More?", "Search for the Hero" and the band's signature tune "Moving On Up".
Aside from the M-People catalogue, Small also dipped into her own material with a rousing rendition of "Proud", the soundtrack to the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.
In the company of the British Ambassador and assorted Bangkok luminaries seated in the VIP area near the front of the stage, Small's rich voice enticed those roped off at the back to dance during the closing stages of the gig, which lasted a little over 45-minutes in total.
Ahead of the concert, The Nation chatted with Small about the Cosgrove charity and her own future with M-People, as the group celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Speaking of the foundation, she said, "Every child deserves to have a happy and peaceful environment, be educated and to be safe. That's a basic human right and I want to do anything I can to help Tracy's work.
"During this trip, I went to Burma to see schools and orphanages being built, which was very inspiring. The first thing I noticed is that the children [there] are allowed to be children and to be happy. They have been educated and they are safe. The children are looked after on a daily basis by local people, they are not taken out of their familiar environment. Home is home. They are also cared for by monks who bring calm, stillness and discipline."
On playing intimate concerts in Thailand, compared to previous gigs such as the Euro '96 Football Championship, where M-People played to 65,000 people at Manchester United's Old Trafford, Small said: "It's not the size of an audience that counts; it's the level of participation and appreciation that are more important."
And speaking of M-People's future, she commented: "It is 20 years since we started the band this year, so we might do something that is a celebration of that time. I'm not sure there will be more albums, but we will always do shows."
She also spoke briefly about today's plethora of "manufactured" singers from shows such as American Idol.
"I think performers should do their apprenticeship out on the road. There might be a short-cut to fame, but there is no short-cut to experience and when you are out there live, over time, you learn how to manage a crowd and with these new format shows, you can bypass all of that.
"One day you can be an unknown, then the next day you are famous and everyone expects you to deliver on an international scale and I don't think many people can do that."
Simon Cowell, take note!
By Daniel Calderbank
Special to The Nation
Published on March 2, 2010 [available at nationmultimedia.com]
The British singer talks about her involvement with a children's foundation and the future of M-People
British soul singer Heather Small opened her three-date Thailand tour with a short but sweet set in the leafy grounds of the British Club in Bangkok last Friday.
On a day when Thailand was transfixed by the ruling of the assets of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the theme of the M-People singer's concert was all about helping those with nothing, with proceeds going to the Melissa Cosgrove Children's Foundation, a not-for-profit charity to help orphans and children living in squalor.
The charity was created by Pattaya-based Brit Tracy Cosgrove in 2001 and has received international recognition for its work.
On a breezy night not conducive to good sound projection, Small's distinctive voice, accompanied by two female backing singers, compensated for the absence of a band with a powerful performance that featured hits from the heyday of the '90's Manchester club scene, an era when M-People won two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize.
Opening with a "Sight for Sore Eyes", the singer ran through the Manchester band's greatest repertoire, including "One Night in Heaven", "How Can I love You More?", "Search for the Hero" and the band's signature tune "Moving On Up".
Aside from the M-People catalogue, Small also dipped into her own material with a rousing rendition of "Proud", the soundtrack to the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.
In the company of the British Ambassador and assorted Bangkok luminaries seated in the VIP area near the front of the stage, Small's rich voice enticed those roped off at the back to dance during the closing stages of the gig, which lasted a little over 45-minutes in total.
Ahead of the concert, The Nation chatted with Small about the Cosgrove charity and her own future with M-People, as the group celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Speaking of the foundation, she said, "Every child deserves to have a happy and peaceful environment, be educated and to be safe. That's a basic human right and I want to do anything I can to help Tracy's work.
"During this trip, I went to Burma to see schools and orphanages being built, which was very inspiring. The first thing I noticed is that the children [there] are allowed to be children and to be happy. They have been educated and they are safe. The children are looked after on a daily basis by local people, they are not taken out of their familiar environment. Home is home. They are also cared for by monks who bring calm, stillness and discipline."
On playing intimate concerts in Thailand, compared to previous gigs such as the Euro '96 Football Championship, where M-People played to 65,000 people at Manchester United's Old Trafford, Small said: "It's not the size of an audience that counts; it's the level of participation and appreciation that are more important."
And speaking of M-People's future, she commented: "It is 20 years since we started the band this year, so we might do something that is a celebration of that time. I'm not sure there will be more albums, but we will always do shows."
She also spoke briefly about today's plethora of "manufactured" singers from shows such as American Idol.
"I think performers should do their apprenticeship out on the road. There might be a short-cut to fame, but there is no short-cut to experience and when you are out there live, over time, you learn how to manage a crowd and with these new format shows, you can bypass all of that.
"One day you can be an unknown, then the next day you are famous and everyone expects you to deliver on an international scale and I don't think many people can do that."
Simon Cowell, take note!
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Thailand Interview
Heather Small gives an e-mail interview to a Thailand newspaper.
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Buxton - Interview on BBC Radio Derby with Ed
Click here to head over to BBC I Player and fast forward to 2 hours in.
[Transcript / Write Up]
[Transcript / Write Up]
Buxton 'proud' to welcome Heather
Heather balances her music and television career with life as a new mum
If you thought you'd heard Heather Small's track 'Proud' a lot, you haven't heard anything yet.
As the official anthem of the London 2012 Olympics, the song is set for thousands of plays over the next three years.
It's more success in a glittering career which has seen Heather shift 10m albums worldwide with M People and as a solo artist.
And she promises to roll out all the hits at her Buxton Opera House concert.
Heather voiced several anthemic tracks as M People frontwoman in the nineties, including One Night in Heaven, Search For the Hero and Movin' On Up.
 |  |
And as well as her international hit Proud (which was later used as the theme tune for Oprah Winfrey's television programme), Heather has made numerous television appearances in programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Wright Stuff.
But it's back to the music now as she continues on an extensive UK tour which arrives at Buxton Opera House on Wednesday 18 November.
She told BBC Radio Derby's Ed George: "Most of the places on this tour are ones I haven't been to before and I will absolutely do my best for the people there.
"Some people say "A lot of the band members played with M People because I didn't want standards to drop so that's made the transition to performing solo concerts easier because they know me so well."
Fans attending the gig can expect a mix of solo material and M People favourites.
She explained: "I include those songs in this set because they've been good to me and I love them.
"Sometimes people say 'aren't you sick of playing that song?' and I tell them no because every audience is different.
"They appreciate what you do, you show them that you appreciate that and you do your best to make that experience a joyful one for everyone there."
Heather Small appears at the Buxton Opera House on Wednesday, 18 November.
[Source: BBC.co.uk]
INTERVIEW: Heather Small performs in Chichester
INTERVIEW: Heather Small performs in Chichester
Taken from the Midhurst and Petworth Observer.
Published Date: 12 November 2009
The last time she was in Chichester was as singer for M People on a great night at the Real Ale and Jazz Festival.
With M People, Heather Small became one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s.
Hits such as Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero saw the band sell millions of records, winning two Brit awards and the Mercury Music Prize.
This time, however, Heather is back in Chichester for a solo gig – a chance to spread her wings.
"I did some forest gigs with M People two years ago, but I have also done a lot of solo stuff.
It means I can sing any songs that I want, pop, blues, jazz, just what I feel is right for me.
"I have included some M People songs, but I want to try to do different things. I see myself as a singer now, and it is good to have that freedom. I am mature in voice and age! I like to experience different things."
She certainly feels – while taking nothing for granted – that she has developed as a vocalist down the years: "There are things that I sing now that I would not have dreamt of singing ten or 15 years ago, but it is not guaranteed.
"Your voice and your vocals are something that you have to carry around with you day in, day out. If you don't look after it, you lose it."
And that means?
"I don't eat meat, fish or dairy products, and I work out, and I am not one for drinking. I just don't like the taste. It's all about just being healthy in body and mind.
"It's a holistic thing. Everything in moderation is alright. You have to put yourself in the right frame of mind.
"You might not have had the best day in the world, but when you get on stage you have to make it that.
"The audience have come to forget and to be transported. I am aware of that – and that's why I get really, really nervous."
The trouble is it is hard to replicate that on-stage experience once you are off-stage, and so the worries set in: "But once I am on stage, you don't worry any more. I know I have enough experience to deal with whatever happens!"
Heather is at Chichester Festival Theatre on Saturday, November 14.
Taken from the Midhurst and Petworth Observer.
Published Date: 12 November 2009
The last time she was in Chichester was as singer for M People on a great night at the Real Ale and Jazz Festival.
With M People, Heather Small became one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s.
Hits such as Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero saw the band sell millions of records, winning two Brit awards and the Mercury Music Prize.
This time, however, Heather is back in Chichester for a solo gig – a chance to spread her wings.
"I did some forest gigs with M People two years ago, but I have also done a lot of solo stuff.
It means I can sing any songs that I want, pop, blues, jazz, just what I feel is right for me.
"I have included some M People songs, but I want to try to do different things. I see myself as a singer now, and it is good to have that freedom. I am mature in voice and age! I like to experience different things."
She certainly feels – while taking nothing for granted – that she has developed as a vocalist down the years: "There are things that I sing now that I would not have dreamt of singing ten or 15 years ago, but it is not guaranteed.
"Your voice and your vocals are something that you have to carry around with you day in, day out. If you don't look after it, you lose it."
And that means?
"I don't eat meat, fish or dairy products, and I work out, and I am not one for drinking. I just don't like the taste. It's all about just being healthy in body and mind.
"It's a holistic thing. Everything in moderation is alright. You have to put yourself in the right frame of mind.
"You might not have had the best day in the world, but when you get on stage you have to make it that.
"The audience have come to forget and to be transported. I am aware of that – and that's why I get really, really nervous."
The trouble is it is hard to replicate that on-stage experience once you are off-stage, and so the worries set in: "But once I am on stage, you don't worry any more. I know I have enough experience to deal with whatever happens!"
Heather is at Chichester Festival Theatre on Saturday, November 14.
Monday, 20 July 2009
Interview: Heather Small's London
Heather Small's London
Singer Heather Small fronted the hugely popular band M People in the 90s and now has a successful solo career.
Heather recently danced her way into the eighth week of BBC TV show Strictly Come Dancing. Her solo single, Proud, is the official anthem to the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Q: Where in London do you live?
A: Maida Vale – it's a very pretty area and I love walking and the canal.
Q: Where did you last eat out in London?
A: E&O in Portobello. It's private enough to have meetings there, the food is nice and they cater for my dietary requirements [Heather follows a vegan diet]. It's also a great setting.
Q: Where do you think serves the best London breakfast?
A: It's got to be Eat and Two Veg in Marylebone – they have good vegetarian options like meat-free sausages.
Q: What's the best music venue in London?
A: Ronnie Scott's. I love both performing and watching acts there. You get some big names playing and in such an intimate venue, you always get something special.
Q: What's the best party you've been to in London?
A: Grace Jones at the Roundhouse. It was actually a gig, but it felt like a party! I was right at the front, surrounded by her hardcore fans, it was awesome.
Q: What's your favourite London icon?
A: The South Bank. It's beautiful and attracts lots of different people but they all share a common interest – it has a very artistic feel.
Q: What's your favourite shop in London?
A: For boutique shopping, Stella McCartney. But my favourite department store is Selfridges – you can get anything you want in there. It's huge, you could spend the whole day and even have lunch there.
Q: What's your favourite hidden gem in London?
A: The Tricycle Theatre – they do theatre, art and cinema. It has just the right balance of being artsy but community-based.
Q: What makes you feel "Proud" of London?
A: The mixture of people we have here and the way people are so willing to mix with each other – I don't think any other city in the world has that as much as London does.
Singer Heather Small fronted the hugely popular band M People in the 90s and now has a successful solo career.
Heather recently danced her way into the eighth week of BBC TV show Strictly Come Dancing. Her solo single, Proud, is the official anthem to the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Q: Where in London do you live?
A: Maida Vale – it's a very pretty area and I love walking and the canal.
Q: Where did you last eat out in London?
A: E&O in Portobello. It's private enough to have meetings there, the food is nice and they cater for my dietary requirements [Heather follows a vegan diet]. It's also a great setting.
Q: Where do you think serves the best London breakfast?
A: It's got to be Eat and Two Veg in Marylebone – they have good vegetarian options like meat-free sausages.
Q: What's the best music venue in London?
A: Ronnie Scott's. I love both performing and watching acts there. You get some big names playing and in such an intimate venue, you always get something special.
Q: What's the best party you've been to in London?
A: Grace Jones at the Roundhouse. It was actually a gig, but it felt like a party! I was right at the front, surrounded by her hardcore fans, it was awesome.
Q: What's your favourite London icon?
A: The South Bank. It's beautiful and attracts lots of different people but they all share a common interest – it has a very artistic feel.
Q: What's your favourite shop in London?
A: For boutique shopping, Stella McCartney. But my favourite department store is Selfridges – you can get anything you want in there. It's huge, you could spend the whole day and even have lunch there.
Q: What's your favourite hidden gem in London?
A: The Tricycle Theatre – they do theatre, art and cinema. It has just the right balance of being artsy but community-based.
Q: What makes you feel "Proud" of London?
A: The mixture of people we have here and the way people are so willing to mix with each other – I don't think any other city in the world has that as much as London does.
Monday, 1 June 2009
Heather Small's VIP Vacation
HEATHER SMALL'S VIP VACATION
Singer Heather Small, 44, went salsa crazy in cultural Cuba when a work trip became a holiday
When Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman called me the "Queen Of Salsa", little did he know that my passion for the dance had begun nine years earlier, during a trip to Cuba.
I was in Havana making a music video and fell in love with the city so much that I stayed on for a week's holiday with my son James, who's now 12.
The city is full of history, with sights like Ernest Hemingway's House and the Che Guevara monuments, but it was the wonderful music that really impressed me.
In Britain everyone cringes when musicians play in restaurants, but not in Havana. On our first night, at a little place in the city centre, I ended up dancing around the tables. The night after, we went to a traditional salsa club and had a group dance lesson. Luckily I've got natural rhythm and can pick up the steps quickly, although Strictly viewers may disagree!
Heather and son James test a hammock
We stayed at the five-star Hotel Nacional, where Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra have stayed. It's by the sea and it's typical of Havana - comfortable with a faded grandeur. The pool and gardens were a haven for relaxation. James and I found a huge hammock and swung in the warm breeze.
I loved the Cuban food. I'm a vegan but had so much choice, with rice and beans, fried bananas and grilled vegetables available everywhere.
I came back from Cuba as fit as a fiddle because of the healthy food and dancing. Every time I hear salsa, part of me goes back to that magical week I spent there.
Rooms at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba start at £120 (Hotelnacionaldecuba.com). Flights to Havana cost from £602 return with Virgin Atlantic (Virgin-atlantic.com).
Heather's UK tour starts on May 14. For ticket information visit Tonyclayman.com.
Singer Heather Small, 44, went salsa crazy in cultural Cuba when a work trip became a holiday
When Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman called me the "Queen Of Salsa", little did he know that my passion for the dance had begun nine years earlier, during a trip to Cuba.
I was in Havana making a music video and fell in love with the city so much that I stayed on for a week's holiday with my son James, who's now 12.
The city is full of history, with sights like Ernest Hemingway's House and the Che Guevara monuments, but it was the wonderful music that really impressed me.
In Britain everyone cringes when musicians play in restaurants, but not in Havana. On our first night, at a little place in the city centre, I ended up dancing around the tables. The night after, we went to a traditional salsa club and had a group dance lesson. Luckily I've got natural rhythm and can pick up the steps quickly, although Strictly viewers may disagree!
Heather and son James test a hammock
We stayed at the five-star Hotel Nacional, where Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra have stayed. It's by the sea and it's typical of Havana - comfortable with a faded grandeur. The pool and gardens were a haven for relaxation. James and I found a huge hammock and swung in the warm breeze.
I loved the Cuban food. I'm a vegan but had so much choice, with rice and beans, fried bananas and grilled vegetables available everywhere.
I came back from Cuba as fit as a fiddle because of the healthy food and dancing. Every time I hear salsa, part of me goes back to that magical week I spent there.
Rooms at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba start at £120 (Hotelnacionaldecuba.com). Flights to Havana cost from £602 return with Virgin Atlantic (Virgin-atlantic.com).
Heather's UK tour starts on May 14. For ticket information visit Tonyclayman.com.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Heather Small comes to Cardiff
Heather Small comes to Cardiff
May 28 2009 by Karen Price, South Wales Echo
Fans of Heather Small will be introduced to her jazzier side when she performs in Cardiff this weekend. But she tells Karen Price they can expect the old favourites too
HEATHER SMALL is preparing to take her Cardiff fans on a journey through her music.
The lead singer of M People, pictured right, who was introduced to a whole new audience when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing last year, is performing a solo gig in the Welsh capital this weekend.
And as well as singing the hits she’s renowned for with her group, such as Moving On Up and Search For The Hero, she will be revealing her jazzier side.
Last October the soul star performed at the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London and she’s now introducing a jazz element to her tour.
But there will still be the old favourites too.
“I will be doing an amalgamation of what I think charts my musical journey,” she says.
“There will be things I really like, things that inspire me – from jazz, to blues, to pop. I’ve handpicked every song.”
Small has spent months pulling her repertoire together.
“I started listening to songs I really like and wrote down what I thought would make a good set.”
Small – who has a 12-year-old son, James, with her former partner, Welsh rugby coach Shaun Edwards – is joined on tour by the Snake Davis Band, who performed with her at Ronnie Scott’s.
“They are people I feel very comfortable with,” she admits.
“If it’s not broken don’t fix it. We have a lovely rapport on stage and we have such a great time. It’s always interesting, always fun and never boring.”
With 16 dates in her diary, Small admits the tour is “quite big for me”. But she’s clearly eager to get back on the road.
“Once you get into the swing of it, it never leaves your blood,” she says of touring.
“I’ve not toured as much recently as I’ve been at home with my son but he is older now and this isn’t a huge tour. I’m still going to be able to get home as much as possible, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
While Small is touring there won’t be much time for her to enjoy her latest passion – for dance.
The singer was among the contestants in the last series of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and she admits that, despite the nerves, she enjoyed her time on the show, which was won by Tom Chambers.
“I had a great time. Having to dance live to the nation takes you out of your comfort zone but my mother is a huge fan (of the series) and we still like to please our mums,” she laughs.
“The judges were harsh but I had real fun.”
She’s now a member of a dance school run by Karen Hardy, one of Strictly’s professional dancers.
“I’ve not been because I’m busy but I will return,” she promises.
“I love dance and learning a new skill.”
Heather Small is at St David’s Hall on Sunday. The box office number is 029 2087 8444
May 28 2009 by Karen Price, South Wales Echo
Fans of Heather Small will be introduced to her jazzier side when she performs in Cardiff this weekend. But she tells Karen Price they can expect the old favourites too
HEATHER SMALL is preparing to take her Cardiff fans on a journey through her music.
The lead singer of M People, pictured right, who was introduced to a whole new audience when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing last year, is performing a solo gig in the Welsh capital this weekend.
And as well as singing the hits she’s renowned for with her group, such as Moving On Up and Search For The Hero, she will be revealing her jazzier side.
Last October the soul star performed at the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London and she’s now introducing a jazz element to her tour.
But there will still be the old favourites too.
“I will be doing an amalgamation of what I think charts my musical journey,” she says.
“There will be things I really like, things that inspire me – from jazz, to blues, to pop. I’ve handpicked every song.”
Small has spent months pulling her repertoire together.
“I started listening to songs I really like and wrote down what I thought would make a good set.”
Small – who has a 12-year-old son, James, with her former partner, Welsh rugby coach Shaun Edwards – is joined on tour by the Snake Davis Band, who performed with her at Ronnie Scott’s.
“They are people I feel very comfortable with,” she admits.
“If it’s not broken don’t fix it. We have a lovely rapport on stage and we have such a great time. It’s always interesting, always fun and never boring.”
With 16 dates in her diary, Small admits the tour is “quite big for me”. But she’s clearly eager to get back on the road.
“Once you get into the swing of it, it never leaves your blood,” she says of touring.
“I’ve not toured as much recently as I’ve been at home with my son but he is older now and this isn’t a huge tour. I’m still going to be able to get home as much as possible, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
While Small is touring there won’t be much time for her to enjoy her latest passion – for dance.
The singer was among the contestants in the last series of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and she admits that, despite the nerves, she enjoyed her time on the show, which was won by Tom Chambers.
“I had a great time. Having to dance live to the nation takes you out of your comfort zone but my mother is a huge fan (of the series) and we still like to please our mums,” she laughs.
“The judges were harsh but I had real fun.”
She’s now a member of a dance school run by Karen Hardy, one of Strictly’s professional dancers.
“I’ve not been because I’m busy but I will return,” she promises.
“I love dance and learning a new skill.”
Heather Small is at St David’s Hall on Sunday. The box office number is 029 2087 8444
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Norwich Evening News Interview
Interview: Heather Small
ABIGAIL SALTMARSH
22 May 2009
She has performed with Eric Clapton and Tom Jones, starred on Strictly Come Dancing and sold several million records. Now Heather Small who was summoned to perform before Oprah Winfrey is heading for Norwich. ABIGAIL SALTMARSH reports.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heather Small didn't know how she was going to do it - but she did know she wanted to sing.
Now one of the UK's biggest and most recognisable voices, she has sold several million records, won two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize and has recorded a track that has become an unofficial national anthem.
“I never really had a big plan,” she says, “I just knew I wanted to sing.”
Born to a bus conductor dad and a waitress mum in Ladbroke Grove in 1965, Heather grew up on a musical diet of everything from calypso to The Clash.
Always a natural dancer, she toyed with the idea of pursuing it and even narrowly missed an audition in front of West End diva Arlene Philips.
“My dance teacher said 'You've got a natural ability to dance, I want you to go along,' but I was too shy!” said Heather.
But eventually set her sights firmly on singing.
So, while most teenagers were spending their free time as far away from school as possible, Heather was busy in the school library digging out copies of Melody Maker and pouring over the Singers Wanted pages.
“My friends used to laugh,” she remembers. “They'd say: 'You're not going to reply to any of those ads,' but I'd just say: 'When I see the right ad, I'll know.'”
Heather finally “knew” when she saw an advert for a group name-checking her childhood heroes Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin.
She was invited for her first ever audition, won the rest of the band over as soon as she opened her mouth, and became the lead singer in Hot House.
And although Hot House only had a short lifespan, her powerful vocals brought her to the attention of Mike Pickering, a DJ at Manchester's legendary Haçienda nightclub.
The pair bonded so well that an initial lunch meeting turned into a lunch, dinner, then on-to-a-nightclub meeting, with Heather then heading over to Mike's studio to listen to the songs he'd written with her in mind.
It was there that she met Paul Heard and M People was born. “I don't know the figures of how many records we sold; I'm not interested,” she says. “What's important to me, when I look back, is did I enjoy it? Did I do the best I could? And I did.”
With hits such as Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero and albums like Elegant Slumming, Bizarre Fruit and Fresco achieving massive worldwide success, Heather became one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s.
The band won the Best British Dance Act Award at the Brits in 1994 and 1995, as well as the Mercury Music Prize for Elegant Slumming.
But after taking a break, Heather decided to take a chance and try going down the solo route. “The decision to make a solo album was a creative one, a challenge that gave me the chance to be more involved in the writing process,” she explains. “I wanted to show that I was not just a voice, that there was another side to me.”
One of the first songs to emerge from Heather's new found creative freedom was Proud, co-written with Peter Vetesse. It was to become the lead track from her debut solo album of the same name - and the song that was to catapult her career into a whole new realm.
When Britain won the Olympic bid, Heather was there singing Proud, as she was at the 60th anniversary of VE Day in Trafalgar Square, the launch of Queen Mary II and the celebrations following England's victory at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
And when Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up the work she'd been striving to achieve over her 25-year career, she got in touch with Heather, who somehow managed to squeeze in a trip across the Atlantic to perform on the show slap bang in the middle of her last UK tour with M People.
“If Oprah calls, you go!” she laughs.
But never one to get complacent, Heather's been busy pushing herself in all sorts of creative directions.
With the Proud album well and truly proving that she could cut the mustard on her own, she embarked on solo tours around the UK, showcasing her own material and a selection of her favourite jazz and soul standards.
One of the highlights of Heather's time as a solo artist has been 2005's Tsunami Relief Concert at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium, where she performed alongside Eric Clapton, the Manic Street Preachers and Charlotte Church, helping to raise £1.25 million.
Throw in a single with the legendary Tom Jones (the duet You Need Love Like I Do, which features on his Reload album), a performance of Set Them Free with Sting at the Brits, an acclaimed gig at Ronnie Scott's, a star turn in the Vagina Monologues on the West End stage, and performances in TV's Strictly Come Dancing - and it all adds up to a busy few years.
So what gives her the impetus to keep challenging herself? “If you got the feeling I do when I sing,” she smiled, “You'd understand.”
Heather Small plays Norwich Theatre Royal on May 27.
ABIGAIL SALTMARSH
22 May 2009
She has performed with Eric Clapton and Tom Jones, starred on Strictly Come Dancing and sold several million records. Now Heather Small who was summoned to perform before Oprah Winfrey is heading for Norwich. ABIGAIL SALTMARSH reports.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heather Small didn't know how she was going to do it - but she did know she wanted to sing.
Now one of the UK's biggest and most recognisable voices, she has sold several million records, won two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize and has recorded a track that has become an unofficial national anthem.
“I never really had a big plan,” she says, “I just knew I wanted to sing.”
Born to a bus conductor dad and a waitress mum in Ladbroke Grove in 1965, Heather grew up on a musical diet of everything from calypso to The Clash.
Always a natural dancer, she toyed with the idea of pursuing it and even narrowly missed an audition in front of West End diva Arlene Philips.
“My dance teacher said 'You've got a natural ability to dance, I want you to go along,' but I was too shy!” said Heather.
But eventually set her sights firmly on singing.
So, while most teenagers were spending their free time as far away from school as possible, Heather was busy in the school library digging out copies of Melody Maker and pouring over the Singers Wanted pages.
“My friends used to laugh,” she remembers. “They'd say: 'You're not going to reply to any of those ads,' but I'd just say: 'When I see the right ad, I'll know.'”
Heather finally “knew” when she saw an advert for a group name-checking her childhood heroes Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin.
She was invited for her first ever audition, won the rest of the band over as soon as she opened her mouth, and became the lead singer in Hot House.
And although Hot House only had a short lifespan, her powerful vocals brought her to the attention of Mike Pickering, a DJ at Manchester's legendary Haçienda nightclub.
The pair bonded so well that an initial lunch meeting turned into a lunch, dinner, then on-to-a-nightclub meeting, with Heather then heading over to Mike's studio to listen to the songs he'd written with her in mind.
It was there that she met Paul Heard and M People was born. “I don't know the figures of how many records we sold; I'm not interested,” she says. “What's important to me, when I look back, is did I enjoy it? Did I do the best I could? And I did.”
With hits such as Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero and albums like Elegant Slumming, Bizarre Fruit and Fresco achieving massive worldwide success, Heather became one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s.
The band won the Best British Dance Act Award at the Brits in 1994 and 1995, as well as the Mercury Music Prize for Elegant Slumming.
But after taking a break, Heather decided to take a chance and try going down the solo route. “The decision to make a solo album was a creative one, a challenge that gave me the chance to be more involved in the writing process,” she explains. “I wanted to show that I was not just a voice, that there was another side to me.”
One of the first songs to emerge from Heather's new found creative freedom was Proud, co-written with Peter Vetesse. It was to become the lead track from her debut solo album of the same name - and the song that was to catapult her career into a whole new realm.
When Britain won the Olympic bid, Heather was there singing Proud, as she was at the 60th anniversary of VE Day in Trafalgar Square, the launch of Queen Mary II and the celebrations following England's victory at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
And when Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up the work she'd been striving to achieve over her 25-year career, she got in touch with Heather, who somehow managed to squeeze in a trip across the Atlantic to perform on the show slap bang in the middle of her last UK tour with M People.
“If Oprah calls, you go!” she laughs.
But never one to get complacent, Heather's been busy pushing herself in all sorts of creative directions.
With the Proud album well and truly proving that she could cut the mustard on her own, she embarked on solo tours around the UK, showcasing her own material and a selection of her favourite jazz and soul standards.
One of the highlights of Heather's time as a solo artist has been 2005's Tsunami Relief Concert at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium, where she performed alongside Eric Clapton, the Manic Street Preachers and Charlotte Church, helping to raise £1.25 million.
Throw in a single with the legendary Tom Jones (the duet You Need Love Like I Do, which features on his Reload album), a performance of Set Them Free with Sting at the Brits, an acclaimed gig at Ronnie Scott's, a star turn in the Vagina Monologues on the West End stage, and performances in TV's Strictly Come Dancing - and it all adds up to a busy few years.
So what gives her the impetus to keep challenging herself? “If you got the feeling I do when I sing,” she smiled, “You'd understand.”
Heather Small plays Norwich Theatre Royal on May 27.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Big voice of M People's Heather Small Interview
Big voice of M People's Heather Small
SARAH HARDY
Last updated: 22/05/2009 08:45:00
Heather Small.
Her songs are ones which force you out of your chair and on to the dance floor. They are, quite simply, anthems that always bring a smile to your face and a wriggle to your backside!
As the lead singer of Manchester band M People, Heather, from London, was responsible for Moving On Up, Search for the Hero and One Night In Heaven - all tracks which sound as great today as they did 10 to 15 years ago.
Yet Heather Small, the owner of this voice and, incidentally, a very hearty laugh, isn't your typical monosyllabic pop star who doesn't have much to say for herself. Indeed, once she gets going, it's quite hard to butt in, especially when she's talking about the twin passions in her life - her young son James and music!
She grew up in south London, the daughter of a bus conductor and a waitress, and didn't have any great ambition except to sing and, on becoming a teenager, spent hours in the school library, searching through the likes of Melody Maker for possible auditions.
One ad, she explains, cited Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight as inspiration and this appealed to her as they were her childhood stars, too. Thus she joined the short-lived Hot House band which brought her to the now infamous Hacienda Club in Manchester, where she met Paul Heard and they formed M People. Apart from selling 10 million records, picking up two Brit Awards and touring all over the world, Heather made enough cash to become financially secure for the rest of her life.
Looking for yet more highs, she went solo after a few years and again achieved success with two albums, Proud and Close to A Miracle. A relationship with rugby star Shaun Edwards and the birth of James in 2000 saw her career take a backseat, with the odd gig and recording, but Heather burst back on to the public stage last year when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing, the hit BBC series which was aired on Saturdays and Sundays.
Partnering American Brian Fortuna, she got a hard time from the judges but the public loved her. “It was a scream,” she says. “All that big hair, I was over made up, over dressed - it was great,” she giggles. It was the series that included BBC journalist Peter Sergeant and Heather was one of his biggest fans. “He was great fun, all the contestants were, it was a great experience.”
Known as the salsa queen, Heather displayed great athleticism and guts during her time in the show and indeed made in through to week eight, which is no mean feat. “We worked hard, you had to rehearse and rehearse, I am pretty fit but I certainly had to use muscles that I didn't know I had,” she says.
Heather has kept up her dancing skills, saying: “I try to get to a dance studio most weeks, I really do love it.”
Now Heather is embarking on a short spring tour, mixing up new material and old classics. “Yes, I can't just disappear from home for weeks, it's not what I would want. I need to be with James, watch him play rugby, I don't want to miss any of it.”
She adds that her son is also musical, playing both the guitar and piano. “But I don't know what he'll end up doing, he just likes to be with his friends at the moment.”
She thinks that she might one day have a house in the country but feels that she needs to stay in London for her son's school and friends. “It's not an option at the moment but I don't need all the things London has at the moment - I don't go out all the time to clubs, that's for sure!” she laughs.
She has also branched out into acting, appearing in the Vagina Monologues, where a group of actresses relate extraordinary tales about women and their often tragic experiences. “It was a learning experience and you have to be so respectful of the material - they are people's real stories. “If any more acting came along I'd give it a go - I'd really like to be in the No 1 Detective Agency series, it's a real favourite of mine.”
Heather, who is 44, arrives in Norwich for a one-night gig which will see her mix up her back catalogue with newer numbers. “Well, most important of all it should be a fun evening - I'll perform for an hour and a half - and it will chart my journey as a vocalist. I hope it will be uplifting, a bit cheeky, too,” she says.
Heather with M People.
And she admits that half the fun is getting glammed up! “It is rather nice now and again.
“I love Ben de Lisi dresses, but they can be a bit restrictive for the show so I'm not sure yet what I'll wear!” she says. Heather will also be battling with one of her biggest problems - her nerves.
If you saw her on Strictly, you'll know that she definitely does suffer and it is not something that seems to get better with time.
“I guess that I care as much as ever. I always sing like it is going to be the last show of my life, I give it everything that I have.”
After the tour, Heather has her eye on the summer holidays. “I'm planning a few trips, to the south of France and maybe Mauritius.”
Mmm, one night in heaven, indeed!
t Heather Small appears at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, on Wednesday, May 27. Tel 01603 630000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
SARAH HARDY
Last updated: 22/05/2009 08:45:00
Heather Small.
Her songs are ones which force you out of your chair and on to the dance floor. They are, quite simply, anthems that always bring a smile to your face and a wriggle to your backside!
As the lead singer of Manchester band M People, Heather, from London, was responsible for Moving On Up, Search for the Hero and One Night In Heaven - all tracks which sound as great today as they did 10 to 15 years ago.
Yet Heather Small, the owner of this voice and, incidentally, a very hearty laugh, isn't your typical monosyllabic pop star who doesn't have much to say for herself. Indeed, once she gets going, it's quite hard to butt in, especially when she's talking about the twin passions in her life - her young son James and music!
She grew up in south London, the daughter of a bus conductor and a waitress, and didn't have any great ambition except to sing and, on becoming a teenager, spent hours in the school library, searching through the likes of Melody Maker for possible auditions.
One ad, she explains, cited Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight as inspiration and this appealed to her as they were her childhood stars, too. Thus she joined the short-lived Hot House band which brought her to the now infamous Hacienda Club in Manchester, where she met Paul Heard and they formed M People. Apart from selling 10 million records, picking up two Brit Awards and touring all over the world, Heather made enough cash to become financially secure for the rest of her life.
Looking for yet more highs, she went solo after a few years and again achieved success with two albums, Proud and Close to A Miracle. A relationship with rugby star Shaun Edwards and the birth of James in 2000 saw her career take a backseat, with the odd gig and recording, but Heather burst back on to the public stage last year when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing, the hit BBC series which was aired on Saturdays and Sundays.
Partnering American Brian Fortuna, she got a hard time from the judges but the public loved her. “It was a scream,” she says. “All that big hair, I was over made up, over dressed - it was great,” she giggles. It was the series that included BBC journalist Peter Sergeant and Heather was one of his biggest fans. “He was great fun, all the contestants were, it was a great experience.”
Known as the salsa queen, Heather displayed great athleticism and guts during her time in the show and indeed made in through to week eight, which is no mean feat. “We worked hard, you had to rehearse and rehearse, I am pretty fit but I certainly had to use muscles that I didn't know I had,” she says.
Heather has kept up her dancing skills, saying: “I try to get to a dance studio most weeks, I really do love it.”
Now Heather is embarking on a short spring tour, mixing up new material and old classics. “Yes, I can't just disappear from home for weeks, it's not what I would want. I need to be with James, watch him play rugby, I don't want to miss any of it.”
She adds that her son is also musical, playing both the guitar and piano. “But I don't know what he'll end up doing, he just likes to be with his friends at the moment.”
She thinks that she might one day have a house in the country but feels that she needs to stay in London for her son's school and friends. “It's not an option at the moment but I don't need all the things London has at the moment - I don't go out all the time to clubs, that's for sure!” she laughs.
She has also branched out into acting, appearing in the Vagina Monologues, where a group of actresses relate extraordinary tales about women and their often tragic experiences. “It was a learning experience and you have to be so respectful of the material - they are people's real stories. “If any more acting came along I'd give it a go - I'd really like to be in the No 1 Detective Agency series, it's a real favourite of mine.”
Heather, who is 44, arrives in Norwich for a one-night gig which will see her mix up her back catalogue with newer numbers. “Well, most important of all it should be a fun evening - I'll perform for an hour and a half - and it will chart my journey as a vocalist. I hope it will be uplifting, a bit cheeky, too,” she says.
Heather with M People.
And she admits that half the fun is getting glammed up! “It is rather nice now and again.
“I love Ben de Lisi dresses, but they can be a bit restrictive for the show so I'm not sure yet what I'll wear!” she says. Heather will also be battling with one of her biggest problems - her nerves.
If you saw her on Strictly, you'll know that she definitely does suffer and it is not something that seems to get better with time.
“I guess that I care as much as ever. I always sing like it is going to be the last show of my life, I give it everything that I have.”
After the tour, Heather has her eye on the summer holidays. “I'm planning a few trips, to the south of France and maybe Mauritius.”
Mmm, one night in heaven, indeed!
t Heather Small appears at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, on Wednesday, May 27. Tel 01603 630000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Heather talks to Andy Goulding on Mercia FM
Heather Small chats to Andy Goulding on his breakfast show before her UK tour. Click here to listen to it again on mercia fm.
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