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The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Marcia Hines: ‘The strangest thing I've done for love? Believe the lie'
You grew up with Donna Summer, as you were best friends with her little sister Linda. Is it true you two used to sneak into Donna's bedroom? It's true, I can't lie! She was older than us and any teenage girl knows that a teenager that's older than you is cooler than you. I don't think we ever read her diary or anything. But we wanted to see what she was wearing and try her clothes on. We'd try to hang them up tidy so she didn't know we had been in there. But she'd always know. She didn't like it. But that's what little sisters do! They annoy, you know? She was just so sophisticated and cool compared to us. Donna has passed, but she did get in touch with me and say how proud she was of my accomplishments and congratulations, which was a really nice thing. Is it true that you are distantly related to both Grace Jones and Colin Powell? Absolutely. They're my cousins. Grace is my second cousin and Colin would have been second or third. Grace was brought up in England and I was brought up in Boston, but I did meet up with her brother, Noel Jones, who has got the biggest black American church in LA. I actually went to church with him and one of the guys from the Rockmelons. He said, 'You look like Grace' – well actually, he said, in West Indian terms, he said, 'You favour Grace.' I didn't get to know Colin, but he was so way up in politics, it would have been very difficult to get to him. What's the best piece of advice you have ever received? Stay humble, be gracious, be grateful. And do unto others, as you have them do unto you. I was brought up very well – you learn those teachings as a kid, and it's important to put them into practice when you grow older. What are you secretly really good at? Mosaics! It's always been my hobby. I was taught that if you're artistic as a performer, you're usually artistic with your hands as well. You know that fantastic actor in Silence of the Lambs – Anthony Hopkins! He's an incredible artist. Tony Bennett too. And Joni Mitchell is a fine artist. It's messy, but I do like it. If someone's getting married, or if someone's going moving into a new home, I'll make something for them. It's a nice thing to give something of yourself that you've had to think about. I love to break dishes. What is the strangest thing you've done for love? Believe the lie. [laughs] What's been your most memorable interaction with a fan? There's so many of them. I adore my fans. If it wasn't for my fans, I wouldn't be able to live the dream that I'm living. So many people tell me really moving things – like someone was actually dying and they insisted they played my music as they died. That's big. I hear some incredible stories, because I do a meet and greet with my audience at the end of my shows. It's so touching, you know? One lady told me, 'That song encouraged me to leave my husband.' I was like, 'Well, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I'm so pleased I could help.' Do you have a nemesis? No. Well, hang on, hang on. Not that I know of, right? I hope not. You can't like everybody and everybody can't like you, but you can meet in the middle of all that madness. If you've got a nemesis, you probably made it. What's the oldest thing you own, and why do you still have it? My Bible, which I wrote in when I was about seven. I used to have a teddy bear that I had when I was a kid, and we put it into a teddy bear exhibition, and someone pinched it. But I still have my Bible. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion What's the most chaotic thing that has ever happened to you while on stage? I fell! This was back in the 1970s – I did a kick, and my foot went out from under me. So I stood up and did it again to make it look like a dance step. Also, one of the scariest things that ever happened to me was when I was doing Jesus Christ Superstar. It was almost time to go on stage to sing I Don't Know How to Love Him. Someone spoke to me about something and it disturbed me greatly so when I walked on stage, I blanked. It is scary when you blank. The conductor, Patrick Flynn, was a genius – he saw that I had lost my way, and I don't know where he got a piece of paper and a Texta, but he wrote down a prompt and held it up in the orchestra pit for me. It's not an unusual occurrence to forget lyrics. You do what you can not to. But when it's happening, a millisecond feels like an hour. What's been your biggest fashion crime to date? Platform shoes. It's all relative, isn't it – everything old is new again. I'm seeing all these rehashed hippies wearing clothes that I used to wear. Platforms are back, as are flared trousers and baggy clothes. When I was growing up, midriff was everything –that is back too. Do you have any pets, what are their names and what are their nicknames? I have a dog by the name of Dalley. He's a cavoodle. I also have a cat called Sistah and I have just got a new puppy called Brotha. So I always have a sister and brother in the house! Which book, album or film do you always return to, and why? Out on a Limb by Shirley MacLaine. That really was an incredible thing to read and it's still a very good book. It talks about being a spiritual person, and some of the things that she went through and expressing herself as a spiritual person when people thought she was mad. She's anything but! I don't know where we live as performers – we live someplace else. We can live in amongst this, but we live someplace else and especially when you've got a gift such as she has. I just really like Shirley. Marcia Hines' Marcia Sings Summer tour with Casey Donovan is heading around Australia in October; see here for dates. Her song You (Teddy Cream Remix) is out now (Sony Music Australia)
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The best song to have sex to? Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley': Rick Astley's honest playlist
The first song I fell in love with I've got two older brothers and an older sister. My sister played the grooves out of Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell. When I got my chance, I'd put on I Wan'na Be like You from The Jungle Book. The song I do at karaoke Tale As Old As Time from the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, even though it's a duet. My daughter Emilie is 33, but when she's home, we'll watch a Disney film together. She turns into a five-year-old, I turn into a young dad and it's just lovely. The first single I bought I was 10 and went into this clothes shop in Ashton called Slaters that sold school uniforms, because my dad had given me money to buy a pair of jeans. They had a little record booth and said I could choose a free single. I was intimidated by the older kids, so said: 'I'll have whatever's No 1,' which just happened to be an incredible record: I Feel Love by Donna Summer. The song I inexplicably know every lyric to Certainly not my own! Never Gonna Give You Up has become ingrained to the point it's ridiculous. But there have been moments where I've stepped out of my own body. The best song to play at a party Absolutely everybody will dance to Dancing Queen by Abba if you play it at the right moment, from small kids, teenagers, people in their 20s right the way through to the grannies and granddads. The song that make me cry Ridley Scott uses Vide Cor Meum by Patrick Cassidy, which is inspired by Dante's La Vita Nuova, in Kingdom of Heaven. When the king dies, I have to hold it together not to cry. The song I can no longer listen to I Should Be So Lucky by Kylie Minogue, because apparently when you slow it down to 33rpm, it sounds like me. Even I nearly believed it was me when I first heard it. To clarify: I definitely did not sing the Kylie version of I Should Be So Lucky. The song that changed my life I play drums in a midlife crisis rock band, the Luddites. We do everything from the Sex Pistols to the Clash and Blink 182. Times Like These by Foo Fighters is a favourite. Performing Never Going to Give you up with Foo Fighters was definitely a euphoric moment. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The song that gets me up in the morning I like to go for a long walk in the morning, and I'm a big Biffy Clyro fan. I'll put on the Only Revolutions album, and by the time it gets to Bubbles, I'll be really powering. The best song to have sex to Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley. The song I want played in my funeral I should say There Is a Light That Never Goes out by the Smiths because I got to sing it with Blossoms when we did our Smiths set at Glastonbury. But I don't want to be the one responsible for the picking. Rick Astley plays Henley festival on Friday.
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The best song to have sex to? Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley': Rick Astley's honest playlist
The first song I fell in love with I've got two older brothers and an older sister. My sister played the grooves out of Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell. When I got my chance, I'd put on I Wan'na Be like You from The Jungle Book. The song I do at karaoke Tale As Old As Time from the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, even though it's a duet. My daughter Emilie is 33, but when she's home, we'll watch a Disney film together. She turns into a five-year-old, I turn into a young dad and it's just lovely. The first single I bought I was 10 and went into this clothes shop in Ashton called Slaters that sold school uniforms, because my dad had given me money to buy a pair of jeans. They had a little record booth and said I could choose a free single. I was intimidated by the older kids, so said: 'I'll have whatever's No 1,' which just happened to be an incredible record: I Feel Love by Donna Summer. The song I inexplicably know every lyric to Certainly not my own! Never Gonna Give You Up has become ingrained to the point it's ridiculous. But there have been moments where I've stepped out of my own body. The best song to play at a party Absolutely everybody will dance to Dancing Queen by Abba if you play it at the right moment, from small kids, teenagers, people in their 20s right the way through to the grannies and granddads. The song that make me cry Ridley Scott uses Vide Cor Meum by Patrick Cassidy, which is inspired by Dante's La Vita Nuova, in Kingdom of Heaven. When the king dies, I have to hold it together not to cry. The song I can no longer listen to I Should Be So Lucky by Kylie Minogue, because apparently when you slow it down to 33rpm, it sounds like me. Even I nearly believed it was me when I first heard it. To clarify: I definitely did not sing the Kylie version of I Should Be So Lucky. The song that changed my life I play drums in a midlife crisis rock band, the Luddites. We do everything from the Sex Pistols to the Clash and Blink 182. Times Like These by Foo Fighters is a favourite. Performing Never Going to Give you up with Foo Fighters was definitely a euphoric moment. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The song that gets me up in the morning I like to go for a long walk in the morning, and I'm a big Biffy Clyro fan. I'll put on the Only Revolutions album, and by the time it gets to Bubbles, I'll be really powering. The best song to have sex to Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley. The song I want played in my funeral I should say There Is a Light That Never Goes out by the Smiths because I got to sing it with Blossoms when we did our Smiths set at Glastonbury. But I don't want to be the one responsible for the picking. Rick Astley plays Henley festival on Friday.
Entrepreneur
01-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
I Worked Through Labor, My Wedding and Burnout — For What?
I was raised in financial chaos. Here's my journey as I learned to stop fearing money and discovered that true security comes not from constant hustle, but from trust, balance and letting go. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. I was five years old when my parents got divorced. Before my father left, he bought my mom a forest green Volvo with a beige interior. It was very square and very safe. My mom hated it. About a week later, she pulled into the driveway in a brand-new creamy Corvette with T-tops. It was beautiful, but I immediately noticed a problem: there was my mom, my one-and-a-half-year-old brother and me. Three of us, two seats. The math wasn't mathing, but she was beaming. She had already put her personalized license plate on it that read "WE LOVE" with a frame that just said "Being Italian" — in case you were wondering what we loved — and was wearing her yellow shirt that read "Sicilians Do It Better" in navy velvet iron-on letters. In that moment, it didn't matter that my 40-year-old dad had left her for a 17-year-old girl. That car — and that energy — made her feel on top of the world, as if nothing could stand in her way. My brother would crawl into the trunk space while I sat up front, the T-tops off, windows down, Donna Summer blasting as we flew down the freeway. And even though it would only be the three of us for a little while longer, we were the happiest we would be for a long time. Throughout my childhood, the math not mathing was pretty much an ongoing theme. The only financial advice I got from my mom growing up was: "If you feel like you don't have any money, the best thing to do is spend more." She said this while sitting at the table in our living room, bills spread out in front of her. Behind her were stacks of receipts, every single one taped to paper and filed away in hopes my dad would finally show up and pay child support. She was overwhelmed, and it was definitely what she thought she should do at that moment. That mindset led her to refinance our little house three times. We had plenty of nights without power or food. She filed for bankruptcy twice. But she also went on a lot of cruises with my stepdad and kept a trunk full of fake diamonds from the swap meet, things that truly made her happy. Money wooshed in and out, often with a bit of accompanying drama. Related: How to Handle Your Cash Flow Fears Watching those sudden windfalls and downfalls wasn't just confusing — it made me genuinely terrified of money. I started working at 13. If I wanted anything extra — or really anything at all — I had to earn it. I worked illegally at a few jobs, hustling outside of school: dry cleaners (so awful, so hot), bakeries (great, I love a bread slicer), movie rental places (fun, and watching guys rent porn from someone not even old enough to watch it — iconic), cashier at a vegetarian grocer (Patchouli for days) and eventually waiting tables in the back of the store (loved it; always said I'd still be a waitress if it paid more). No matter how difficult the job was or the hours, whatever it took, I did it. Because of money and family chaos, college was not an option. So I kept working. I carried a constant fear that if I slipped up, even once, I'd lose everything. That fear only deepened when I became responsible not just for myself but for my own company, my employees, the overhead… and my mom. I took every job. I worked through my wedding. I was working in the hospital, giving birth. When I was pregnant with my third, Holland, she was late, so we scheduled the induction for Friday so I could be back at work on Monday. No maternity leave. No vacation. But the truth is: it was all self-inflicted. Related: How to Rewire Your Money Habits for Explosive Business Growth I worked like my life depended on it — because in many ways, it felt like it did. If I stopped, if I even slowed down, I feared I would lose everything. Just like I'd watched my mom do, time and again. Eventually, I took some time off — and the weirdest thing happened: nothing. Everything kept going. And for the first time, I understood my mother's point. Don't be afraid of money. It comes and it goes, and life keeps moving. When I stopped gripping so tightly, money flowed more easily. It was a lesson in trust, in my own capability and resilience. Turns out, my mom wasn't entirely wrong. Money does come and go. The trick is knowing when to let it go, without fear. So buy those diamonds at the swap meet, sweetheart. Money doesn't always have to stress you out. Trust yourself to know when to hold on and when to let go. No, really. Because in the end, it's just energy. And when you stop fearing it, you free yourself to focus on what matters: living well, giving generously, and taking the kinds of risks that make growth — and real success — possible.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Barbra Streisand on the Duets That Define Her: ‘I Like Drama'
To Barbra Streisand, a duet isn't just a song. 'It's a dramatic process,' she said. 'It's wondering who is this guy in the song? Who is this girl? What's happening with them?' Figuring that out plays straight into Streisand's core identity as an artist. 'I'm an actress first,' she added. 'I like drama.' Small wonder she has performed character-driven duets so often, so creatively and with such commercial success. In October 1963, following the release of Streisand's debut album, Judy Garland invited her to appear in an episode of her TV show; their joint performance all but anointed the younger as her vocal heir. In the decades since, many of her highest-charting songs have been duets, starting in 1978 with Neil Diamond on their death-of-a-love ballad, 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers,' followed the next year by her diva-off with Donna Summer on 'No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).' Both shot straight to No. 1. In the early 1980s, she scored two Top 10 Billboard hits with Barry Gibb, chased by a dalliance with Bryan Adams In 2014, Streisand issued an entire album of double billings titled 'Partners,' which teamed her with stars from the quick (John Mayer on 'Come Rain or Come Shine') to the dead (Elvis Presley via a vocal sample from the singer's 1956 recording of 'Love Me Tender'). Both that album, and its follow-up, 'Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway,' scaled Billboard's peak. Next week, Streisand, 83, will release a sequel, 'The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two,' featuring contemporaries of different musical sensibilities, like Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, as well as younger voices including Hozier and Sam Smith. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
