Interview: Rowetta

Of course, Happy Mondays fans knew her already as the band's backing singer.

ONLY musicians of a certain calibre can get away with using just their first name. Think about it: Madonna, Kylie, Elton, Prince.

Rowetta might not have hit the dizzy heights of these performers, but her vivacious personality and powerful voice have granted her a place alongside the one-name brigade.

And although it's her over-the-top character that people remember, she's actually quite shy in real life, she claims.

"I'm not actually that mad," said Rowetta.

"People are sometimes a bit disappointed when they meet me because I'm quite normal."

Her manic behaviour, which won her a legion of fans on The X Factor, is all down to nerves, she insisted.

"I've just written a song with Jason Gardner (Dancing on Ice judge) and he said to me 'If you could just control your nerves. Rowetta. you'd be fine'. It's just when I get nervous it comes across as craziness, you see - I get a bit manic. Obviously The X Factor brought that out in me.

"But usually I'm quite a shy person. I have to force myself to be sociable when I'm out and people recognise me, which happens every day, and it does take a lot of effort."

Rowetta has been busy since the end of The X Factor. She's released a self-titled album, played herself in Footballer's Wives Extra Time and appeared on Celebrity Scissorhands.

Most recently she's co-hosted a drivetime radio show on Gaydio FM and performed alongside Suranne Jones in musical Best of Broadway.

Now she's coming to Manchester with a starring role in The Songs Of Sister Act, alongside Three Degrees star Sheila Ferguson and The London Community Gospel Choir.

"It's going to be a really fun show," said Rowetta.

"I've always loved the film. When I first saw it I thought to myself, 'I'd love to have played that role' about Whoopi Goldberg's character.

"I can see myself in her - she's black and Jewish like me and she's a big character. I think she's brilliant."

The show will see Rowetta and Sheila performing songs that made the film, and its sequel Sister Act: Back in the Habit hugely successful.

Expect to dance in the aisles to songs including Oh Happy Day, Joyful Joyful, Shout and Aint No Mountain High Enough.

The show is just the latest in a long line of exciting musical projects that Manchester-born and bred Rowetta has undertaken.

She began singing as a child, performing in talent competitions before progressing to singing in clubs.

Then in 1989 her life took a major turn when she became backing singer for Happy Mondays.

She performed on Top of the Pops, played Wembley Arena and toured the world.

And it stood her in good stead for the weekly live appearances on TheX Factor, the show which was to make her a household name.

Rowetta has no regrets about appearing on the show, despite not winning or coming out with a record deal.

"I loved The X Factor. It's made me more in demand and I think when there's an event they think of me when they would've done before. I don't knock anyone who goes on that show because I know how brave you have to be to do it," she said.

"Not a day goes by when someone doesn't ask me, 'What's Simon Cowell like in real life' and the answer is that he's lovely. I loved them all. When I was knocked off the show the Osbourne family were lovely to me. They took me back to the Dorchester with them and Kelly took me out on the town."

But her career highlight, she said, wasn't anything to do with The X Factor or Happy Mondays, but when she sang live with the BBC orchestra for Children in Need.

"That was amazing," she said.

"It was such an honour to be asked because they can ask anybody to do Children in Need and they'll say yes. I was up after Catherine Jenkins and, the year before, Madonna and Kylie had performed. That was great because it was just me up there on my own singing live."

l The Songs Of Sister Act, Manchester Palace Theatre, Friday, February 8. Call box office on 0844 847 2275 or visit www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk