Rowetta
Forget multi-million celebrity product endorsement deals and flash advertising shoots in exotic locations, the makers of Daim are leading a new nostalgic campaign by looking back in time for well-known faces from the 90s to star in their latest advertising campaign and have the chance to be famous a ‘Second Daim Around.’
I caught up with the incredible Rowetta, who has auditioned to be the face of Second Daim Around, to chat about everything from her career with the Happy Monday’s, her reign in the first series of X Factor as well as what’s on the cards at the moment.
Hey Rowetta, how are you?
I'm really well, thank you
What are you up to at the moment?
I've been writing and recording lots of new tunes and doing a lot of gigs, I’m also just preparing for a Pop Goes The 80s tour as well as presenting my own radio show with Terry Longden (Ozzy nephew from The Salon), The Terry & Ro Show on Gaydio.
Wow, super busy then! Now, you’ve teamed up with the makers of Daim who are leading a new nostalgic campaign which is looking back in time for well-known faces from the 90s… tell us what that’s all about?
I was contacted, as I had worked with the PR firm before, and thought it would be a laugh, and I do like Daim bars and also a good excuse to get one of my dogs filmed.
He's already been on GMTV with me.
What made you decide to get involved?
Apart from getting my dog involved, I thought it would be good for Happy Mondays fans who get annoyed that people label me as "just a backing singer" with the band and that not many girls came out of the Madchester scene.
I am constantly getting emails from disgruntled fans, that my work with the Mondays isn't known by X Factor fans. There are plenty of videos of me performing with the Mondays on You Tube, and they show what a large part I played in the band in the 90s and sang on some great hits.
This is a good excuse to celebrate that time, especially with the passing of Factory legend, Tony Wilson. I also played myself in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People with Steve Coogan as Tony Wilson.
Another celebration of what a great time we had in the 90s, and that it wasn't just the boys having fun.
Good on you, so you were an official 90’s star with The Happy Monday’s, do you think you could bring back the past and take on the music industry again today?
My dance tunes do really well and I had the number one download in the Beatport dance charts for 3 weeks over Xmas with a song called Reach Out feat Rowetta which has been a worldwide hit, and was recently sampled on Steve Angello's Show Me Love.
Since then I have been getting the best djs and producers asking to work with me. I feel very lucky that I get to work with the best producers and get to do some exciting gigs and last year I got to tour Japan with one of my dance tunes.
I also have the manager of the band Kiss looking after me in the States as I just sang with his new band, Crossbreed, and my next releases coming up are No More Coming Down with J Nitti and Lights Out with Tom Stephan.
I have also just teamed up with a Serbian producer called Shomy Woodman and the music we're doing is very Madchester sounding, and I think it's the best work I've done.
Ooh, I’m so excited, also, we all know you were the star of the X Factor in their first series (I voted for you by the way!) do you think that helped thrust you back into the public eye?
Thank you for voting for me. I was thrilled to be the last woman standing that year.
The X Factor was brilliant for me and now I think because I was a memorable contestant it has ensured that I have been busy ever since, and has opened many doors for me. Plus I loved working with Simon and I am very grateful to the show and the public for giving me the opportunity.
Not many people can say they love working with Sion! Haha, now Rowetta, you have an amazing voice, please tell me you’re going to be releasing some more material… if not would you become my personal singing teacher?
Lots of dance tune releases coming up as I mentioned before, but if you can't wait, or prefer to hear me singing "proper songs" you can get a couple of my own compositions on Amazon and I-tunes.
Mother Love is a song I wrote for my mum's 70th birthday and sang to her at Manchester Pride. The clip is on You Tube and my mum is dancing with me.
The other is a song called Drink Myself Dry, which deals with my problem with whiskey. As you may know, I did a show called Rehab for Living TV, in Malibu at the end of last year which changed my life. I had therapy for domestic violence and the result has been wonderful and I no longer drink whiskey or smoke cigarettes and I feel great for it .
Congratulations Rowetta, that’s amazing. So, you’ve also been touring with The Songs Of Sister Act, what made you decide to get involved in that project?
I've always loved the music from the Sister Act films, so to be able to sing those songs every night for 28 shows has been brilliant and also the chance to sing with the London Community Gospel Choir was something I couldn't say no to.
I love working with the choir and have made some good friends, we are planning to tour with the show again last year, as people loved it, and it was great to see so many people dress up for the occasion as nuns, vicars and monks. A real family, fun night out. I loved it.
Now Rowetta, you’ve been an active musician since 1987, what inspires you to keep at it?
It's all I've ever done, and I love singing and performing, I've never had lessons, I feel I was just born to do it. Also, the opportunities that keep coming my way are amazing and I will keep on singing and performing until I can't physically do it any more.
And what has been your fondest memory of the music industry so far?
There are so many, so I’ll just give you a little list!
My first Top Of The Pops was special in 1990, singing Step On.
I’ve had some amazing gigs with the Mondays - Rock In Rio, Wembley Stadium, Glasgown (Barrowlands and SECC) amongst them.
Simon Cowell telling me I had one of the greatest voices he'd heard in the last 20 years!!!
Singing live at Children In Need in 2006
Headlining at G-A-Y and singing at Manchester Pride each year, this year I will be headlining the Women's Stage on the 30th August.
I have many more, and fortunately most of my memories are good, but any bad experiences happened for a reason, and I turned it around.
Wow, they sound awesome, so who do you admire?
My children. My son is one of the kindest people you could wish to meet and great company and he's a great worker whilst my daughter is beautiful and has just got a first class honours degree in European Film and Politics at Manchester University
You must be so proud of them, what an amazing family, now, if you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On! Great songs and my favourite voice ever, I never get tired of his voice.
Also, I know it’s pouring down at the moment, but it is the festival season, so which three acts would you choose to headline your dream event?
Madonna (love her), Foo Fighters, (one of my favourite live acts) and Shomy Woodman (new Serbian artist that I love)
Well, I think you should give them a call and get it sorted, but that’s all for now hun, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you for some great questions
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
The new ad campaign will be hitting the virtual world in October once the great British public has voted for the 90s celebrity they would most like to see make their big comeback.
Forget multi-million celebrity product endorsement deals and flash advertising shoots in exotic locations, the makers of Daim are leading a new nostalgic campaign by looking back in time for well-known faces from the 90s to star in their latest advertising campaign and have the chance to be famous a ‘Second Daim Around.’
I caught up with the incredible Rowetta, who has auditioned to be the face of Second Daim Around, to chat about everything from her career with the Happy Monday’s, her reign in the first series of X Factor as well as what’s on the cards at the moment.
Hey Rowetta, how are you?
I'm really well, thank you
What are you up to at the moment?
I've been writing and recording lots of new tunes and doing a lot of gigs, I’m also just preparing for a Pop Goes The 80s tour as well as presenting my own radio show with Terry Longden (Ozzy nephew from The Salon), The Terry & Ro Show on Gaydio.
Wow, super busy then! Now, you’ve teamed up with the makers of Daim who are leading a new nostalgic campaign which is looking back in time for well-known faces from the 90s… tell us what that’s all about?
I was contacted, as I had worked with the PR firm before, and thought it would be a laugh, and I do like Daim bars and also a good excuse to get one of my dogs filmed.
He's already been on GMTV with me.
What made you decide to get involved?
Apart from getting my dog involved, I thought it would be good for Happy Mondays fans who get annoyed that people label me as "just a backing singer" with the band and that not many girls came out of the Madchester scene.
I am constantly getting emails from disgruntled fans, that my work with the Mondays isn't known by X Factor fans. There are plenty of videos of me performing with the Mondays on You Tube, and they show what a large part I played in the band in the 90s and sang on some great hits.
This is a good excuse to celebrate that time, especially with the passing of Factory legend, Tony Wilson. I also played myself in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People with Steve Coogan as Tony Wilson.
Another celebration of what a great time we had in the 90s, and that it wasn't just the boys having fun.
Good on you, so you were an official 90’s star with The Happy Monday’s, do you think you could bring back the past and take on the music industry again today?
My dance tunes do really well and I had the number one download in the Beatport dance charts for 3 weeks over Xmas with a song called Reach Out feat Rowetta which has been a worldwide hit, and was recently sampled on Steve Angello's Show Me Love.
Since then I have been getting the best djs and producers asking to work with me. I feel very lucky that I get to work with the best producers and get to do some exciting gigs and last year I got to tour Japan with one of my dance tunes.
I also have the manager of the band Kiss looking after me in the States as I just sang with his new band, Crossbreed, and my next releases coming up are No More Coming Down with J Nitti and Lights Out with Tom Stephan.
I have also just teamed up with a Serbian producer called Shomy Woodman and the music we're doing is very Madchester sounding, and I think it's the best work I've done.
Ooh, I’m so excited, also, we all know you were the star of the X Factor in their first series (I voted for you by the way!) do you think that helped thrust you back into the public eye?
Thank you for voting for me. I was thrilled to be the last woman standing that year.
The X Factor was brilliant for me and now I think because I was a memorable contestant it has ensured that I have been busy ever since, and has opened many doors for me. Plus I loved working with Simon and I am very grateful to the show and the public for giving me the opportunity.
Not many people can say they love working with Sion! Haha, now Rowetta, you have an amazing voice, please tell me you’re going to be releasing some more material… if not would you become my personal singing teacher?
Lots of dance tune releases coming up as I mentioned before, but if you can't wait, or prefer to hear me singing "proper songs" you can get a couple of my own compositions on Amazon and I-tunes.