Jenny Boden caught up with Beverley Knight, ahead of her ... · British soul, Beverley Knight has...
1
Hailed as the Queen of British soul, Beverley Knight has accomplished a great deal since debuting her first album, The B-Funk as a fresh faced 21-year-old. Between picking up an MBE from the Queen and collecting a small mountain of awards, Knight is an ambassador for several charities and a self-confessed good person. You recently performed at the first ever North West Fashion Week, how influential do you think the North West is in terms of fashion? The North West has really stepped up in recent years and people are looking towards Manchester and Liverpool as alternative fashion hubs to London. It’s encouraging that there is somewhere outside of London people can draw their inspiration from. Do you think that British fashion generally has become a stronger contender to the other European fashion houses of Italy and France? Different fashion capitals have always existed for different reasons. In Britain we tend to innovate trends, and diffuse them down to the street very quickly. In Milan and Paris, the fashion is more timeless. They are classic chic and we are much more fashion forward. We get things out on the street a lot quicker, and have more definitive fashion. Who is your style icon? I’ve always been a huge fan of Skin from Skunk Anansie. She is her own woman. She can wear a couture gown and look flawless but completely individual. Then she can put on a T-shirt with a mini skirt and look fantastic again. Who do you prefer to wear? Even though I have a very small build, I’m very athletic. I tend to wear designers who flatter women; Issa, Missoni, McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. What are your top style tips? The little details make everything work, and don’t be scared of having a prêt-a- porter piece and mixing it with something from the high street. Give it your own stamp. Being in the public eye lends itself to constant reinven- tion. How do you update your look? I look at a lot of magazines and take the bits I like and throw away the bits I don’t, always keeping my shape in mind. Until recently, females were always told how to dress in the music industry, now you have Amy Winehouse coming in with the biggest beehive you’ve ever seen and having success on her own terms. That is so great. Do you think the competition as a female artist has become stronger in recent years with the emergence of artists like Amy Winehouse? Not really, I have been doing what I do for 14 years and I don’t really look at what other people are doing. Rather than see it as some kind of race to the top, I think a wonderful, rich tapestry of music is developing. How has the music industry changed in the 14 years that you’ve been in it? It has revolutionised, it’s not the same thing. When I first started, you recorded your vocals to tape and now you can sit in your bedroom and record a vocal on a little Macbook. The biggest change has been the way that the public get their music; the internet has completely changed everything. How has your music progressed from The B-Funk to Music City Soul? When I was young I was writing about things affecting people of my age, and those things changed over the years. I’m drawing inspiration from different places now. When I first started R‘n’B was underground, and now it’s ultra pop. I’ve found myself going more into my soul and gospel roots; that’s where I’m from. It’s funny how you do that as you get older. You supported Prince at the 02 Arena, how did it feel to perform with one of your heroes? It was amazing to build a rapport with someone I had worshipped my entire life. To be on the same stage as him, performing with him, it’s very difficult to put into words. No matter what I say I don’t think I could portray how that feels. Prince has been in the business for over 30 years, to what do you think he owes such a lengthy career? Prince never looked at what everyone else was doing. He didn’t try to be a part of what everyone else was doing, he just did what he did and that’s why 30 years later he’s still around. And on top of that, he is brilliant! If you could perform with anyone else who would be it? Chaka Khan. After all this time in the music industry, do you still have those moments where you think, ‘I can’t believe I’m here?’ I was singing with Prince at his Oscars after show party and Stevie Wonder got up! So I was on stage, and Prince and Stevie were on stage, and I was like, “Are you joking me!” I’m still completely freaked out by it all. If you hadn’t have become a singer, what do you think you would have been doing? Hopefully still involved in music because it is my passion; if I didn’t have any discernable musical talent, I would have done something academic. I have a degree in theology so perhaps something with that. I’m glad that I haven’t! Your achievements include an MBE, performing with the likes of Annie Lennox as well as numerous gold and platinum albums, but what is the most memorable moment of your career? I have three; being on stage with Prince is one, singing for Nelson Mandela at a dinner party held in his honour and singing happy birthday to Mohammed Ali. Your MBE was to honour your commitment to the music industry as well as your commitment to charities; is this something that is close to your heart? As much as people call you a celebrity, you live in the real world and real things affect you. My closest friend died of an AIDS related illness and it motivated me to use what I have to give back; to help in any way that I can. If I didn’t I would be a pretty crappy person. It’s not just a matter of collecting gold stars along the way and I certainly don’t see myself as some kind of hero, I was pretty stunned when I was offered an MBE. Is there anything else you would like to achieve in your career? I would like to see what the US would make of someone like me. It’s very encouraging to see what’s happened with Estelle and Amy Winehouse. Maybe I made soul music more palatable and more acceptable for the British public. Now they have made soul music and R‘n’B more palatable and acceptable for the entire world. Jenny Boden caught up with Beverley Knight, ahead of her recent performance launching the first North West Fashion Week, to discuss music, clothes and Prince
Transcript of Jenny Boden caught up with Beverley Knight, ahead of her ... · British soul, Beverley Knight has...
136
Hailed as the Queen of British soul, Beverley Knight has accomplished a great deal since debuting her first album, The B-Funk as a fresh faced 21-year-old. Between picking up an MBE from the Queen and collecting a small mountain of awards, Knight is an ambassador for several charities and a self-confessed good person.
You recently performed at the first ever North West Fashion Week, how influential do you think the North West is in terms of fashion?The North West has really stepped up in recent years and people are looking towards Manchester and Liverpool as alternative fashion hubs to London. It’s encouraging that there is somewhere outside of London people can draw their inspiration from.
Do you think that British fashion generally has become a stronger contender to the other European fashion houses of Italy and France?Different fashion capitals have always existed for different reasons. In Britain we tend to innovate trends, and diffuse them down to the street very quickly. In Milan and Paris, the fashion is more timeless. They are classic chic and we are much more fashion forward. We get things out on the street a lot quicker, and have more definitive fashion.
Who is your style icon? I’ve always been a huge fan of Skin from Skunk Anansie. She is her own woman. She can wear a couture gown and look flawless but completely individual. Then she can put on a T-shirt with a mini skirt and look fantastic again.
Who do you prefer to wear? Even though I have a very small build, I’m very athletic. I tend to wear designers who flatter women; Issa, Missoni, McQueen and Vivienne
Westwood.What are your top style tips?The little details make everything work, and don’t be scared of having a prêt-a-porter piece and mixing it with something from the high street. Give it your own stamp.
Being in the public eye lends itself to constant reinven-tion. How do you update your look? I look at a lot of magazines and take the bits I like and throw away the bits I don’t, always keeping my shape in mind. Until recently, females were always told how to dress in the music industry, now you have Amy Winehouse coming in with the biggest beehive you’ve ever seen and having success on her own terms. That is so great.
Do you think the competition as a female artist has become stronger in recent years with the emergence of artists like Amy Winehouse?Not really, I have been doing what I do for 14 years and I don’t really look at what other people are doing. Rather than see it as some kind of race to the top, I think a wonderful, rich tapestry of music is developing.
How has the music industry changed in the 14 years that you’ve been in it?It has revolutionised, it’s not the same thing. When I first started, you recorded your vocals to tape and now you can sit in your bedroom and record a vocal on a little Macbook. The biggest change has been the way that the public get their music; the internet has completely changed everything.
How has your music progressed from The B-Funk to Music City Soul? When I was young I was writing about things affecting people of my age, and those things changed over the years. I’m drawing inspiration from
different places now. When I first started R‘n’B was underground, and now it’s ultra pop. I’ve found myself going more into my soul and gospel roots; that’s where I’m from. It’s funny how you do that as you get older.
You supported Prince at the 02 Arena, how did it feel to perform with one of your heroes? It was amazing to build a rapport with someone I had worshipped my entire life. To be on the same stage as him, performing with him, it’s very difficult to put into words. No matter what I say I don’t think I could portray how that feels.
Prince has been in the business for over 30 years, to what do you think he owes such a lengthy career? Prince never looked at what everyone else was doing. He didn’t try to be a part of what everyone else was doing, he just did what he did and that’s why 30 years later he’s still around. And on top of that, he is brilliant!
If you could perform with anyone else who would be it?Chaka Khan.
After all this time in the music industry, do you still have those moments where you think, ‘I can’t believe I’m here?’I was singing with Prince at his Oscars after show party and Stevie Wonder got up! So I was on stage, and Prince and Stevie were on stage, and I was like, “Are you joking me!” I’m still completely freaked out by it all.
If you hadn’t have become a singer, what do you think you would have been doing? Hopefully still involved in music because it is my passion; if I didn’t have any discernable musical talent, I would have done something academic. I have a degree in theology so perhaps something with that.
I’m glad that I haven’t!Your achievements include an MBE, performing with the likes of Annie Lennox as well as numerous gold and platinum albums, but what is the most memorable moment of your career?I have three; being on stage with Prince is one, singing for Nelson Mandela at a dinner party held in his honour and singing happy birthday to Mohammed Ali.
Your MBE was to honour your commitment to the music industry as well as your commitment to charities; is this something that is close to your heart?As much as people call you a celebrity, you live in the real world and real things affect you. My closest friend died of an AIDS related illness and it motivated me to use what I have to give back; to help in any way that I can. If I didn’t I would be a pretty crappy person. It’s not just a matter of collecting gold stars along the way and I certainly don’t see myself as some kind of hero, I was pretty stunned when I was offered an MBE.
Is there anything else you would like to achieve in your career?I would like to see what the US would make of someone like me. It’s very encouraging to see what’s happened with Estelle and Amy Winehouse. Maybe I made soul music more palatable and more acceptable for the British public. Now they have made soul music and R‘n’B more palatable and acceptable for the entire world.
Jenny Boden caught up with Beverley Knight, ahead of her recentperformance launching the first North West Fashion Week, to discussmusic, clothes and Prince
