Mothers pride
from the Sunday Express magazine 7 December 2003

Having a baby may mellow a lot of woman - but Sharleen Spiteri isn't one of them. In fact, the Texas star has become even more formidable since becoming a mum. Simon Gage catches up with her.

"I've never been much of a smoker," says Sharleen Spiteri, lighting up a silk cut ultra and stretching out full-length on the sofa in a very overblown room in the London celebrity hangout Home House. Being a mum has certainly changed Sharleen, but not in the way you might expect.

Always one of the most formidable female singers in the business, Sharleen is even more her own woman since the birth of Misty over a year ago. At 35, her look is sexily anti-sexy - black boots, a harsh Chrissie Hynde haircut that she did herself, and jeans your mother wouldn't understand. And her music, while retaining the beautiful melodies that Texas are famous for, is underscored with a tough urban kick. That said, Sharleen shows me pictures of Misty before I've even had time to take my jacket off.

"I always wanted kids," she says. "I've always seen myself as one of those people who has lots of children around them at Christmas, and says, 'Let's put the decorations on the tree'. Then she laughs. "And, 'get down off there'. And that's what my house is like. I love having people round, and cooking and all that stuff."

The pregnancy couldn't have come at a better time for Sharleen. Texas had released there Greatest Hits album, which went on to sell around five million copies, and she and writing partner Johnny McElhone were settling in for some gentle song-writing when she found out.
"Some of the recording on the new album was done when I was pregnant. You can feel very sexy when you are pregnant and that came out in the songs. It worked out perfectly," she smiles.
"And I was ecstatic. I was like." and she punches the air, "Yes! Yee-Ha!" Even being dogged by the paparazzi, who were running updates on how big her bump was getting couldn't burst Sharleen's bubble. "It was funny. But I had an 8-pound, 7-ounce baby. A big one. You can never imagine the pain of giving birth. But I'd do it again tomorrow, like that." And she snaps her fingers. Not that she had a particularly difficult pregnancy. "I had no cravings and I was only sick about three times."
The birth of Misty hasn't exactly softened Sharleen. Though she grew up playing poker with her father's friends in Glasgow, broke her nose several times and once injured her hand punching a wall to prevent herself from punching someone's face, Sharleen has become even fiercer since she's been a mum. "Throughout my life, a lot of people have disapproved of what I've done, but I don't care what anyone thinks. And I'm even more like that now I've had the baby. Your time becomes so important that you're like, you know what? You're talking rubbish and I don't have time to listen to this'."

It's that kind of straightforward attitude that has won Sharleen the friendship of such independently-minded stars as Madonna, Kate Moss, Chrissie Hynde and Debbie Harry. But don't imagine that its all about celebrity mum coffee mornings.
"We do all see each others babies and , yeah, our kids hang out sometimes and the nannies know each other." At the mention of nannies, Sharleen smirks. She had loudly proclaimed that she was going to be different from other celebrity mums - she was going to bring up her daughter all by herself. "And then, when Misty was five months old, the nanny came to live with me full time," she laughs. Sharleen is, however, keen to point out that hers is a nine-to-five nanny who gives Misty back in the evening.
"I was back at work when she was really small, it was easy because I could take her to the studio and she just sat in her baby chair and watched the flashing lights and stuff. But I haven't got any family in London and it's really good just being able to say, 'Can you just hold her for a minute?'" Not that Misty's allowed to be any trouble. Sharleen always knew she would be a strict mum. "She went into her own bedroom at three months and I was like, Misty, shut up!'. They do need to be told. I don't want my kid to be a brat." As for her relationship with publishing executive Ashley Heath - they met during Paris Fashion Week and were instantly attracted - it's even stronger since the arrival of Misty, though there's still no talk of marriage. "I don't know if he'll have me," she laughs. "When you have a kid with someone, you've already made that decision. You are married. As far as making it legal, I don't know if we'll do it. Its never been a massive issue. With Misty, to start with he was a bit like 'What does it do?' but now he's become a doting dad. Suddenly, at six months, they become a little person. Misty's personality is there already - she's so headstrong and determined, she puts me to shame! You think you really love your partner until you have a baby. Then you love your partner more because your kid is half them and half you, but your love for your child is just like, 'whoa!' You can't even explain it. I'm used to kids but I didn't realise it would be like this.
"I didn't want to put out a record about babies. I think you can talk about babies up to a certain point and then it's really boring. And also I'm no different to any other woman in what I have done. The only difference is that, when my sister had a baby, she went straight back to work because she's got bills to pay. I can get a nanny, and I can take Misty to work with me if I want to - I'm spoilt in that sense. But if you work in an office, you have to do it by the rules in that office. And I take my hat off to those mothers."


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