Sheena Easton: Scottish pop star settles down
George A. Paul, Staff writer San Bernadino Sun

"Trying to put out a hit record? There's nothing more obnoxious to me right now."
That's Sheena Easton, on the phone from her Las Vegas home, explaining she has no desire to compete in today's music marketplace.
Long before Celine Dion became pop music's premier balladeer, the diminutive Scottish singer reigned. From 1981-91, she notched more than a dozen top 40 hits ("Morning Train," "For Your Eyes Only," "Almost Over You, "Modern Girl," "Strut"), won a Best New Artist Grammy and had six gold or platinum albums. Then Easton got tired of the industry treadmill.
"I opted out of the lifestyle" where you spent a long time in the studio and toured constantly. A song on the radio meant "you've lost your freedom."
One day, Easton said, "Forget it; I can't do that anymore."
Her priorities changed after adopting a baby boy and girl in the mid-'90s. "If I ever make another commercial album (here), it will be because I'm at a point in my life where my kids don't need me as much."
Maternal instincts might have supplanted the glitz and glamour,
but the lure of live performance is still appealing.
Doing concerts twice a month still allows Easton to "get my share of being an artist and give what is needed to my kids." She's "just like any other single working mom trying to juggle two things."
The singer said she is honored to inaugurate the new Lewis Family Playhouse at Victoria Gardens on Friday.
The show is "a real cross section of all the hits. Then I throw in a few things (people) are not expecting. I choose songs that are relevant to my life and artists that have influenced me."
Well-versed in current music, her iPod includes John Mayer, Five for Fighting, Snow Patrol and Under the Influence of Giants.
"My son laughs at me and says, ‘What about AFI?' Having two kids, I'm constantly reminded that I'm just not hip" in their eyes.
How does she view the current crop of female singers making waves?
"I've always loved Fergie and the Black-Eyed Peas; I like the grooves and the rhythms. They make me happy when I put their stuff on. As far as great voices, I think Kelly Clarkson can sing anything she puts her mind to. She blows me away."
Besides music, Easton is also an actress who appeared on Broadway ("Grease
"Man of La Mancha") and has a wealth of television roles to her credit. She recently portrayed the Queen of France on the i-Independent Network action-adventure series "Young Blades."
"I really love acting and would like to do more of it," except living in Vegas makes it difficult to get work. "I'd have to move to either New York or L.A. again and be available for the business side of things. I'm not prepared to uproot my kids."
One of Easton's more memorable TV roles was playing the wife of Don Johnson's character in the 1987-88 season of "Miami Vice." With the recent big screen remake out, I wondered if she'd seen it yet.
The answer was "no," but Easton did relate memories of working on the popular show.
"It was my first TV role and a great experience. Don was funny and very generous to work with. ... He taught me a lot of technical stuff about TV acting as opposed to stage acting, which was the world I'd come from."
For much of the past decade, Easton's career has revolved around "The Colors of Christmas" tours and work in Las Vegas: she co-starred with David Cassidy in "At the Copa," co-hosted a morning talk show pilot for syndication and was inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame).
Speaking of casino vets, does she still keep in touch with Kenny Rogers, whose 1983 duet with Easton on Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonight" landed in the top 10?
"We were never friends," she said dismissively. "I don't know what the public thinks."
What about Prince, her collaborator on such late '80s hits as the racy "Sugar Walls," "U Got the Look" and "The Arms of Orion" (from 1989's "Batman" starring Michael Keaton)?
"No, but when we were friends, he could call my house and say, ‘Hey, come down to the studio. You've got to hear what we're doing down here.' I lived up in the Hollywood Hills and he'd be recording five minutes away. I could (easily) jump in the car at 2 a.m."

CONCERT PREVIEW: SHEENA EASTON
Where: Lewis Family Playhouse, Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Availability: Sold out
Information: (909) 477-2752

does this mean that UK report was bogus?

Now there's a chic who can give P a run for his money!
lol
You go Miss Easton!

is it me,or does she sound a little bitter when referring to her old duet partners? When asked about Kenny Rogers,she says

"We were never friends",she said dismissively."I don't know what the public thinks"


and when asked about Prince,she says "When we were friends..."