BARBARA Dickson has been true to herself throughout the career. She has escaped what she sees as ‘the pinnacle of stardom’, which has allowed her to have a private life and gently walked through her career.
Barbara burst into the public consciousness when she appeared in John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre in 1974. The show’s success was followed by Barbara’s first hit single, ‘Answer Me’, which was released early in 1976. This was followed up a year later with the hit ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’.
She said: “Being in a theatre was a complete departure for me to be working with actors. I had never worked with actors before and I had never sung Beatles song before. I had a number of folk bookings which I never fulfilled as I went off in another direction. It was all a happy accident.”
Music has always played an important part in Barbara’s life. It was in the family home either when there was singing, or the radio was playing.
She said: “I think my fondest memory was hearing the Everly Brothers on the radio singing Let it Be Me, when I was eight years old. My life has always had music in it. I enjoyed singing to songs on the radio or when listening to records as a way of expressing myself. Touring is something I have not done for two years. I have a lot of discipline and go to bed early, get up early and pace myself to make sure I get through it. I love doing it (singing and touring) and I want to be at my best.”
Barbara will be in Somerset at the Playhouse Theatre in Western Super Mare on March 9.
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