Katherine Jenkins: ‘I am so grateful my fans stood by me’
by Karen Price, WalesOnline
As Katherine Jenkins prepares to launch her career in America she unveils her plans to Karen Price and reveals why her fans’ support through her recent tough times means so much
TODAY Katherine Jenkins starts a whole new chapter in her life. She leaves behind the spring chill in the UK to jet to California for a few weeks in the warm sunshine.
But it will be no holiday. Instead the chart-topping mezzo soprano will be launching her bid to take America by storm.
After signing a £5.8m five-album deal with Warner she will be working with international producer David Foster who’s behind such greats as Canadian jazz singer Michael Buble and Josh Groban, the Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter.
She exclusively revealed her plans to Box Office five months ago but rather than living in Los Angeles, she will just spend a few weeks at a time there before popping back to the UK to catch up with family, friends and performing concerts on home territory.
When we speak just days before she leaves, her bags are packed, she’s found a hotel on the beach for her initial three-week stay and she sounds genuinely excited.
“I’m ready for it now,” she says. “The flight’s booked and I’m going on Friday. I’ve just been getting everything together.”
The major change has come at just the right time for the 28-year-old.
Four months ago, the Neath-born singer, famed for her girl-next-door image, made headlines when she revealed that she had experimented with Class-A drugs such as cocaine and Ecstasy while she was a student.
It is believed a London-based tabloid was planning to expose her past.
While it’s now something that’s firmly behind her, she says she’s relieved she’s no longer carrying the secret and she’s so grateful to her loyal fans who came out in their droves to support her.
“My fans have been amazing. It was a difficult time and I was nervous about how people would react,” she says.
“I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I think honesty is the best policy. I was just amazed by everyone.
“They would say to me, ‘We’ve all done things we’re not proud of.’ I was really, really touched.
“I was in LA at the time it (the drugs revelation) came out and I was able to see some of the news footage. People were being interviewed in Neath and they absolutely overwhelmed me. I’m so grateful for everyone in Wales for their support.”
They will no doubt remain by her side as she launches her assault on the notoriously hard to crack American market.
Two female British singers have recently managed to achieve major success Stateside – Leona Lewis and fellow Welsh star Duffy – and Jenkins is hoping that she will be able to emulate them.
“I know I’m really going to have to work,” she says, when she calls me from her London PR office. “Getting this contract (with Warner) is just the start of it. I have to make a success of it.
“Originally I was supposed to be going out there for three months nonstop but we’ve now worked out I’m able to go for three weeks and come home for a week or so. I’m actually really happy about that as I can come home for Easter and see my family.”
Her initial visit will include deciding on the repertoire for her next album, which will be aimed at the American market, even though it will be released first in the UK.
“I still want it to be within my style, which is classical, but I think it will be my most crossover album to date. There will be some covers but I will be doing them in my style and David Foster’s style. Hopefully there will also be some new material as well. There are lots of great new songwriters out there.
“I’m excited to be working with David. No-one else I can think of is better. He is an absolute superstar. I’m really looking forward to finding out what we can create together.”
She will also be doing a photo shoot for the album cover with international photographer Warwick Saint, who’s worked with the likes of Drew Barrymore, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys.
“I think it will be glam but in a more natural way. For album covers you tend to pull out photos that you like the idea of. This is my first photo shoot in America and I’m quite excited about seeing how it works.”
While her image is important, Jenkins is adamant that she won’t be going down the Hollywood route and trading in her famous curves in favour of becoming a size zero.
“I’ve never felt I’ve wanted to do that – it’s not me. I will keep running and be fit and healthy but I won’t go on a drastic diet.”
As well as running near her beach-side hotel, Jenkins is going to try out a typical LA way of keeping fit too – rollerblading.
“I’ve never roller bladed before – I might be a disaster,” she laughs.
She’s looking forward to meeting some of the people Foster’s worked with in the past.
And I imagine that from now on she will be accepting all invitations from him, no matter how jet-lagged she is.
For she reveals that she once politely turned down Foster’s dinner invite because she’d just landed in the country and was suffering from jet lag. But she later discovered she’d missed out on meeting a real superstar – Barbra Streisand.
“David is one of those people who hooks everyone up. I would love to meet Barbra Streisand,” she says, admitting she was gutted to have missed her.
“I’ve heard so many great stories about what a professional and perfectionist she is. I paid tribute to her in Viva La Diva,” adds Jenkins referring to the stage show she produced with former prima ballerina Darcey Bussell.
“I would also love to meet Michael Buble.”
When she’s not dining with stars, Jenkins will be indulging in something we all enjoy – spotting them. “I went to dinner the last time I was there (LA) and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were on the table next to us,” she says, sounding genuinely impressed.
Link to the article: Walesonline.co.uk
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