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ROWETTA: I'M TELLING YOU I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE IN
http://www.bbfans.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=22045		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  JimD [ 04 Sep 05, 20:40 ]
Post subject:  ROWETTA: I'M TELLING YOU I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE IN
dailyrecord
Exclusive By Rick Fulton, Showbiz Editor

X Factor star Rowetta reveals her fear of the drug dealing husband who battered her for 18 years and why her six-album deal will help her to heal

POSSIBLY the only star to emerge from last year's X Factor, Rowetta is still looking over her shoulder, stillwatching her back.

A year after the show that catapulted her and her crazy ways into our lives, it is also a year since she divorced the violent husbandwho battered her for 18 years.

Noel 'Des' Satchell, drug dealer and heroin addict, left the one-time Happy Mondays backing singer emotionally scarred and fragile after a lifetimeof abuse.

But Rowetta - dubbed'barking mad'by Simon Cowell - is adamant she won't be scared into hiring a minder to keep Satchell at bay.

She said: "I'm not going to get a bodyguard. Although I wouldn't mind Simon's bodyguard Tony because I really get on with him. He's lovely, the sweetest person in the world.

"But I wouldn't want to say 'I'm going to get a bodyguard' because I don't want to encourage my ex-husband to comeand take meon or anything."

She has good reason to continue to be afraid of Satchell. During their marriage he slept with 40 other women, beat her to a pulp and even wrapped a kettle cord round her neck. Now after 18 years in the background, Rowetta, 39, will release her solo debut single next month. For a control freak who attacked her so she'd remain faithful while hewas in prison, there is a possibility her newfound popularity will enrage Satchell. Her ex-husband and her newalbum also leave little time for a man. She's been seeing someone for twoweeks, but admits: "I'm not as enthusiastic as I was last week." But now is Rowetta's time. She deserves to dowell. She's spent 18 years giving her distinctive voice to others as a backing singer for acts such as Simply Red (on the album Stars), Inner City, Billy Ocean, Rebel MCand the Mondayson hits like Step On. Themother-of-two won hearts but not the show. She was the final girl, but she still came fourth to Steve Brookstein, G4and Tabby. But winner Steve was branded a sham and although hehad a No.1 single and album has been dropped by Sony/BMG. Tabby, a rocker lite, was expected to do well thanks to Sharon Osbourne's patronage, but no single has comeand she's no longer managing him. Only G4 has sold bucketloads and look assured of at least a short-term future.

But Rowetta has something more. Her spirit shines through adversity and her links with the Mondays and the Manchester scene allows her a broad cross section of fans from clubbers to gays and grannies.

A solo debut, double A side single Fly/And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going is released on September 26, with debut album Rowetta out on October 3.

Simon Cowell may have favoured Steve, but it's Rowetta, with her Shirley Bassey range, who has what it takes. At least Gut Records think so, signing her in a six-album deal.

But why did it take her so long? She said: "I was contracted to XFactor until March 11 of this year and despite people claiming Simonwould give me a deal, he always said that the only deal he'd give was to the winner.

"A couple of days after March 11, Gut called to say they were interested. It fell into place really quickly.

"It worked out better in the long run not to have won X Factor."

Although she's now perfectly positioned to give Steve a good verbal kicking, Rowetta refuses.

Sharon Osbourne called him a fake and he posted negative comments about Rowetta onan internet forum, but the singer said: "He's not nice, but it makes me look bitter if I talk about him.

"And I've got nothing to be bitter about. I'm happy."

But she does want to set the record straight about Simon Cowell. Some articles have claimed she's fallen out with the judge for favouring Steve over her.

But she said: "I do love Simon and I'd have loved to have worked with him. I think we could have made it work.

"But I'm happy with the team I've got. I've got no regrets.

"I haven't spoken to him about the album, but in articles he's been really, really lovely about me, so I'm thrilled."

She also laughed off any chemistry between the pair.

"Me and Simon?That's not happening. I'm not the one for him."

And she's not turning her back on X Factor to go through.

She shrieked: "Of course I'm watching it. And all the funny ones always email me, like Robert Unwin the chicken guy from last year and the drag queen from this year, Justin White. I seem to attract the weird ones."

Rowetta's album is a revelation. As well as songs she's written (which must be a first for a reality TV show singer) including lead single Fly, she's done a huge range of covers. From Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground to songs from musicals like If Ever I Would Leave You, Somewhere and And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going she has also covered The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby and Oasis' Stop Crying Your Heart Out.

Both Eleanor Rigby and Stop Crying Your Heart Out sound different, but amazing, and she definitely walks off with the Oasis tune turning Liam Gallagher's shouted lyrics into a heartfelt, but upbeat torch song.

Rowetta explained: "Because of my voice it would be easier to just do a load of dance tunes but that's not my audience now. My audience is a lot broader because of X Factor and I've tried to do an album that is really diverse so it pleases everyone.

"There's no point in doing covers if you are going to dothem exactly the same as the originals FANS will have already heard Stop Crying Your Heart Out on the soundtrack to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's film Mr & Mrs Smith.

Rowetta said: "I've always wanted to do it when I saw Oasis doing it and loved to sing it in my way.

"I'm friendly with Noel and Liam so I just had to make sure I got Noel's blessing, because he wrote it.

"He said as long as you don't change the arrangement or the lyrics he would be cool with it. He didn't want it messed with, but he loved me to do it.

"I haven't spoken to him since I've recorded it, but I know they like my voice so I hope they like the song."

Rowetta recorded 40 songs for the album and found it agonising to cull the numbers. She couldn't get it down to 12 or 14 and has left 16 songs on the album - the most she is allowed to have.

For many, 16 songs from a reality TV singer would be 10 too many, but Rowetta's eclectic choice means that you don't ever get bored.

And fans will like it - many of the songs were their choice.

She explained: "Fans suggested some and of course I included favourites from X Factor like Over The Rainbow and Somewhere for which I got the most emails about during the show."

With a couple of albums worth of songs still in the vaults, Rowetta won't reveal the other songs she's covered, admitting she was stung by Simon during X Factor.

She said: "I don't want to say unless someone else covers it, especially with X Factor. I don't want to give Simon any ideas. It's really, really hard to find really, really good songs you want to do.

"I wanted to sing Your Love Keeps Lifting Me(Higher and Higher) but Simon said it wouldn't work on the show. Steve ended up doing it."

Now Gut Records are firmly behind her and she feels secure, safe in the knowledge that people have so much faith in her they are willing to offer her a six-album deal.

Her mum and kids Georgina and Derek, both in their twenties, are immensely proud that after time in a women's refuge, Rowetta is getting her life back.

She said: "I've bought myself a Peugeot 206 but I haven't gone mad.

"The album isn't out so I haven't earned big money. But if the record does well, then my family will get whatever they want
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