20 | November 28, 2013 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

Cleo Higgins:“I’m glad I did The Voice. It woke people upand reminded them that I’m here.”

INTERVIEWING popstars fromthe 90s is just amazing. Not onlydoes it make you imagine for 15

minutes or so that you’re actuallyworking at Top of the Pops Magazineor Smash Hits! (rest in peace, youcrazy, sticker-covered glossies), but asa general rule, they’ve had absolutelyno media training, or if they have,they couldn’t give a toss about usingit.

This was the case with CleoHiggins, one of the chattiest,bubbliest, frankest interviewees youcould possibly hope to snag.

Not sure you know who CleoHiggins is?

Oh, you do, you really do. CleoHiggins is Cleo, lead singer ofmanufactured Comin’ Atcha! singinggirl group Cleopatra, who, alongsideher sisters Yonah and Zainamruled the charts in the late 90s withseriously catchy pop, colourful outfitsand ropes of impressive braids.

Now 31, Cleo’s Top of the Popsdays are over, but recently she’s backperforming having completed astint on The Voice (Will.i.am got herto the semi-finals), and is currentlycoming to Cambridge as one of thevocal leads in Thriller Live, a showdedicated to all things MichaelJackson. It’s basically a two-hourMichael Jackson concert, just withoutthe man himself.

Which fits: Cleo is absolutelyobsessed with Jacko.

“I am a ridiculous Michael Jacksonfan, I was born into Michael Jacksonmusic,” she buzzes giddily in themidst of rehearsals. “For me to bea part of his legacy – I listen to hismusic, I’ve imitated his music – to beable to release records and then livethe same kind of lifestyle in the sensethat we grew up from being childrenin the music industry, into adults, Ialways felt there was a closeness tomyself and him.

“I literally learned everything that Ido mainly from Michael.”

Even before Thriller Live camealong, Jackson kept sneaking intoCleo’s repertoire, from covering IWant You Back in Cleopatra, toperforming Leave Me Alone on TheVoice: “I felt like yay! I’m a littlebit in there again! For me it was arepresentation of who I really lookedup to, and the fact that he’s notaround to have seen that is quitesad.”

So how does a former popstar gofrom post-Cleopatra obscurity (theband disappeared after their secondalbum, Steppin’ Out), to The Voice anda massive touring show, completewith an up-and-coming turn in theWest End?

“I couldn’t believe it when I got

the role as female lead singer,WOOOO!” she yells down the phonewith a cackle. “My dreams of beinga singer and a musician have neverreally stopped, so I’m always doingsomething, whether I’m writingsongs for other people or writing formyself; it’s always been there in thebackground.”

But, she admits, she did takea rather surprising side-step inbetween having her two childrenand braving The Voice auditions. “Ithought, do you know what? Justin case, I’m going to open my ownshop.”

So she began studying andqualified as a pastry chef. Sadly, ornot-so sadly depending on your

perspective,The Voicescupperedthoseplans.“But I’vegot thequalliesfor itandI’ve

DON’T STOP ‘TILYOU GET ENOUGH:Cleo Higgins is a hugeJackson fan and iscurrently singing withThriller Live. Right,as you may (or maynot) remember her, inCleopatra

Music

� Thriller Live, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Friday, November 29 – Saturday, November 30 at 7.30pm. Tickets £25.50 - £32.50 from (01223) 357851 / cornex.co.uk

The pop star, singer, baker, TV talentshow semi-finalist and mother is quitea character. ELLA WALKER chats to thelead vocalist before Thriller Live tears upCambridge Corn Exchange

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | November 28, 2013 | 21

got the skill, the know-how, so younever know, I might still have MamaCleo’s Bakery or patisserie open.I wanted to have one called LoveMuffins – trust me it will happen!”

In fact it almost already did.Considering Cleo spent her teenstouring the world, hanging out withMariah Carey, (“She was one of thepeople that I looked up to the most,I wanted to be like Mariah andMichael. She came into the roomand it was like I didn’t recogniseher. It was like Oh! That’s ok, that’sMariah Carey. Hahaha. It took meto meet her a second time to reallylet it sink in,”), signing albumsfor Lionel Ritchie and starring inadverts on Miami Beach for CoverGirl Makeup, you wouldn’t thinkshe’d struggle with an audition for aTV talent show…

“I bottled it!”she screecheswith alaugh. “Imissed

the

audition in Manchester, I had togo to the audition in Birminghambecause I was so scared hahaha!I said no! I’m not doing it and Idecided against it, the whole time,I was like that’s it, I’m not doingit, I’ve decided now. Everyonewas like ‘Cleo! You’ve plucked upthe courage to do it’ and then onthe day of the audition I was likeNOOO!”

Arguably the setting – a liveaudience, the backs of four redchairs that you’re desperate to seewhirl round – is a tad different fromtouring in your own right. “It wasstrange, not necessarily to be onstage but to be on stage so publicly.That was the one thing I was reallyapprehensive about,” Cleo admits.“I don’t like the idea of beingjudged! Haha! That’s just not my cupof tea at all!”

Eventually she sorted her headout though, wowed Will.i.am andcareened through to the semi-finalsthanks to a booming, soulful voice(and a few hardcore Cleopatra fans,we’re assuming): “I’m glad I did itin the end. It woke people up and

reminded them that I’m here.”So what’s Will.i.am reallylike? “Will.i.am is Will.i.am.

The way he is, that’shim,” she promises. “Onstage, off stage, that’sjust who he is. He’s fun,

he’s got a seriousside to him,

he’s got astrength that

On Cleopatra’s fame: “We were on cereal boxes! We didn’t recognise how famous we were because wenever saw ourselves; we still don’t see the fame that we held. We’re just three local girls that love to sing.”

not many people see as well, andI really enjoyed working withhim.”

Are they still in touch? “I dohave his number, he’s got mynumber, he can call me,” shelaughs. “You never know, hemight have one of those off daysand go CLEO! Come and helpme! That’d be really interesting.”

For now though, she’s theatre-bound. “It’s not somewhere I’dhave expected to go,” she tellsme. “Don’t get me wrong, I lovethe theatre. Whenever I go I’mlike an innocent child, like thereyou go, BANG! Watch this one,how about this one, BANG! I loveit!”

Her plan is to stay with Thrilleruntil July, but she’s frank aboutthe fact there are a lot of factorsshe didn’t take into considerationwhen signing up. “I’m a mumand I’m away from my children,so that’s the hardest thing,” shesays, adding: “However, theyseem to be dealing with it verywell, they seem to be ok, theywant me to do what I’m doing.”

Then there’s the strain ofperforming night after night:“I had to go on voice rest for acouple of weeks, I didn’t expectmy voice to go! I’ve had issueswhere I might not be able to singfor a few hours but never for dayson end. That’s never happened.I was like ‘oh my god!’ I cried,I came to the rehearsal and Iopened my mouth to sing andnothing came out, I was in floodsof tears, I couldn’t believe it! I wasdevastated, I just wanted to getback to work.”

And when it comes to work,Cleo has big, big plans. “I dowant to be a recording artist,and I genuinely want to be ableto put my album out there andsee what comes back,” she saysdirectly. “The Voice has openedup a lot of doors for people toknow who I am and who wantto know me as a solo artist –which is brilliant – so I hope, Ireally hope, the fans I’ve mademyself and the fans of Cleopatrawill come together and buy myrecord when it comes out.”

Fingers crossed… at leastthere’s always Mama Cleo’sBakery to fall back on.