``The Shaping of Julia''


Frustrated Folkie

"I was born on the south coast of England. My dad was an underwater photographer for the Ministry of Defence... I wanted to sing since I was 12, when I started writing, then when I was 14 1 used to sing in the local folk and jazz club I'm a frustrated woolly jumper-wearer."

Jingle Singer

"I left school to become a singer-song-writer and have absolutely no qualifications at all. My poor mother nearly has heart failure - I didn't even do the A-level bit, never mind university... Then I used to sing jingles for a radio station when I was about 16."

Backing Singer

"I was a Marionette, in the Wilsations, [backing band for Mari Wilson, Julia Fordham far right], when I was about 19 or 20. I saw an advert in the paper. I'd just seen the band on telly and I thought, I'm going to go for it because I had a day job at the time, down in Portsmouth at the radio station, and I wanted to move to London. I came up, got the job and went on the road with Mari for two years, which was fantastic. After that, I did some other backing vocal sessions, like Kim Wilde, and that was the last thing I did: I thought, I've got all these songs. I mean, I like Kim Wilde, but..."

Going Solo

"The reason you do backing vocals is to pay the rent, but I thought, I've got to stop, I've got to concentrate my efforts, so I actually went on the Enterprise Allowance Scheme when I was Just 23 or 24 and that was perfect because then I concentrated on getting my demo together and going round the record companies- I started my first record on my 25th birthday."

Influences

"I wanted to be Debbie Harry or Chrissie Hynde when I was a kid."
"Joni Mitchell. I met her - it was fleeting but it was great."


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