Scottish singer Lulu has revealed details of her troubled upbringing and secret battle with alcoholism, as she prepares to head back on tour later this month.
The 75-year-old star has written a new memoir, If Only You Knew, which reflects on her rise to fame and the experiences that shaped her life.
In the book, Lulu describes the challenges of growing up in a volatile home in Glasgow.
“My childhood was violent, a lot of violence, noisy, out of control and scary because with alcoholism, it brings out the worst in people,” she said.
“It toughened me up, it also made me hypervigilant and strong, it really made me who I am, because even though my parents were very volatile – and I never knew from one minute to the next – there was a lot of love in my house.”
She added: “My parents were damaged because their childhood was difficult and I know that as a grown woman. I just appreciate that they really did their best and when there was fights – I mean real fisticuffs, throwing and dangerous – it wouldn’t be long after that until everyone got rid of their shame and their guilt, and the records were on and we were all singing and dancing.”
Therapy and recovery
Lulu said she turned to therapy in adulthood to face the pain of her past.
“It was traumatic, I had to go into therapy because I pushed things down so deeply that it was painful to bring them up,” she explained.
The singer also revealed she has been sober for more than a decade.
“I’m a recovering alcoholic,” she said. “I haven’t had a drink since November 3, 2013. I was very ashamed of that and I was very ashamed of my childhood.”
Message to others
While the memories still bring her to tears, Lulu said her reflections are driven by love for her family, not bitterness.
“That’s kind of why I am crying – not because I think I was hard done by, or I had a tougher life than anybody else – but because I loved my mum and I loved my dad.
“They had nobody to show them how to be, to teach them and educate them. That was part of life in Glasgow, where I lived around that time.”
She also hopes that by sharing her own experiences, she can encourage others who may be struggling.
“Talking about this and hiding the fact that I had an alcohol issue, I know there are other people who have that and I just want to say there is help there, you’re not alone, there is help.”
Lulu was speaking to What’s On Scotland ahead of her UK-wide tour, which begins in Aberdeen later this month. Full dates are available here.
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