Jay
Aston
When the bubbles went flat on 80s’
pop sensation Bucks Fizz, Jay Aston dropped from view. Now she is back with
a new album, training stars of the future and speaking to
David G Taylor
How has HIV touched your life personally?
I’m very fortunate in that I have not lost anyone very close to HIV.
My brother Lance Aston was in a show called A Chorus Line in the late 70s
and he was very close to one of the other performers, John, who sadly passed
away in the early 90s from Aids. He was gay and had a young daughter and an
ex-girlfriend who obviously were devastated by his passing. My brother found
his early death very
difficult as they were the same age and so close.
When the Aids crisis hit in the 80s, you were travelling around the
globe with Bucks Fizz. Were you aware of what was going on?
Who could have missed those tombstone adverts? They were enough to make everyone
terrified of kissing, let alone anything else! They spread a mild paranoia
over the nation, but the message to get safe was delivered loud and clear.
Before that, I don’t think many had any idea of the severity of the
problem.
What were the highs and low points of Bucks Fizz?
The highs were having hits, Eurovision, world travel, and the amazing support
of the fans. The lows were the arguments, rivalry, and the coach crash, followed
by fraught litigation on my departure, while trying to recover from my injuries.
What have been the highlights of your career post-Fizz?
I waited about a decade for my first real highlight. That was meeting my husband
through a writing collaboration, then owning a home again, my wedding day
and my daughter Josie’s birth (after 36 hours of labour). Oh, and everyday
since she’s been born.
London-based DJ Per QX did a remix of your track Everlasting Love.
How did that come about?
I liked some of his stuff so the label set that up. They told me he was from
Scandinavia and that he’d gone home soon after, so maybe a call is in
order. Tell me about the Jay Aston Theatre Arts School…
The new school opened in Chelsea on the 23 September. It’s for children
aged 2-16 years. We have baby ballet, dance, singing and drama classes. My
school in Kent has been running for five years. I’ve been trying to
get something going in central London for a while, but only just found a suitable
venue.
The title of your new solo album is Lamb or Lizard. What does it mean?
Lamb or Lizard is one of the tracks on the album. It’s about a wealthy
New York couple who have grown apart. He is all about making lots of dollars,
while she has become a Save the World freak.
Which tracks are most autobiographical?
The most autobiographical are King of Pain, written in the deep doldrums when
I had nothing, and I’m Coming Back because it was written about my many
lives. Check The Nature of Personal Reality and Seth Speaks, both books by
Jane Roberts, and life and death will never be the same again.
What other news have you got?
I’m appearing on TV’s Interior Rivalry with Ann Maurice (The House
Doctor). I am also promoting the solo album, so I hope to do some live gigs
in a few months’ time.
• www.jay-aston.co.uk,
www.jayastonschool.co.uk
