Sheena Easton biography

Synopsis

Sheena Shirley Orr was born on April 27, 1959, in Bellshill, Scotland. The pop star is best known as Sheena Easton (her ex-husband's last name); she broke out on the scene as a pop singer in the early 1980s. Easton churned out several hits over the decades as well as two Grammy Awards. The performer is best known for the hit "Morning Train" and the James Bond movie theme song "For Your Eyes Only," as well as for collaborations with Kenny Rogers and Prince. Over the years, Easton has delved into various music genres and acting, as well as other business ventures. This mother of two adopted children, who has been married four times, continues to perform while raising her family.

Early Years

Sheena Easton, the successful Scottish singer, was born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959, in Bellshill. (She became a U.S. citizen in 1992.) She was the youngest of six kids. When her father Alex, a steel mill worker, passed away when Easton was just 10, her mom had to work as a laborer to support the family.

At an early age, Easton knew that she wanted to sing for the world. Her music influences varied when she was growing up, from Barbra Streisand to Motown, to rock 'n' roll and '70s soul. She attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music while performing in the group Something Else.

Career Success

Easton's breakout moment came from appearing on a BBC reality show, The Big Time, which focused on amateurs trying to reach their dreams. Afterward, the singer got a record deal, and her debut singles "Modern Girl" and "9 to 5" made it onto the charts in England. She became the first female artist since the 1950s to have two Top 10 hits at the same time in Britain. An album followed in 1981, as did her recognition in the United States. Her song "9 to 5" was retitled "Morning Train" (since Dolly Parton had a track of the same name already in circulation), and quickly became a smash hit. Easton had arrived, and that was confirmed when she took home the Grammy Award as Best New Artist. Other hits followed, including "For Your Eyes Only," the theme song to the 1981 James Bond movie of the same name. In 1983, she scored again with the Kenny Rogers duet "We've Got Tonight."

With her 1984 album A Private Heaven, Easton went for more of a dance vibe and a racier persona, especially with the somewhat scandalous song "Sugar Walls," which was produced by Prince. (She and Prince would go on to work together again on his 1987 song "U Got The Look.") The Family Resource Center, led by Tipper Gore, targeted "Sugar Walls" for its suggestiveness, but Easton stood up to the criticism. It didn't seem to hinder her career, as that same year she was honored as the only artist in history to have Top 5 hits on Billboard's major five charts—pop, R&B, country, adult contemporary and dance.

Afterward, Easton continued to test her musical boundaries. In 1985, she won a Grammy Award for best Mexican artist performance for a duet with Luis Miguel. In 1993, she released an album of jazz/blues standards.

More recently, she recorded songs for Disney's animated series Phineas and Ferb in 2009, in addition to her occasional live performances.

Acting and Other Endeavors

In 1987, Easton appeared on several episodes of Miami Vice as the wife of Don Johnson's character. Other acting work followed through the years, including a cameo in the 1993 film Indecent Proposal, a co-hosting role on a Las Vegas morning show in 2003 and a regular role on PAX's Young Blades in 2005. Easton also ventured into musical-theater gigs, including Man of La Mancha and Grease. The pop diva didn't stop at singing or acting, either; she also tried her hand in business by creating a line of angel figurines in 2000 that were sold on QVC.

Personal Life

While Easton seemed to flourish in many areas of her professional life, she had many challenges in her love life. Her first marriage, at 19 to Sandi Easton in 1979, lasted only eight months. Shortly after moving to the United States in 1981, she wed music-industry booking agent Rob Light; that union fizzled after a year and a half. Easton later had a whirlwind romance with nature-film director Tim Delarm and married him in 1997, after a courtship of just a few weeks. One year later, the two split in a messy divorce. Marriage No. 4, to Beverly Hills surgeon John Minoli, survived just one year as well.

Despite not being lucky in love, Easton has found great joy in motherhood. She adopted a son, Jake, in 1994, and daughter Skylar in 1996. "I'm really happy right now," she recently stated, according to the website sheenaeaston.co.uk. "What lights me up is being a mom and singing. That's what I'm about now. It's not about what's going to make me the most famous. I don't care about that kind of stuff anymore."