About
Sheena Easton is a Scottish singer known for her adult contemporary synth pop which received commercial success in the 1980s, as well as her ensuing acting career.
Easton was born in Bellshill, Scotland in 1959, and decided to pursue a career in music after seeing Barbra Streisand’s performance in The Way We Were. She attended the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama while simultaneously performing with the group Something Else. Easton appeared on the BBC production The Big Time: Pop Singer, which brought her a record deal with EMI, and landed her debut singles “9 to 5” and “Modern Girl” in the Top Ten Charts in the U.K. She became the first female artists to achieve two simultaneous Top Ten hits.
Easton’s self-titled debut LP was released in 1981, and the single “9 to 5” went on to top U.S. pop charts. The song’s title was changed to “Morning Train” in the U.S. in order to avoid confusion with Dolly Parton’s popular tune of the same name. Another song from that LP, “Modern Girl,” also hit the Top 20 charts a few months later. Easton won a Grammy Award that year for Best New Artist, and following her smashing success she was asked to perform the title theme of the latest James Bond Film, For Your Eyes Only.
In 1983, Easton recorded the duet “We’ve Got Tonight” with Kenny Rogers and returned to the Top Ten later that year with “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair).” Easton’s squeaky clean image was upgraded with her next album, A Private Affair (1984), which featured provocative singles like “Strut,” and “Sugar Walls.” The album was produced by Alexander Nevermind, who had previously worked with Prince.
Easton briefly appeared on Miami Vice as the ill-fated wife of Don Johnson, and followed that up with a number two hit “The Lover in Me” in 1989, and “What Comes Naturally” in 1991. Since those singles, Easton, has spent most of her time on stage. She starred in the revival of Man of La Mancha, appeared in the Grease revival, and performed on the seasonal tour of The Colors of Christmas. She performs conconcerts and is regularly booked for private parties and corporate events.
