Lulu reunited with Take That on Monday to perform their hit track "Relight My Fire" at London's Royal Albert Hall. The 77-year-old singer returned to the stage for a one-off show celebrating her career, joined by a string of celebrity pals, including Gary Barlow, 55, and Robbie Williams, 52. The performance marked the first time former rivals Gary and Robbie performed together in nearly ten years.
A Star-Studded Evening
Gary and Robbie bowed down in front of Lulu as she strutted onto stage for her iconic verse, wearing a pair of fringed trousers. In addition to performing their 1993 duet, Gary sang the Take That classic "A Million Love Songs," while Robbie joined Lulu to sing his smash hit "Angels."
Introduced by Graham Norton, the concert also featured Delta Goodrem and Boy George, who joined Lulu to sing "Karma Chameleon." Guests came together to raise funds for Lulu's charity, Lulu's Mental Health Trust, via Prism the gift fund. Stars in the audience included Tracey Emin, David Furnish, Brian Cox, Rashida Jones, and Ezra Koenig.
Upcoming Performances and New Album
Lulu is showing no sign of slowing down in her seventies. She is set to perform at the Henley Festival on July 10, followed by two shows in Scotland in August and dates in Brighton, Truro, and Salisbury in October. She has also announced the upcoming release of her 16th studio album, her first in over a decade. Titled "Let The Girl Sing Out," the album is a follow-up to 2015's "Making Life Rhyme" and will drop on September 4.
Reflections on Sobriety and Family
Last year, Lulu released a memoir, "If Only You Knew," in which she detailed her battle with alcoholism and revealed what led her to have her last drink back in November 2013. In an interview on "This Morning" to promote the book, she discussed her past addiction and confessed how sad she feels that her father did not have the same amount of help she did.
Presenter Cat Deeley noted the history of alcoholism in Lulu's family, to which Lulu replied, "My father. They would say, 'Oh, Eddie likes a good drink.'" Cat pointed out that back then, people did not have the tools to help themselves. With tears filling her eyes, Lulu added, "It really makes me sad when I think that my parents didn't have the help that I have today. My sister is a psychotherapist. She knew not to bring it up until I brought it up."
Lulu's parents are Betty McDonald and Eddie Lawrie. The "Shout" singer confessed during the interview, "I had this secretive, but actually shame-filled, full of shame about being an alcoholic like my dad, full of shame about a lot of things that happened in my childhood, a lot of things I'd done." When asked why she decided to have her last drink, Lulu explained, "I don't think I decided; sometimes things are decided for us. I struggled, struggled, struggled for years, secretly. Nobody knew I was an alcoholic."
