Dame Elaine Paige has revealed that her live singing career may be over after the menopause altered her voice. The 78-year-old actress and broadcaster, who has not performed live since the Covid lockdown, said her singing voice is no longer as high as it once was.
Speaking to Saga Magazine as she promotes her new album 'Miscellaneous Paige', the West End legend explained: 'My singing voice is not as high as it was. As you get older, with the menopause and so on, things change and it's out of your control. I don't want to do the big, thumping musical theatre ballads any more. Those days are behind me.'
Paige, who received her Damehood from King Charles III in November last year, admitted she was nervous about returning to the studio. 'I was concerned I would not still have a voice. I was terribly nervous, because I was not confident, having not sung since the pandemic,' she said. 'The voice is the same as any muscle, if you don't use it, then it's going to disappear. I didn't want to make a fool of myself.'
The singer, who has never married, said she has 'no regrets' about her life and believes her generation was fortunate. 'We did everything, didn't we? Sex and drugs and rock'n'roll. I do think my generation has really had the best of everything,' she said. 'Everybody seems angry and aggressive today. We were much more laid-back.'
'Miscellaneous Paige' is set for release on July 17. The full interview appears in the June issue of Saga magazine.
