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HOT STUFF: Ferguson stars in Respect La Diva

SHE MIGHT not consider herself a diva, but Sheila Ferguson will be hitting the stage this week to salute a host of female icons who have been deemed to fit that title.

Celebrating the greatest hits of five decades of singers from Beyoncé to Shirley Bassey, Respect La Diva is an uplifting musical celebration that pays tribute to some of the world’s most revered female singers of all time.

Having fronted the massive 70s group The Three Degrees, Ferguson could well be classified as a soul diva. But the bubbly and friendly songstress chuckles at the idea of bestowing the title on herself.

“I know Tina Turner, Donna Summers, Gladys Knight; these are people that I grew up with,” she says. “Never once have I been in a conversation with any of them where any of us said the word ‘diva’!”

“It’s people who decide who is a diva and who isn’t, not the artists. I think it really boils down to the test of time; the artists that we consider divas are the ones that stood the test of time. The ones that we are celebrating in this musical have gone the distance.”

Speaking on how times have changed for female artists over the years, Ferguson recalls her own early experiences in the business.”

“With us [The Three Degrees] our manager was so dictatorial. We were brought in as the chocolate Barbie dolls; to sit there and listen. In that era it was very much the Richard Barrett – who was our manager and my lover – and Ike Turner-type of control situation with girl groups.

“Nowadays, it’s not like that. It’s a totally different time where everybody seems to be in control of their own careers. That’s great, but if these artists don’t read their contracts they are really in trouble. Back in the day, there was artist development, where groups would be nurtured and such. Nowadays, if an artist’s first single doesn’t chart well, you don’t hear from them again. It’s such a shame and that’s why I work closely with organizations that aim to make sure artists get treated correctly.”

She continued: “With The Three Degrees we signed a stupid contract, which meant that as of 1981, when we left our manager, we have never seen a penny of royalties since. So when our music is re-issued, everybody thinks, ‘Oh my God, this is so great, the digitally mastered new versions of your music is coming out!’ But I’m thinking, ‘well I hope you enjoy it, coz I ain’t getting paid for it!’ So the bottom line is, if I can help people coming up now, then I’ll feel like my life will have meant more than just singing.”

FAME: The Three Degrees in their heyday (l-r) Ferguson, Fayette Pinkney and Valerie Holiday

Fronting The Three Degrees, who famously went through a number of line-up changes but always remained a trio, Ferguson found fame with the smash hit When Will I See You Again.

The trio epitomized success and were even said to be Prince Charles’s favourite group. But behind closed doors, life wasn’t so rosey.

In fact, Ferguson recently revealed that the group’s manager and her one-time partner Barrett was abusive towards her.

“Our manager – he seduced me when I was 14 and he was abusive throughout our relationship. He wasn’t physically abusive. It was the emotional, degrading kind of thing. To make himself feel more powerful, he had to make me less powerful.

That kind of degradation and abuse is something that women don’t report, they just take it then they lose their self-esteem.

“One day, he started saying ‘if I can’t have you, nobody can’ and he put a gun to my head. I suddenly realized I’d had enough of this so I said, ‘If I cant leave you, then shoot me.’ He burst into tears, and I thought, ‘hell, why didn’t I do this years ago? Look how many years I wasted with this fool! I should’ve called his bluff years ago.’ I knew he wasn’t gonna shoot his meal ticket. I was scared but I’d had enough. This was when I was in my teens and I’ve learned so much from that experience.”

With this in mind, it’s no wonder Ferguson is in full support of Respect La Diva, which, as well as being entertaining, aims to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse against women and children and is supporting the national charity Refuge.

“It felt right, because of the show we are doing, to speak out about my own experience. And I’ve received a lot of support from people who commended me for speaking out.”

Having left The Three Degrees in 1986, Ferguson went on to pursue solo projects, whilst raising her two daughters, and she admits that she’s not in touch with her former bandmates.

“Our lives have gone in different directions. It’s not because of any animosity, we just went our separate ways. It’s a bit like a divorce. After a divorce, you don’t ring up your ex every day and say ‘how’s it going?’ You just move on with your life.”
Though she’s happily single, Ferguson says she wouldn’t rule out settling down in a relationship."

“I would [settle down] if I fell in love because I’m a hopelessly romantic woman. Hopefully I’ll find that perfect man one day and be able to settle down. If not, I’ll find someone to see for a couple of weeks or whatever!”

l Respect La Diva is at the Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross, London WC2 until September 24. Visit www.respectladiva.com