Taken from Women Who Rock Magazine, July / August 2003 edition.

"British Enchantress Still Wants To Be Alone"

 

Kate Bush has proven over her sporadic moments in the limelight that you can find success entirely on your own terms, reaching lofty heights by not compromising your ethics, beliefs or spellbinding voice. Discovered by Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour when she was only 15, Gilmour financed her demos then strong-armed his record label to take her own. Two years later, Kate emerged with 51 literate and complex songs, which were whittled down to the 13 on The Kick Inside, including the chilling "Wuthering Heights", inspited by Emily Bronte's gothic classic. Kate has only toured once - 29 magical days in 1979, with 17 costume changes - but a quarter of a century later, young female singers everywhere are inspired to follow their own muse and damn the consequences. Says one of her spiritual descendants, Charlotte Martin, "I remember when I first heard Kate's voice and [was] impressed with the amount of control she had, and then remember the chills I got because there was so much emotion and conviction in her tone and in her words." -

 

Followers : Charlotte Martin, Tori Amos, Morrissey

Now Hear This! : Hounds Of Love (EMI America)