Lauren Foster talks to singing sensation Mica Paris ahead of her tribute to Ella Fitzgerald...

You’re bringing your Mica Paris Sings Ella Fitzgerald tour to Birmingham’s Jam House this month. How did the tour come about? 
It wasn’t really planned. Guy Barker and I went in his studio with his 70-piece orchestra and we decided to record two songs for the Ella centennial. Then everyone went bloody mental. The next minute we end up doing all these shows - Royal Albert Hall, Love Supreme. It was a little side thing and it’s blown up into this. Now we’re making an album of Mica Paris Sings Ella Fitzgerald with Guy’s orchestra.

Have you always been a fan of Ella’s?
Yes! I grew up in a church and lived with my grandparents, but my dad and my mother would take us at weekends. My dad would always play Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and people like that in the car. When I heard Ella, I kind of lost it. I’d seen her on TV - she had this advert, and back then there weren’t many black people on TV, so it was like, ‘Wow, there’s a black person on television, and she’s singing and she breaks the glass.’ I remember seeing her and thinking, “I wanna smash that glass.’ I was only about seven. My dad started to tell me about how amazing she was, so I really got into her. 

What’s your favourite Ella song?
My favourite isn’t well known, actually. It’s called You’re My Thrill. A lot of people have covered that song - a lot of jazz musicians. When she sings that song, it’s just unbelievable.

Vocally, have you had to put into practice any new or different techniques?
No, I’ve never been trained. They found out I could sing when I was six years old. I was singing Rupert The Bear. I went in for my first competition when I was 10 and won. Then I started winning all the competitions and became this little prodigy, and that’s where it kind of all started. Jazz is so exposed - you can’t go in there singing it willy nilly.  I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t good at it - not that I’m trying to blow smoke up my bum, but jazz is something you can’t cheat at. You have to be bloody good at it.

What’s the highlight of your career so far?
The fact that I’m still here - 30 years this year, and I’m still here. That’s a bit of a shock. Jesus Christ, I’m still making a living out of this. I’ve never had a job - this is the only job I’ve ever had. I’m really grateful that people still find me remotely interesting. It’s quite nice. 

You released your debut platinum-selling album, So Good, when you were just 19 years old…
I got signed at 17, it took us a year to make it and we released it when I was 18. By the time it hit number one, I was 19. It takes time when you release a record. When you had a hit record back then, that shit was on the radio for a good six months to a year. That’s how it used to be - it was long. 

How did you cope with it all?
I quit college and I got roasted by my grandparents. Jesus! I was doing my A-Level Art & Design, but I was also making £1,000 a week doing backing vocals. It was very strange having the first massive cheque written to you, and coming from the hood and suddenly being thrust into this big, glamorous world where money was no object. Everything was dinner, everybody took you out for dinner all the time. I got thrust into this music business world of just really posh, upmarket dinners, big living, limousines, bodyguards - it was a heavy thing. 

Did you enjoy all of that?
I loved it! It was what I was supposed to do - it wasn’t even a shock. A lot of the time I was nervous about stuff, but I used to pretend I could do it because my dad would always say, ‘Don’t let people see that you’re terrified, just always act like you know what you’re doing.’ Thank god I had him as a teacher.  I don’t know if I could’ve got through all of it had he not given me those pointers.

You’ve worked with numerous respected artists, from Prince to Jools Holland to David Gilmore. Who’s been your favourite?
I really loved working with Prince! When I was 15, I had to hide his records under my bed because if my grandparents had seen them, I would’ve been finished. I was 18 when he called me up on stage at one of his private concerts. I almost passed out, I couldn’t even breathe. He said, ‘I think we have Mica Paris here, but she’s not from France,’ and it was like, ‘Oh my god, he knows my name.’ The last place I saw him was the first place we met. I knew he was thin. Prince was really fit, he was always very muscular. He looked really gaunt and he didn’t say much, but I still didn’t think he was going to die! Bobby Womack was another great one who I worked with too. He was a great friend of mine for many years. I lost him a year ago too - that was really sad.

And finally, what does the future hold for Mica Paris?
My second book will be finished in summer, and I’m going to be making another record of new songs. I’m still doing Radio Two - I’ve got a show on there. The new show I’m doing is about women in music. The book is about women in music as well. Everything I’m doing now is about women and how we’ve survived the industry.

Mica Paris Sings Ella Fitzgerald takes place  at The Jam House, Birmingham, on Thursday 15 February.