Tiffany “went into sadness” at the height of her fame.
The 53-year-old pop star enjoyed huge success with her cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells track I Think We’re Alone Now in 1987, but recalled that she didn’t really know how to “unwind” after major performances at a time when others in her field would often turn to drugs or alcohol.
She told The Guardian: “Naturally, my career became a little more intense after I got successful. There were compromises to be made, and it was isolating, because I was travelling all the time without family, friends or the routine of school. I was a teenager, up at the crack of dawn, doing promo all day, off to shows at night and then … goodnight! The band and crew would head to the bar, and I was left alone in my room, not sure how to unwind.
“I immediately went into sadness, because I didn’t know how to get rid of that pent-up energy. Musicians often turn to drugs or alcohol, but I took a lot of hot baths and racked up big phone bills.”
The Could’ve Been songstress also reflected on her life before fame, and explained that as she dealt with an alcoholic mother, she “learned to cope” by turning to women in her field that she found to be inspirational.
She said: “At the start of my career, there were a lot of women who inspired me – Carol Decker, Kim Wilde, Taylor Dayne, Samantha Fox. I watched how they composed themselves backstage, how they dressed, how they handled the audience. Standing up for myself and saying what I needed was novel until I saw them do it. Even before I was famous I had no voice. My mum was an alcoholic, and being the child of an alcoholic, you learn to cope.
“Anything that’s going to make her day better, I’d roll with so as not to disturb the peace. I took that same approach to most of my career. To this day, I still don’t fuss. But now I know what’s good for me and I don’t question speaking up.”
