Singer Mari Wilson says famous beehive was not 'just what I always wanted' ahead of new album

With her towering beehive, soulful voice and quirky fashion sense, Mari Wilson took the 1980s pop scene by storm. Yet with six hit singles under her belt, including her signature track Just What I Always Wanted, she stepped away from it all to explore a different path. But, aged 71, the woman dubbed Neasden’s Queen of Soul has rediscovered her pop groove with a brand new album, Girl About Town, the first original material she’s released since 2008. Explains Mari: “I know people might say ‘where did Mari go?’ but I didn’t go anywhere - I just moved into a different space. “I had the very best time writing and recording this record and I'm excited to be releasing new music at this stage in my life. It came out of lockdown. There was no plan, but also no pressure, which is probably why it was so much fun - a joyful mix of pop, soul, and jazz . It’s based on a lot of life experience. At my age, I knew I had stories to tell.” Mari’s story started when, growing up as the youngest of three children in the London borough of Neasden, she was immersed in music. She recalls: “My dad worked for London Transport, but there was always music in the house. I have a brother and sister and we’d all sing together - Beatles songs, stuff by the Bee Gees, James Taylor. We could all harmonise - we were like the Von Trapps!” By her mid teens she was determined to make singing her career, saying: “I told my headmistress I was going to be on Top of the Pops. I was a bit naughty at school and used to read Melody Maker in class, but I’d say ‘I don't really need to know about Henry VIII because I’m going to be on the telly.” She began performing in local venues, developing her distinctive voice and look. Her signature skyscraper hair was inspired by her sister, who shared her bedroom. She says: “She had short hair but used to put this false piece on top of her own. She used to do her eyes like Dusty Springfield too. “I wanted that sort of glamour. It was a combination of my sister’s look and the style of old stars like Lana Turner. The more well known I became, the bigger my beehive got. I was five feet six tall and my hair was about eight inches from the top of my head. Then I’d wear three or four inch heels. I must have looked quite intimidating. A lot of my clothes came from jumble sales. The first dress I wore on TV cost me 20p and was blue Lurex!” She cut her musical teeth performing in local venues and in September 1982 Mari, who has a 29-year-old daughter, realised her dream and performed on Top of the Pops. She recalls: “I remember seeing my dressing room door with my name on it and inside a mirror with the lights around it and I thought ‘yes, this is just how I expected it to be.’ “And then, of course, you’d meet the other pop stars. There was a bar upstairs where everyone would hang out. Boy George could be quite intimidating back then, but ultimately we were all in the same boat.” She recalls an occasion when she was truly starstruck, saying: “It was 1983 and I was a nominee at the BPI Awards - the forerunners of The Brits. It was in the ballroom at Grosvenor House in Park Lane and as I walked in I saw Paul McCartney and his wife Linda. They had their thumbs up to say ‘we’re rooting for you!’ I remember looking behind me to see who they were signalling to. I couldn't believe it was me! “Later on he introduced me to Michael Jackson. If only we’d had camera phones then. I met Paul again some time later - I was a judge with Billy Furry at a dance contest and he was there. I took a carrier bag with all the singles I’d made in it, went up to him and said, ‘I've got all of your records, so I'd like you to have all of mine’. He was very gracious and took the bag.” Performing regular gigs with 12 piece band The Wilsations and hanging out with The Thompson Twins and Queen’s Roger Taylor at Camden Palace, despite the glamour, the heat of being a celebrity took its toll. In 1986 Mari decided to walk away. She says: “Fame was difficult. I was still living at home with my mum and dad. Pop stars were meant to be rich and live in a mansion. That wasn’t me, yet my life was all very public. "Ordinary things became difficult to do, even going to the supermarket - people would shout things out at me, come up to me. I was under a lot of pressure to keep my beehive in constantly and not be seen without it. I'm not going to complain about the beehive, because everyone is known for something, but it became a millstone around my neck. I just didn’t want to feel as if I was performing all the time. “I was also being pulled in all sorts of directions. I was booked into a venue, but it was the wrong audience. We made an album which never came out - the songs weren't good enough. I felt like I was heading for the end of the pier and knew I had to take more control. That's when l left everything behind. I sort of disappeared.” A fan of modern stars Bruno Mars and Raye, Mari left pop music and reinvented herself in the world of jazz - refining her vocals and taking inspiration from the likes of Peggy Lee and Judy Garland. Performing regularly at London jazz mecca Ronnie Scott's, she has shared stages with legends like BB King and Ray Charles. And, as her career continued to expand, she moved into musical theatre, playing Dusty Springfield in Dusty The Musical and appearing alongside Boy George in Taboo. Mari explains: “I was much happier. Jazz is about the performance, not the product. It's all about playing live and how well you can sing.” She has also occasionally returned to her ‘80s roots, performing with Marc Almond and Level 42. Mari is also very health conscious. Diagnosed at the age of 23 with Type 1 diabetes, she is celiac - a chronic immune reaction to gluten - and has thyroid issues. She says: “When I was diagnosed with diabetes I remember thinking ‘I’ve got this horrible thing, my life’s over’. I had to inject with what was then a big stainless steel hypodermic needle. But the doctor told me I might actually become healthier than my friends, because I had to look after myself and he was right. I swim, do yoga and Zumba and walk a lot. I keep myself as fit as I can.” Now, four decades after first stepping into the spotlight, she is looking forward to touring the new album and welcoming a fresh generation of fans. Today, she says of the girl with the giant beehive: “She feels like somebody else." She continues: “If I could talk to her though, I’d tell her to trust her instinct more. ‘Don't go along with something because you think others know more than you do - they’re just more confident.’” But she is grateful for what she achieved, adding: “I’m very proud of Just What I Always Wanted. It put me on the map.” * Girl About Town is out 4 September 2026 https://www.mariwilson.co.uk/