Mari Wilson on Her 80s Pop Hits, that Iconic Beehive, and Girl About Town - her latest album.
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Please note: photographs appearing in this interview are the personal property of Mari Wilson and must not be copied or reproduced.
Mari Wilson explains why she walked away from her record company after they attempted to push her towards a musical direction that didn’t represent the artist she wanted to become.
In this revealing Pop: The History Makers interview, Mari discusses “Just What I Always Wanted,” her celebrated beehive image, The Wilsations and the excitement—and reality—of becoming one of Britain’s most distinctive pop stars.
Mari recalls the music that inspired her, including Dusty Springfield, Julie London and the great torch-song singers. She talks about appearing with Soft Cell, performing with Ronnie Scott during a Stan Getz tour, creating her own Dusty Springfield show and building a career across pop, jazz, cabaret and theatre.
She also explains why live performance demands vulnerability, what happened when her record company wanted her to record in a Hi-NRG style, how illness affected a critical moment in her career and why she ultimately decided to leave.
The conversation concludes with Mari discussing songwriting, individuality, ageing, positivity and her album Girl About Town, released in September 2026 and featuring the single “Good News.”
CHAPTERS
00:00 Mari Wilson—pop, glamour and individuality
01:10 Growing up and discovering her identity
06:12 Confidence, ambition and being different
11:12 Dusty Springfield and Mari’s musical influences
13:43 Performing with Soft Cell
14:52 Why singing live requires vulnerability
18:17 Deciding that she would become a pop star
20:53 Discovering New York at eighteen
26:16 The early gigs and the creation of The Wilsations
29:08 The extraordinary anticipation before fame
31:12 “Just What I Always Wanted” and the beehive image
36:01 The musical direction Mari didn’t want
38:31 Why she left her record company
40:19 Ronnie Scott, Stan Getz and jazz
43:52 Performing the songs of Dusty Springfield
48:00 Why Mari loves torch songs
51:30 Writing songs and trusting collaborators
56:28 “Good News” and Girl About Town
60:13 Why individuality never goes out of style
Find out more about Mari Wilson, her music and live appearances:
https://www.mariwilson.co.uk/
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https://popthehistorymakers.com/
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