Kim Wilde on dad Marty's terrifying hospital dash - 'It was awful - but the NHS saved his life'
Kim Wilde is one of the most famous singers of the 80s. In 1981, her pop debut, Kids In America, was a global hit and she went on to sell more than 30 million records. Overnight, she became the poster on every teen’s bedroom wall – the voice of a generation of rebellious youth. Fresh from her performance alongside Sting at Radio 2 In The Park in September, Kim, 63, says, “I’m still in shock that Radio 2 actually wanted me to do it. I remember being on stage and suddenly there was Sting walking towards me, and he hugs me and says, ‘I’m going to watch you perform now.’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, today just keeps getting better.’
“It was an amazing day because I had heard my new single had gone on to the BBC Radio 2 A list – so I was over the moon.” Kim first started her career as a teenager as backing singer for her dad, Marty Wilde. So, was she inspired by her dad’s success? “Yes, but I was happy just being a backing singer – I never thought I’d ever take centre stage,” she says. “I loved doing harmonies because I was brought up listening to The Beach Boys and The Beatles. The turning point came when my dad wrote the song Kids In America for me [which was released in 1981] – the rest is history.”
Following the worldwide success of that single, Kim went on to tour with Michael Jackson in 1988, which, she says, was a life-changing experience.
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“Touring with Michael on his Bad tour was the first time I began to think about myself as being a ‘live’ artist,” she says. “It was an amazing time. One minute I’m singing in my bedroom at home – the next I’m on Top Of The Pops. Performing with Michael Jackson is something I will never forget.”
But there have been lows, along with the highs. In 2020, during lockdown, Kim’s dad Marty, now 85, collapsed with a heart attack and was rushed to hospital on the brink of death.
“It was awful because we couldn’t go to the hospital. We had to FaceTime every night to see his face – that was the hardest part,” recalls Kim. “Thankfully, he had a pacemaker fitted and recovered – the NHS basically saved his life. But that didn’t stop dad. He immediately went home to make another solo album. He’s an unstoppable rock god! He’s such an inspiration. Now he’s planning to tour again next year – at 85 years old.”
As for Kim, she still has all the moves and is fighting fit, having recovered from a slipped disc last year which saw her sidelined for four months. “As I’ve got older, keeping fit has become more of a priority,” she says. “In my younger days it was more about vanity. I work with a personal trainer twice a week and recently discovered cold water dipping. I gave up alcohol eight years ago. I used to worry about ageing, but now I’m 63, I just don’t.”
At 36, the singer stepped back from music to live a more secluded life with ex-husband Hal Fowler and their children Harry, 26, and Rose, 24. As children, her kids had no idea that their mum had been a huge pop star until they saw her on TV. “I never had any gold discs or photos on the wall, or talked about my career,” she says. “But one day I was doing the hoovering and my kids saw me on an old Top Of The Pops show and it was suddenly, ‘Mummy, that’s you, isn’t it?’”
At the height of her fame, Kim was selling 60,000 records a day and was a figurehead for a generation of rebellious youngsters. “I always had a bit of the rebel about me,” she says. “In some ways I was a rebel without a cause, but I did rebel against high fashion and made a statement by buying clothes from Oxfam and cutting my own hair. I think the fans just picked up on
that and decided that’s what I stood for.” Today, with new album Closer out in January and another single, Trail Of Destruction, under her belt, Kim is ready to embrace a new chapter.
“When I thought back on my hit songs, I realised I am still in love with the three-minute pop song,” she says. “So, we have
in a way returned to recording simple, happy pop songs. The new album is a return to those songs that people still want to hear.”
She is also excited about the reunion tour of Britpop legends Oasis. “I love them,” she says. “It’s such a great rock’n’roll story – two brothers fall out for 15 years and then suddenly come back together. I’m a big fan of Liam – he just makes me laugh. I’ll be one of those people with a very expensive ticket watching them perform.” She admits she’s a big fan of Harry Styles, too. “He’s like a breath of fresh air – I love his voice and fashion style. I do have a wee crush on Harry. He may be headlining Glastonbury next year. If he does, I’m first there!”
In December 2022, fans were shocked by the news that Kim had divorced her husband, Hal Fowler, who she married in 1996 within six months of meeting, while appearing together in the rock opera Tommy. But today, following such a huge life change, Kim seems content. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy,” she says. “Life is fantastic. I’ve learnt a lot during the last two years after the divorce. I still have my health and I’m so grateful for all the simple things. My family are healthy and that’s all you can ask for. I’m in a good place. But I regret nothing from the past. Hal and I still talk.”
Kim Wilde’s new single, Trail Of Destruction, is out now. Her album, Closer, is out on 31 January 2025. For details and tickets for the tour, see kimwilde.com
