HIS STORY Jools Holland, 56, musician
I first met Ruby at a show in Birmingham 21 years ago. I was looking for singers for my big band. I really felt her personality came out in her voice. With a lot of singers it’s a bit like they’re acting onstage, but she’s not. And it was that power that I wanted my orchestra to have.
She became one of my dearest friends. We’ve done a couple of world tours, and you get to know and depend on one another a lot. She sang “Amazing Grace” beautifully at my wedding – it was so uplifting. My children and wife love seeing her. Any problems, she’ll immediately be on the phone or get in the car and come down. She has this wonderful vibration that when you see her you know everything’s going to be all right.
When we’re writing music together, she has to completely believe in a song to sing it. She will have no part in anything that has any meanness. There was one song we did called “Roll Out of This Hole”. At the start it was about a rowdy party scene, but we changed the words because she said she wanted it to be an invitation to a dance, not to frighten people. We often take an old piece of music and try to get the spirit of what was there before. We have the same feel for doing those kinds of things. You only have that when you’ve listened to lots of old records.
It takes a lot, but you wouldn’t want to make Ruby cross. She’s very protective of people. On tour there are 20 people onstage and a dozen backstage and Ruby is a matriarchal figure to everyone, always kind and generous and making an effort to relax newcomers. She’s almost like a Victorian heroine. We’ve had a lot of fun times together. Ruby is like the sister I never had.
HER STORY Ruby Turner, 56, singer
I had been involved on and off in Jools’s band and when his management offered me a year’s tour, I decided to give it a go. And that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. We spend a lot of time together on tour and I’ll often stay overnight at his family home. We get time to write songs and discuss music and films.
He’s got a brilliant sense of humour too: the other night I was at home and had Later with Jools Holland on the television when I heard my name. Jools was interviewing Idris Elba and said to him, “My friend - Ruby Turner - she really likes you,” and before I knew it, Jools had asked Idris to marry me, on live TV. I was like, “What ya doing? Oh my gad!” I sent Jools a message saying “Did you check to see if he was single?” He said, “It doesn’t matter. He concurred!” It was the funniest thing – but poor man!
I had the privilege of singing at Jools’s wedding in 2005. The sun shone down that day; I was so happy - I felt like I’d got married. Everyone was there - I have this framed image in my mind of Ringo Starr leant against an oak tree. I get on so well with Jools’ his wife and his children. I knew his daughter Mabel as a baby and now she’s a grown woman singing with us.
I respect his work ethic. The way he treats people. When I see him in a work capacity I realise I have so much to learn. He’s always got lyrics lying around. He’ll call me and say he’s got an idea and I’ll go down to his place. It’s easy there, no stress. But Jools doesn’t lie about: he is the master of his destiny. I’ve never seen him procrastinating and feeling sorry for himself. He hasn’t got time for that. And that approach fires me up to do stuff too.
Ruby Turner’s album, All That I Am, and Jools Holland’s album of collaborations, Sirens of Song, are out now
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