Corinne Bailey Rae has spoken candidly about navigating intense media scrutiny following the death of her first husband, musician Jason Rae, in 2008.
The British singer-songwriter has opened up about coping with rising fame during an intensely difficult period.
Speaking to Billboard in a recent interview, Corrine shared that she felt “lucky” to be surrounded by “good people” following Jason’s death.
“It was a very aggressive time journalistically, but I just feel really lucky that I’ve had good people around me,” she said.
The Put Your Records On singer also addressed the challenges of rising to fame so quickly amid the intense media climate surrounding celebrities at the time.
“I knew Amy (Winehouse) and that was really frightening to see that side of people, and to see the vulnerability of going from being a cool jazz singer, to the biggest thing in British pop music,” the 46-year-old told the publication. “That is not a place you desire to be – no one wants to be there.”
She continued, “Plus, there was a need to tear down successful people in this country, which has been so strong for years, and it was definitely like that for women at that time.”
Corrine met Jason, a professional jazz saxophonist, when she was 19. The pair married in 2001 and remained together until his death in March 2008 from an accidental overdose of methadone and alcohol. He was 32.
The singer later married her longtime friend, jazz musician Steven Brown, in 2013. The couple have two daughters.
