Family comes first for Sharon Corr. When she rose to fame in the 1990s, her band The Corrs – made up of her siblings Jim, Caroline, and Andrea – were a tight unit and their 1995 album Forgiven, Not Forgotten reached number one around the world.
These days the 43-year-old is a solo performer, but it’s her own family with husband barrister Gavin Bonnar that is now her biggest gig.
“It’s a juggle, but I have to have a really great husband who supports what I do,” she says.
Family comes first for Sharon Corr. When she rose to fame in the 1990s, her band The Corrs – made up of her siblings Jim, Caroline, and Andrea – were a tight unit and their 1995 album Forgiven, Not Forgotten reached number one around the world.
These days the 43-year-old is a solo performer, but it’s her own family with husband barrister Gavin Bonnar that is now her biggest gig.
“It’s a juggle, but I have to have a really great husband who supports what I do,” she says.
“It can be tricky for both of us, but I think if you are happy pursuing something you are often better with your children.”
Sharon, who is mother to Cal (7) and five-year-old Flori, balances parenting with her international touring career. While on the road, she tries to see her children at least once a week – whether that means flying the kids to Brazil or Zurich.
She won’t be able to take the kids to New Zealand when she visits our shores for the Mission Estate Winery Concert next year – alongside Ronan Keating, Melanie C, Leo Sayer and Billy Ocean – but the family will meet up a week later in LA.
Although she’s very busy, Sharon says her tight schedule helps make her a better mum.
“The kids love visiting me on the road. They show up for gigs and the drummer lets them play on the drums, and they get to eat the sweeties on the rider.”
Motherhood has also made her open up more as a musician. The singer and violin player, whose second solo album The Same Sun is due for release in the new year, says becoming a parent has allowed her to write lyrics that are more personal.
“Being a mum is great for songwriting because you are just that much more vulnerable – you are responsible for two other human beings,” she says.
“I think I got a bit of a shock when I had children. I really wanted them desperately and then when it happened I was terrified for them and for me.
“I was driving home from the hospital after having my first and I thought, ‘Does the world not realise there’s a tiny little baby in the back of my car?’
“I almost wanted the world to stop because I was so terrified of having an accident between the hospital and my house – which was only 10 minutes away. You slowly, but surely, get used to it.”
Sharon has visited New Zealand several times before with The Corrs and on her own as well, and says she can’t wait to come back again – because Kiwis are a lot like the Irish.
“I think it’s the greenness of the countryside and the New Zealand people are rustic like the Irish are,” Sharon explains.
“We are a ‘take us as we are’ kind of people and I think we are pretty honest and direct.
“The last time I was in Auckland it was raining, so that reminded me of Ireland too,” she adds with a laugh.
And there’s something else she’s looking forward to while in the Hawke’s Bay: The wine!
Sharon Corr performs at the Mission Estate Winery on February 15
We have 10 double passes to give away to the Mission Estate Winery Concert.
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