Gabrielle ’s distinctive voice soundtracked the nineties and early noughties with hits like Dreams, Outta Reach, and Rise – but she’s happier now at 54 than she ever was then. Catching up with Metro.co.
uk ahead of her Brighton Pride performance, Gabrielle – real name Louise Gabrielle Bobb – is bubbling over with chat and it’s clear she is thriving. ‘I prefer performing more now,’ she says. ‘When you’re young you’re a bit cocky, you go out there and do your thing.
But when you start having success you realise more is expected of you, and the pressure builds. ‘Now I’m in my mid-50s and I’ve got this back catalogue of songs people seem to enjoy, I’m menopausal in parts but I’m out there living my best life.’ She adds: ‘I don’t want the 90s back, no thanks.
’ When Gabrielle turned 40, her mum told her she’s the happiest 40-year-old she’d ever met. ‘I loved it. When I was approaching my 50s, I couldn’t wait.
People thought I was nuts because I was saying I was 50 before I was 50, which is something unheard of for a woman. But I just couldn’t wait to get there. ‘I think it’s because I had friends who didn’t make it, so I felt like I was the one picking up the torch for us.
So I got to 50 and I thought, you know what, I can just be me.’ Gabrielle’s audience also reflects her youthful spirit in more ways than one. First, there are more children, so she has to watch her language.
Perhaps surprisingly, there are also more men �.