AOL (June 1999)

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AOL's Entertainment Asylum Music welcomed Geri Halliwell on June 11th at 5:30PM ET. Once known as Ginger Spice, Geri now has a solo career and chatted about her new album, "Schizophonic."

EAMusic1:  Hello, Geri Halliwell!

Geri Halliwell:  Hello!

Question:  When are you going to start touring to promote "Schizophonic"?

Geri Halliwell:  If you want me to, then I will. I love touring, but I really enjoyed myself and I'm disappointed that I didn't finish the American tour, so perhaps I'll be given a second chance.

Question:  "Someone's Watching Over Me" - what's the meaning of that song?

Geri Halliwell:  It's about my father, because he died six months before I started Spice Girls, and I was always daddy's little girl, and sometimes I find comfort and try to convince myself that he's with me.

Question:  When will your book be released in the US?

Geri Halliwell:  It's coming out in the fall.

Question:  What will your next video be?

Geri Halliwell:  The next single is "Mi Chico Latino," and whatever I do with the video, it always comes from my heart and my imagination. You have to wait and see.

Question:  Do you still have "girl power"?

Geri Halliwell:  I think "girl power" has evolved for me into a real power and something that is more conscience. It's woman power, people power, and willpower. The most important thing is to have strength within, regardless of your race, sex or gender.

Question:  Do you still talk and keep in touch with them?

Geri Halliwell:  It's like ex-boyfriends or ex-lovers, you always care about them, but when you first separate, you need time and space, but you always wish them well.

Question:  Why did you leave the Spice Girls?

Geri Halliwell:  I was going to leave anyway at the end of the tour, and I had originally planned that, and told them that. I had given my heart and soul to the group and wanted to finish after the American tour, and after Wembley Stadium. The other four wanted to take it further, and I respect them for that. But I wasn't able to do Breast Cancer interview, which was very important to me, and I felt I had to do that and it made me question my integrity and principles, so I had to decide to leave and get my feet back on the ground. It was one of my instinctive decisions.

Question:  Who has been the most influential person in your life and your career?

Geri Halliwell:  You can find anyone inspiring. When I find someone who's faced adversity in their lives, whether it be kids bringing themselves up or working hard on their exams, or even a public figure like Mandela, or my friend George, or my mom, or anyone. Lots of people.

Question:  Do you plan to start an acting career?

Geri Halliwell:  Maybe, I don't know. If the right script came along, I think, at the moment, I've got to focus on my music career.

Question:  What is your middle name?

Geri Halliwell:  Estelle. I always ask that question too!

EAMusic1:  Do you have any nicknames?

Geri Halliwell:  When I was a teenager, I was called Pancake because I was so flat-chested, and also Spanish name for little pooh, because I always went to the bathroom a lot, and my mother is Spanish.

Question:  What/who was the inspiration for the song "Look at Me"?

Geri Halliwell:  I think through what I've learned about how we all sometimes get obsessed with public image, and I think we should look beyond that. We should look into each other's eyes and treat each other as human beings, regardless of what you wear or how you look. And it's more about poking fun [at] myself.

Question:  What would be your advice to a young aspiring singer/musician?

Geri Halliwell:  First of all, I'd say have persistence. Keep knocking on those doors. If you want something bad enough, and with the right heart and spirit, it will happen. You have to believe it.

Question:  If you could start all over again, would you have picked the same path to music?

Geri Halliwell:  I've always wanted to do music. I found something I really like doing. I love writing pop songs, you know, songs that bring joy to people and make them happy.

Question:  What address can your fans reach you at? Do you read and respond to any fan mail?

Geri Halliwell:  I do. When somebody hands me, or if a fan letter is handed to me or comes into my possession, I always read it. I love reading them. Either on a plane, or eating my breakfast, it makes me feel good.

Question:  Will you be participating in Party in the Park on the 4th of July?

Geri Halliwell:  Maybe.

Question:  Does being a beautiful, big-shot, hot, attractive superstar ever get annoying?

Geri Halliwell:  I think if I'm honest, there are highs and lows in everything you do. There's an expression that you never get your cake and eat it, in life. There's always a compromise. I get to sing my songs on stage to people and bring joy. The down side is doing a lot of traveling, which is tiring, but sometimes I don't have a great social life because I work hard.

Question:  How old were you when you started singing?

Geri Halliwell:  I think when I was about 7. I'd always be writing poems and then I'd sing Elvis songs.

Question:  Where are you currently living?

Geri Halliwell:  I live in the countryside just outside London, with my dog Harry.

Question:  Why did you call your album "Schizophonic"?

Geri Halliwell:  Originally, I was going to call it "Schizophrenic" but I didn't want to offend anyone because it's obviously a serious illness. But I was looking for a word to describe that we're all multi-faceted split personalities, and I've found that even in music, so I made up the word “Schizophonic,” which means split sound.

Question:  Do you have a boyfriend?

Geri Halliwell:  When I wrote the album, I had made a conscious decision not to have any kind of boyfriend or sex. Not that I had the opportunity anyway. But I knew my writing would be better if I didn't participate in that type of action. But I'm finished with the album now, so I'm looking. I just want to cuddle more than anything, I think. That's what is nice, the affection.

Question:  Who was your crush when you were a teen?

Geri Halliwell:  I think, as a child, I loved George Michael. There's no secret about that. Elvis when he was slim! Brendan Fraser from "Gods and Monsters."

Question:  Were you happy with your finished album?

Geri Halliwell:  Yeah. It was a big mountain for me to climb, so there's a lot of personal satisfaction. But it's like anything you hand over, afterwards you always think you could have added something here and there, but you've got to have a cutoff point and let it go. When you write music, it's like a snapshot in time.

Question:  How did you get in such great shape?

Geri Halliwell:  I'm one of these people, probably like a lot of the majority, where I have to be careful what I eat. I have to eat sensibly. You know I've been down that road of crash dieting, and it doesn't work. I have the tendency to overeat, like whole packages of biscuits when I'm stressed. What I try to do is have a balanced diet. Also, I do a bit of running, and I've started yoga now, which is fantastic.

Question:  What musical influences do you draw from?

Geri Halliwell:  I just go with what I feel, and what I like to hear. I write music that I say, you know what, today I feel very Spanish, and I want to express that. You know, today I've got fire in my heart, and so I'll express that. Then the next day I might write a song because I heard a guitar riff on an old blues track and think, oh yeah, I really like that. That might inspire me. My dad was 60 when I was born, so all his influences were like Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, so that influenced me a bit.

Question:  Are you still working with the United Nations?

Geri Halliwell:  Yeah, I'm just about to go on a trip tonight to the Philippines. I'm going on my first project.

Question:  Did you change your look right after you left Spice Girls?

Geri Halliwell:  No. What happened was I was changing maybe six months before that. When I got to Chicago, I went shopping and decided I wanted to buy some more conservative clothing. It was about six months before I left. Then I was progressively changing offstage. It was liberating and refreshing to wipe off the makeup and wear low shoes. It's not about concerted effort, but everybody changes. I think image is [expletive], and we shouldn't get so hung up on it. It's nice to dress up and play around, but it sometimes enslaves us, which is kind of crap. I do sometimes.

Question:  What was the greatest thing that you have ever received from a fan?

Geri Halliwell:  I've had all sorts. I've had expensive presents where someone sent me a real silver bangle from Tiffany's. Sometimes I'll get a phone, or someone will have woven a friendship band, and that takes loads of time. I get people writing poetry to me, which is quite nice. And someone, which I find amazing, had the exact same tattoos as me. It's very flattering.

Question:  What do you do with your free time?

Geri Halliwell:  Normally, in my free time, I'm like most and just kind of vegetate on a sofa, eat biscuits, watch videos and catch up with my friends. I run around with my dog, and I read.

Question:  Will you marry me?

Geri Halliwell:  Maybe, if we meet one day, fate will decide.

EAMusic1:  Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?

Geri Halliwell:  I'd like to take this opportunity to say a mighty thank you for everyone who has supported me, and I think of music as a friend and companion, and I hope that when you put on my CD, you find it that way. When you need a friend, or someone to turn to, I hope you find that through my CD. Big, big, kiss to everyone out there!

EAMusic1:  Thank you so much, Geri!

Geri Halliwell:  Thank YOU!

Portions of the transcript may be edited by AOL to correct spelling, punctuation and/or remove any material that violates AOL's Terms of Service.

Copyright 1999 Entertainment Asylum & America Online, Inc.

source: aol