Ahead of her Long Island concert, Sheena Easton talks friendship with Prince, Grammy-winning shock, more

Scottish pop star Sheena Easton, who will perform at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, grew up the youngest of six children, which meant she always fought for the spotlight.

"When you are the youngest, you have to stand out to survive," Easton, 66, said during a recent phone interview. "I’d sing, dance and act cute just to get some attention."

Easton came bursting onto the music scene in 1981 scoring two Billboard chart hits: "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" and the title track to the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only." This led her to win best new artist at the Grammys in 1982.

"I was in disbelief. I had no acceptance speech tucked away in my pocket. I didn’t think I had any chance of winning because I was up against The Go-Go’s and Luther Vandross," Easton said. "I just loved being there and seeing all the celebrities. When they called my name, I was genuinely dumbfounded."

Easton caught the eye of Prince, who wrote a controversial song for her called "Sugar Walls," the single that followed her top 10 hit "Strut." The Purple One even did a duet with her on his own hit song, "U Got the Look." The unlikely pairing blossomed into a friendship.

"When I went into the studio, we were laughing and joking around," Easton said. "We got along so well. Prince liked the fact that I wasn’t intimidated by him and when he teased me, I’d send it right back to him. We kept burning each other because it would crack us both up. Plus, we both shared a strong love of Joni Mitchell’s music."

Prince’s unexpected death in 2016 had a strong impact on Easton.

"It was a shock and so sad. He was beloved because of his musicianship and the risks he took. People really admired him," Easton said. "To me, it was a loss of a sweet soul who was a genius that was gone from the planet too soon. It was tragic."

Easton did a five-episode stint on "Miami Vice" (1987-88) as Sonny Crockett's (Don Johnson) wife as well as starring in Broadway revivals of "Man of La Mancha" (1992) and "Grease" (1996).

"Acting goes hand in hand with singing. As performers, this is part of our makeup," Easton said. "You look at lyrics that you tie into music and your interpretation is all about acting. Whether it's a simple pop song or a complicated dramatic tune, as a singer you are always acting."

In her current live show, Easton promises to deliver.

"I like to give the fans what they’re expecting, which is the hits, and I throw in some tribute cover tunes," Easton said. "I sing completely live, and the audiences can feel and hear that. I’m not one of those artists who comes out lip-syncing, along with the old me from the '80s. I don’t believe in changing costumes and dancing around to my own voice."

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.