Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Rita Ora ‘copied me’ says Grace Jones
Written by admin on 16th September 2015
Grace Jones has hit out at artists like Rihanna, Beyonce and Rita Ora for “copying her”.
In her new book, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs, she criticises them for being “middle of the stream”.
The 67-year-old, who became an international star in the 1980s, performed her recent festival gigs in a topless corset.
She says: “I have been so copied by those people who have made fortunes, people assume I am that rich. “But I did things for the excitement, the dare, the fact that it was new, not for the money, and too many times I was the first, not the beneficiary.”
The singer played the Queen’s Diamond jubilee concert in 2012, and hula hooped non-stop throughout the performance.
She says in her book: “Trends come along and people say, ‘Follow that trend’.
“There’s a lot of that around at the moment: ‘Be like Sasha Fierce. Be like Miley Cyrus. Be like Rihanna. Be like Lady Gaga. Be like Rita Ora and Sia. Be like Madonna.'” Grace adds: “I cannot be like them – except to the extent that they are already being like me.”
The comments come after she completely flaunted her bare breasts and nipples on stage at Afropunk festival in August, performing in an underbust corset, chainmail wig and some white body paint.
In her book, she also reveals she turned down a request for a collaboration from one of the singers she criticises, but doesn’t reveal a name.
“I remember when one of the singers on the list of those who came after me first said that she wanted to work with me. Everyone around me is going: “You have to do it, it will be so good for you, it will introduce you to a whole new audience, you will make a lot of money.
“No! It will be good for her; she will draw from everything I have built and add it to her brand, and I will get nothing back except for a little temporary attention.”
Grace Jones, originally started out as a model in the late 1970s. She was used in fashion shoots by the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and appeared on the front covers of Vogue and Elle.
Famous songs include Pull up to the Bumper (1981) and Slave to the Rhythm (1985).
(Source: BBC News)
