music
March 4, 2026
Corinne Bailey Rae: ‘If you weren’t tits-out-for-the-lads, they called you middle of the road’
Her first album was a huge hit – then she faced the sudden tragedy of her husband’s early death. She describes the rupture of grief, her return to music and the harsh reality of fame as a woman in the 00s
TL;DR
- Corinne Bailey Rae is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her hit single 'Put Your Records On' with a children's book adaptation.
- Her debut album and single were major successes, but her career was impacted by the tragic accidental overdose death of her husband, Jason Rae, in 2008.
- Bailey Rae discusses the challenges of navigating fame as a woman in the 2000s, facing a music press that expected women to be overtly sexualized.
- She highlights how grief profoundly changed her perspective on life, leading to a deeper appreciation of the present and the simultaneous beauty and terror of existence.
- Following her husband's death, Bailey Rae rebuilt her life, remarried, became a mother, and has continued to release innovative music, exploring themes of race, history, and resilience.
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