Kate Bush Didn’t Tour for 35 Years After She Completed the ‘Most Magnificent Spectacle’ in the World of Rock in 1979
Several TV shows have used Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” However, Stranger Things put the song in the spotlight in the first half of Season 4. The series brought thousands of new fans to Bush’s music.
As young listeners look more into Bush, they may discover she is a bit of a recluse. She does not do interviews often, and concerts are not common. The singer even went 35 years without doing any tours.
Kate Bush’s rise to fame
By the time Kate Bush was a teenager, she had composed dozens of songs. With some encouragement, she presented her music to record labels only to face rejection. However, she soon began a career as an artist thanks to a friend.
A friend of Bush’s brother also knew David Gilmour from Pink Floyd and showed the band member Bush’s songs. Gilmour became impressed and helped Bush produce her debut album in 1978, titled The Kick Inside. After its release, she experienced moderate success.
Bush rose to fame during the 1980s with albums like Hounds of Love, and she built a loyal fan base. One member of that fan base is famous rapper Big Boi, who discovered her in middle school. The pair would eventually meet up and work on an unreleased song together.
Many fans now know Bush for “Running Up That Hill,” and the song came out in 1985. While the album it came with topped the charts, the song did not do as well by itself. It only reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The singer did not tour again for 35 years
Despite Kate Bush’s popularity, she has not toured much for most of her career. In fact, some people might feel surprised to hear that she has gone 35 years without doing another tour. The one that she did decades ago before the break was The Tour of Life in 1979.
According to Louder, The Tour of Life began in April 1979. The event consisted of 24 performances for about a month, and Bush started rehearsing for it several months before the kickoff. She worked with experimental dancer Lindsey Kemp to hone her skills.
The tour almost ended before it began when lighting engineer Bill Duffield died in an accident. Nevertheless, the event would continue and become a success. The BBC reports that Melody Maker considered the tour “the most magnificent spectacle ever encountered in the world of rock.”
Despite the success, Bush would not do live performances until decades later. Fans speculated, but the singer revealed the reason was that the event was “exhausting.” She went all out with dance routines and props. Not to mention, Bush has always focused on her family.
What Kate Bush has been up to
Kate Bush’s priorities have shifted over the years, and she returned to making music in 2005. In 2014, she decided to do live performances occasionally. Many of her concerts were part of a residency tour known as Before the Dawn.
Bush’s last album came out in 2011, and she has not released anything recently. However, she did spend some time writing. According to The Guardian, she published a book in 2018 titled How to Be Invisible. The book contains lyrics from many of her songs.
Additionally, Bush has enjoyed a resurgence in the popularity of “Running Up That Hill.” The newfound interest is due to Stranger Things using the song during a dramatic scene. The inclusion may have surprised fans since Bush hardly lets other properties use her music.
Recently, as a result of Stranger Things, “Running Up That Hill” made it to the top of the charts. Furthermore, Bush earned plenty of wealth. She reportedly made $2.3 million from royalties.
