Main causes of stress
BEFORE a gig can be a stressful time. You are working on the show, dealing with photographers, doing interviews. (Her new show, Lady Sings the Blues opens in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre tonight for a six-night run.) But I'm not complaining.
Singing is not stressful - it's just the most pleasant experience. Recently I did 27 gigs in 31 days and it was like a small holiday. What is stressful is everything else, from being at home, shopping, organising gigs, finding time for things. And I have five children as well.
Coping with stress
I'm addicted to walking now and have to get out every day. I've just signed up for T'ai Chi, which is a very relaxing movement. I read a lot too - I eat books. I have four books on the go at the moment.
But above all, I love singing. The reaction from the crowd is brilliant. There's nothing like it. Once you get over the first night and the dose of nerves, it's plain sailing.
Thoughts on addiction
Addictions to drink and drugs are very common in this business but I wouldn't say it's a response to stress. It's a response to partying too much.
I've been sober for seven years now and in 1997, I decided to come out and tell people because they were talking anyway. I told every gritty detail of the story and I didn't enjoy it but it was very cathartic. Hundreds of people phoned me and wrote to me to say they were helped by it, so I got so much from that.
But then it got so completely out of hand with the tabloids. I might do a huge interview with someone for hours and then they take one line out of it and it's a big headline. It's taken out of context and that's really, really upsetting.
In conversation with Alison Healy