In a recent 60 Minutes interview, Pink, known for her unapologetic approach to both her music and personal life, peeled back the layers of her tumultuous journey, touching upon her past overdose, challenging childhood, and her iconic reputation in the entertainment industry.
While many celebrities opt for a more private approach, Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore, has always been an open book, sharing her experiences and emotions through her music, live performances, and social media. However, this transparency hasn't come without its consequences, as she revealed that she has received death threats for some of the messages she's shared with her fans. Despite this, Pink remains undeterred.
"I guess I look at it in a very specific way," Pink says. "If I'm a mystery to you, how can I expect you to connect with me? And if I'm a person that's desperate for connection, then why would mystery be interesting to me? I want to know you. I want you to know me."
In the interview, Pink delved into her difficult childhood, which included growing up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where she expressed feeling bored and desperate to leave. Her home life was filled with tension, largely stemming from her father's service in Vietnam. As a teenager, she had intense arguments with her mother, and one particularly heated altercation turned physical, with Pink's mother falling down the stairs. Pink now refers to this moment as her one regret in life, but she has since reconciled with her mother.
"I had a chip on my shoulder," Pink shares. "Basically, I grew up in a house where every day, my parents were screaming at each other, throwing things. They hated each other. And then I got into drugs. I was selling drugs. And then I was kicked out of the house. I dropped out of high school. I was off the rails."
Her darkest moment came when she overdosed during a Thanksgiving rave in 1995. “I was on ecstasy, angel dust, crystal, all kinds of things. And then I was out. Done. Too Much,” she admits.
Pink recalls almost losing her life, with a friend pulling her up and encouraging her to get on the microphone. The DJ at the event made a pivotal promise: "Come back tomorrow, I'll give you a guest spotlight. But you can never touch drugs again." Pink kept her word and never looked back. Within just four weeks, she was auditioning for record deals.
Her journey in the music industry began as the lead singer of an R&B girl group, and she signed to LaFace Records. But Pink's determination to stay true to herself led her to go solo, using her teenage nickname, Pink. Her career-defining album, Missundaztood, sold 15 million copies worldwide.
Since then, Pink has enjoyed a string of hits, with each tour surpassing the previous in scale. In 2023 alone, she has sold $350 million in tickets worldwide. Her shows today include her 6-year-old son, Jameson, and 12-year-old daughter, Willow, who often tour with her and have a designated library for reading while on the road.
Pink's performances are also marked by high-flying stunts, a testament to her physical strength and acrobatic skills honed from childhood gymnastics classes and training sessions with aerialist coach Dreya Weber. This intense training allows her to sing while executing gravity-defying acts, including being upside down with someone standing on her stomach.
Beyond her physical prowess, Pink's indomitable spirit has been instrumental in her rise in the music industry. "I never got a record deal because I was cute; I got a record deal because I was fiery, I had a lot to say, and I had a voice," she states. "I'm relieved I don't have to fall back on conventional beauty and that doesn't have to be my thing and I don't have to keep that up, either, as I age. I don't have to be that. I can be all this."
Pink's refusal to conform to societal norms and expectations has made her an icon for many fans throughout her 25-year career. She's currently planning her next chapter with a Las Vegas residency, vowing to deliver a show that will push boundaries. "I would like to have the best show that Vegas has ever seen. And I think that I can," she declares.
After all these years, Pink continues to demand more from herself, refusing to bow to conventional standards of age or behavior. "I like going against societal norms," she affirms. "Why can't we ride it till the wheels fall off? That's what I plan on doing."
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