Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson inspired to return to music

Apr 11 2010 Alan Carson, Sunday Mail

ROCKER Shirley Manson is making a chart comeback after singing at the funeral of a friend's son.

The Garbage frontwoman hung up her microphone last March to concentrate on chasing TV and movie roles.

But the death of six-year-old Pablo Castelaz three months later made her see just how important music is to people.

Shirley said: "Friends of mine lost their son to cancer last year and they asked me to sing his favourite song, Life on Mars, at the memorial.

"We were all in so much pain but it meant so much to them that I could sing that song and it meant so much to me that I was able to do something.

"It made me realise how much music sustains people. I don't know why I turned my back on it."

Edinburgh-born Shirley had been touring with bands since her teens but decided to leave Garbage after landing a role in US TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

The singer was also hit hard by her mum's death in 2008.

She said: "When Mum became ill with dementia it knocked the stuffing out of me. I didn't want to make music, I could barely function."

However the loss of Pablo - the son of Dangerbird Records founder Jeff Castelaz - inspired her to return.

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service in Los Angeles for the youngster where Shirley and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl sang.

Now Shirley is keen to make an album.

She added: "There is talk about doing my own record, reforming with Garbage and a short film too. Whether it will all come off, I don't know.

"I've learned that I need to take it one day at a time."