Kim Wilde walked away from the music business after seeing the damaging effect fame had on Michael Jackson.
The ‘Kids in America’ hitmaker supported the late ‘Thriller’ hitmaker – who died from acute propofol intoxication in June 2009 – on his 1988 ‘Bad’ tour and the experience only strengthened her doubts about the negative impact of life in the public eye.
She explained: "It gave me an insight into that level of fame – there were lots of ugly aspects to it.
"The ugliness of the fame was evident in many different ways, like the way it isolates people.
"At the time, I had second thoughts about what achieving more fame could actually bring to my life, as it seemed to only bring isolation and loneliness into Michael’s life.
"I couldn’t live mine like that. Not being able to go to the supermarket or hang out with my mates and just lead a normal life – you can’t put a price on that and it seemed he’d paid such a huge price already.
"Ultimately, he paid with his life and looking back, that was always going to happen somehow.
"I felt that – and that was one of the reasons I retired a few years later.
"There were a number of factors but that was certainly one of them.
"I thought, ‘What’s the point of chasing even more fame? There’s only one place it can potentially lead.’ "
The 59-year-old star – who has children Harry, 22, and Rose, 20, with husband Hal Fowler – quit her pop career and enjoyed a quieter family life for years before returning to her music and now loves the balance she has.
She added to New! magazine: "So I started to look for more meaning in my life and I found that through meeting my husband and having my family and getting into gardening.
"Now I have a wonderful balance of family life, being close to nature but also loving playing live."
Kim is confident she stopped making music at the right time as her experiences didn’t feel tainted and she cherishes it much more now she’s back on the road.
She said: "I put a stop to what had begun to feel like a merry-go-round I just needed to get off.
"My career was more in control of my life than I was.
"It started to feel very uncomfortable for me, so I stepped out and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
"It helped me to appreciate all the great things that my career was, instead of resenting it like I had begun to.
"When I stepped back into it years later, I realised how precious it was and how much I wanted to share it again.
"I’m really praying this tour happens at the end of the year and I can share it with all the wonderful people who put me in this position.
Kim Wilde quit music after witnessing Michael Jackson ‘pay the price’ for fame
