Rumour has it a friend gave Pink her nickname based on Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs. Another origin: She's quick to blush. "That's the Disney version," Pink says. "Others are R-rated."
Pink embraces motherhood
~ John Sharpe
One indication signifying superstar status in the music business is when you’re known by only one name. Cher, Madonna, Beyonce, and Adele are just some of the artists who have achieved that exalted position. Based on her long-term achievements, you can add Alecia Beth Moore –now better known simply as Pink – to that list as well.
Since her 2000 debut, Pink has sold 13.4 million albums and 22.8 million digital tracks, plus she's piled up three Grammys and 11 top-10 singles. Her sixth studio album, The Truth About Love, was a chart-topper and the album’s first single, ‘Blow Me (One Last Kiss), skyrocketed to the top of the charts all over the world. Much like her previous efforts, The Truth About Love is filled with edgy tunes that reflect the singer/songwriter's honest approach to life.
"I write from my life, my experience. I'm selfish that way," said Pink in an interview with usatoday.com. "I'm very much in the trenches, and I don't live in the lap of luxury. I come from a working-class military family. We watch the news and read the paper and vote, so there's always something to be upset about. I always have a certain amount of angst in my back pocket. I'm not broke anymore, but I still have a broke mentality. I have family going through some things. A lot of my friends are single moms or unemployed. It's easy for me to fight their fight. Sometimes I wish I was poetic and subtle. I write very bold and blunt and tell it like it is."
There’s no doubt that Pink’s angry attitude stems from her early days growing up in the Philadelphia suburb of Doylestown and the problems she had with her parents. Her mother, a nurse, and father, a Vietnam veteran, divorced when she was 11 and at age 15, Pink dropped out of high school.
"I was a dark teenager. When I was 17 or 18, I had not yet exorcised my demons. My anger is more focused now. I used to be angry with everyone. I got a lot of that from my dad. He was tough, and I was raised with that fighter attitude. When it's World War III in your house every day, that's not a fun place to be. Singing was the only thing I knew I was good at, the only way I could get people to listen to me, the only way I could get my mom and dad in the same room. I'd sing what I had to say. I knew at two or three that I'd be a singer. I believe that you sign up for this life before you get here. I thought if I couldn't get on Star Search by the time I was nine, my life was over. I never pictured anything else."
Although Pink has not exactly tempered her aggressive attitude recently, her marriage to motor-cross racer Carey Hart has certainly had a profound impact on her life. The couple wed in 2006, separated two years later and reconciled in 2010, welcoming daughter Willow on June 2, 2011. According to Pink, she loved being pregnant with her daughter and revels in the joys of motherhood.
“Being pregnant was awesome,” Pink told mirror.co.uk. “I'm glad I waited until I was 31 to have a baby because, honestly, how many tables can you dance on? I've pretty much claimed them all and I don't feel like I've missed anything. And right now is the best part of life. I don't know where life is going to take us, but it's so yummy right now. Both our families were broken and I don't want that for Willow. So if I know I'm being an a**hole then I should just stop because I look at Willow and go, ‘Is it worth it?’ We still fight, we just fight nice.”
Currently, Pink is very busy with her The Truth About Love Tour. The tour, which began in February, will play over 130 shows in Australia, Europe and North America, including a number of Canadian dates this fall.
"My shows are like group therapy," Pink said, adding that the cathartic powers of performing helped temper her temper. “I like myself a lot more than I did when I started. I've exorcised a lot of demons. I don't think I'll ever give up performing. But I don't know if I would do it as full-on with more kids. I only have off or on, so I'd have to seriously figure out different speeds.”