James Blunt on living with Carrie Fisher: “She became my best, best friend”
James Blunt has shed light on his experience living with the late Carrie Fisher in LA.
The singer moved in with the Star Wars actress in 2003 when he went to LA to further his career and happened to meet her when he was dating a girl whose family were friends of hers.
“I was invited to the restaurant 192 in Notting Hill. I was going out with a girl whose parents were family friends of Carrie’s and I sat beside her at lunch,” he told The Guardian. “I had just got a record deal and was moving to LA. Carrie’s first question was: ‘What do you do?’ I said: ‘I’ve left the army to go to make an album in LA.’ Question number two was: ‘Where are you going to live?’ I said I didn’t know. Her reply – the third thing she ever said to me – was: ‘Well, you’re going to live with me.’ So I did just that.
He continued: “For the first month, I didn’t see her. I’d get up and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, would shout: ‘Hey Charlie – you wanna drink?’ and I’d say: ‘No, I’m James, thanks very much,” then head to the studio. A month later, I started to see Carrie more. I came home one night and sat on the end of her bed and we talked until morning. After that, whenever I got back from the studio I’d go into her room to talk, no matter if it was 11pm or 3am. She became my best, best friend.”
Blunt explained that a song on his new album, ‘Dark Thought’ describes the moment he returned to that house after Fisher’s death. She passed away in December 2016 at the age of 60.
“I put my hand on her gate and started crying. Moments after, one of the open-top Star Map vans that drive tourists around LA turned up,” he said. “Over the PA, the guide said: “On your left, you’ll find the late, great Carrie Fisher’s house … As you can see, some fans are still deeply moved by her passing.” That was me. I wanted to tell them to fuck off, but eventually found it funny.”
Meanwhile, it was revealed last year that Blunt’s 2004 LP ‘Back To Bedlam’ was the second best-selling album of all time, following Meat Loaf‘s ‘Bat Out Of Hell’.
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Emma Wilkes
NME
