SHE was just 23 when she topped the charts and broke the record for the highest chart debut by a female with her single, Dreams.

But any ideas that Gabrielle had about becoming a diva or indulging in the lifestyles of the rich and famous were soon nipped in the bud by her family.

The Brit, MOBO and Ivor Novello award-winning singer went from being a normal girl growing up in Hackney to a popstar pretty much overnight in June 1993.

Obviously it was a lot to take in and Gabrielle said she found her family's guidance invaluable.

"It was crazy," said Gabrielle, who was inspired to become a musician after her English teacher Mrs Fieldhouse encouraged her to turn her school poems into songs.

"When I released Dreams people were trying to predict if it would go to number one.

"I’d been watching Top of the Pops for years but I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that I’d be on it.

"Not only did it happen but then Dreams went on to become the highest selling single by a female debut artist since the charts began.

"The record has been broken again since but for me it was an amazing thing. One minute I was seeing all my idols on posters to promote their albums then the next thing it was me on them.

"It was a bit weird but because I come from a very normal, grounded working class family somebody would have kicked my booty if I’d got above my station.

"It was such a busy time that I didn’t have a moment to take everything on board while it was happening.

"It was a whirlwind for quite a while. Initially it didn’t affect me which was weird. I was doing all these wonderful things but I was going with the flow and with the moment.

"It didn’t even feel like it was my life but because I have a great family it was easy to deal with and as I closed the front door it was all back to normal for me."

More than two decades have passed since then and now it is Gabrielle's children who are keeping her feet on the ground.

She took a six year break to devote herself to her kids before she started touring again in 2014.

"Now my kids are getting big," added Gabrielle, who recorded Out of Reach for Bridget Jones's Diary.

"My youngest is 13 but my oldest just graduated. I could have killed him though as I asked him to tell me when his graduation was so I could cancel everything else and he told me the wrong day.

"On the day of his graduation I had a Rochester show. I thought: ‘How have you done this to me?’

"Thankfully I was able to do the graduation and then go off and do my rehearsals for the show.

"Now my kids are big and don’t need me as much I’ll probably be annoying people for a bit longer now.

"Before I would decline a lot of stuff whereas now I want to do shows and get back in the studio. Otherwise I’ll be home alone as their social lives are far better than mine.

"I was telling my son off once and he said: ‘Mum, you do like the sound of your own voice’. I said: ‘Yeah, so do millions of others who bought my records’.

"He said: ‘Well played mum’. They’re cheeky like that. It’s nothing to them

"They think: ‘What do you mean famous? She’s my mum. She does the washing, she cooks my dinner’. There’s no room for fame and nonsense in my household. I’m just mum."

Now Gabrielle is reconnecting with fans at a series of stripped back shows to perform her hits at intimate venues. She will be at the Parr Hall on Thursday, November 3.

The 46-year-old said: "When you’ve been away for that long you can’t imagine people would still be bothered to see you again.

"So to go out there and receive the love and support of audiences who sing the songs back to me is amazing.

"One woman had named her daughter Gabrielle and she showed me a picture of me holding little Gabrielle when she was only a few months old only to tell me she’s now 15.

"Another time somebody lifted up their top and showed me the lyrics to Sunshine tattooed on their body.

"It’s phenomenal so I’ve had a blast. I’ve had a lot of fun and a lot of amazing feedback from the audiences."

Gabrielle's songs have found themselves everywhere from first dances to funerals.

"People have come up to me and said your song has been the backing track for key moments in my life," added Gabrielle, who was given permission by Bob Dylan to use a sample from Knockin' on Heaven's Door for her number one single Rise.

"It has been an amazing thing to hear stories about how my songs have become precious to people.

"The circumstances can be dire at times but it is still a beautiful thing that they’ve been able to have something that has given them a bit of solace."

Gabrielle is also working on her first studio album in 10 years which is expected to be released in 2017.

And she said she feels honoured every time she hears of other successful artists who have been inspired by her songs.

She said: "I remember Adele mentioning she’d liked what I’d done and was a fan when she was young.

"This woman is like the goddess of music for me. She doesn’t do all the dancing, she just delivers wicked music.

"I’m always humbled when people say they like what I do or grew up listening to my music."