I think I'm alone with Tiffany

She is svelte, fresh from her stint on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club," and what she said was a health awakening. After a year of what of "eating badly," Tiffany emerged from the currently airing hit show with a healthier mind and body.

Over our two-hour chat, Tiffany bared her soul as to what made her the music industry darling at fifteen, the artist she is now, and what she had to do to get the industry to stop thinking of her as "the mall girl." Think Hugh Hefner. "That did it," she admitted.

As the time passed sitting outside the eatery, Cravings' waiter finally figured out that the two of us would not be indulging in anything of substance -- other than major amounts of coffee -- as he takes away our menus.

The singer reflected on the current crop of teen stars and how the benefit of her solid performing background before she hit the big time setting her apart from the remixed-in-a-studio teen scene of today. Everybody's favorite singing teenager in 1987 was out selling millions of records when she asked the patriarch of boy bands to join her on tour and they both changed pop music forever.

SheKnows: You invited New Kids on the Block to tour with you their first time, before anyone knew who they were. Because of your invitation is it safe to say that the Wahlberg brothers would not be where they are today?

Tiffany: No, I've always said they would have made it no matter what. It was the right place and the right time and it worked for both of us. It was the first decision I really made on my own. I was really lucky to make friends with them and have their friendship and to be a part of all the success. I'm really like a sister on the sidelines. I'm just so proud of Mark and Donny. They were like me, they were going to show their talent to anyone who would listen.

SK: That entire scene must have been manic.

Tiffany: You have to understand, there were five of them and they each had their own fans. There were a lot of girls.

SK: When the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync started dominating the charts, it must have been interesting for you to watch that and think that I know what they're going through.

Tiffany: I did, my friends toured with Backstreet Boys, went to their shows. It was a trip sitting in the audience thinking this is just like the New Kids. And 'N Sync, I've always been friends with Lance Bass. I met them when they were up and coming with Lou Pearlman. At that time they were so excited to meet me. I heard their record and I thought it's going be a hit no matter what. It's five good looking guys again, they're talented, I mean Justin (Timberlake) is amazingly talented.

SK: Your new record, "Just Me" was released this month and I get the impression you are singing for yourself and the love of music. Did you approach it that way?

Tiffany: Yeah.

SK: The whole thing feels like it came to you so easily.

Tiffany: Thank you.

SK: Where did that ease come from?

Tiffany: I felt like I just needed to be myself. I'm not Fergie. I'm not the glamour girl. I love glamour and I love fashion and I love to dress up, but I'm also a tomboy. My influence was Stevie Nicks. I like girls who can dress up really great, but they're also seen shopping with no makeup on, but they are just great singer songwriters, they are true hearted artists. I mean I look at "Glamorous" by Fergie and I think, 'How fun is that!' But, when, for me, when I went into record this album, I didn't really have expectations. I wanted to write songs that were true. Write songs that make me happy and songs I thought were good and to get them to my fans. Everything I do is motivated towards my fans. I have a large fan base that has stuck with me since the mall days.

SK: It's funny you mentioned looking up to singer-songwriters, because upon hearing the CD, that's the first idea that popped in my head. This reminds me of all the singer-songwriters.

Tiffany: Thank you. Wow, thank you.

SK: I think that it fits you. Is that why the album is called "Just Me"?

Tiffany: It's pretty much just me. (laughs) They have been great moments in my life when you have been at the top of the world and you experience that and share that with people, but this is my dream. I'm living my dream. It is just me. I see a lot of people running around in Hollywood and people have to realize that the choices are ours. If you blow it, you have to be responsible for those, and you can always change. That's what the songs are about. I come from an alcoholic background. Alcoholism runs in my family, my mother's been sober for 20 years, it's actually a success story. She's a strong woman and really overcame that. But it would have been the easier road for me to say, 'I didn't have the right things in my life or because of my childhood.' To continue to live in that mindset of I won't be held responsible for my actions, I've seen a lot of that in the press lately, and it does affect you. But you can be your own person. Even if you come from ashes, you can learn to start your life over. I think it's important for me because I have a son. I am his role model. I certainly don't want to continue down a cycle that's bad. This is album is a lot of that mindset, coming from experience that has nothing to do with the music industry -- personal, everyday challenges and how I felt about them.

SK: As a creative person, I can understand that. That energy has to go somewhere.

Tiffany: Yeah. You know, if I'm not doing music, I love to create gardens where you are here in L.A., but you could be anywhere. I'm always creating with flowers and things like that and I love cooking and I love dinner parties. Those are also my creative outlets.

SK: Now that the new album is in stores, how's it feel to have the world able to listen to your latest passion?

Tiffany: It's great. Again, I want people to like it. I am really looking forward to the tour. I feel confident in the music no matter what, even if I was printing it up for all my friends. As long as I'm singing, I'm happy on any level. I'm been lucky. I've been able to make a career for myself. I've had the highs -- I'm thankful for that -- but that's not what would interest me now. I don't want instant success again and I want to keep a good solid foundation. I want to be the kind of artist that continues to grow. More than anything as a songwriter, this is my coming out, really.

SK: Some artists go into the studio and everything at home is completely separate. For you, is your son Elijah or your husband a part of the process?

Tiffany: Yeah, they are. My son will come to things, but I don't bombard him with the music world. I think musicians are great. Music is wonderful. I love it when he comes to rehearsal with me and hangs out with the guys. But this is not his dream. So I'm not offended. I always give him a choice if he wants to come to the studio or rehearsal. If he says no and wants to play Nintendo, I'm like, 'Okay.' I want him to be a kid. I chose this from the time I was a little girl. I don't impose on him my life. It's kind of funny. He doesn't see me as Tiffany. He sees me as Mom.

Now with Celebrity Fit Club, he looked at me and said, 'What do you mean, VH1? It's going to be on all the time.' I told him yes, and he said, 'My friends will probably see it.' I said, 'Probably,' and his face just dropped. He's 14 and that was different for him. Literally, most of the time his friends have known him I'm Elijah's Mom. They have no idea what I do. But now, I've done something on Celebrity Fit that is definitely in their age group. (She laughs.) And now people are hitting him up: 'You didn't tell me your Mom was Tiffany. I checked it out. She was like the first Britney Spears. That's so cool.' He's like, 'Yeah, yeah, that's cool. She's just my mom.'

SK: How did you get involved with Celebrity Fit Club?

Tiffany: They contacted me.

SK: Where you surprised, taken aback?

Tiffany: No, no. I'm friends with Tina Yothers and I have been watching the show.

SK: Did you hesitate at all?

Tiffany: I don't watch a lot of T.V. If I am, I'm watching CNN in the morning and "Law and Order" at night. I'm a "Law and Order" addict, really. Other than that, I've got too much going on with dogs, kids, fishes -- all kinds of things. So, when they came to me and took me to lunch, I knew what I took the meeting for. When I got off the phone with my agent, I said, 'Ben, they noticed.' (Laughs) By the end of the tour last year, people follow me like the Grateful Dead -- I'm leaving tonight and I'll see people in Hartford that I saw in LA -- people were giving me pictures from the tour and I looked at them, I was huge. You want to be on stage, looking cute with frilly dresses and be up on the current style. I had a hard time wearing that kind of stuff. I wasn't at my best. I'm not the kind of girl who believes you have to be a size two. But you have to be healthy and comfortable in your own skin and I certainly wasn't.

SK: So when Celebrity Fit Club called, it wasn't simply about losing weight, you were ready to live more healthily? And also, it didn't hurt that the show was on a music network like VH1?

Tiffany: VH1's cool right off the bat. I didn't really make the contact to go from Celebrity Fit Club to think that you will get your video added to their play list. It's a whole different beast. But, I like the show and I really did the show more than anything because it would be great exposure. But I also did it because I thought I want to go in and loose the weight. I know I can. There's nothing that is restricting me. It was just bad choices and lack of exercise. I liked Fit Club because it will be a team effort and I really need that kick in the butt.

SK: Did I read you were discovered by Hoyt Axton?

Tiffany: In a way, yes I guess I was. I've been singing since I was nine. And how that came along was my parents were friends with a couple across the street and they were country musicians. My parents and I went over there and everybody jammed one night. I knew all these country songs. I got up there and sang. The country singers told my father you should really do something about that. She can sing.

SK: Where does a father go from there?

Tiffany: What his gimmick was he would go up to the band a fairs and places and tell them 'my daughter is nine years old and I want her to sing with you. I'll give you $500 if you let her come up and sing with her. If you don't' like her you keep the $500, if you like her, you have to give the $500 back.'

SK: You're kidding...

Tiffany: No. (Laughs) Every time he got his $500 back. And we'd go to the next place and do it again. I just stood there. I didn't know anything about showmanship. I just liked to sing. I gradually learned more about the industry and people said you have to have demos and headshots. It became a business. (Laughs)

SK: Yeah, it did. What struck us was you always had the voice. You sang. And in this age when people can have things remixed or perform with a lip synch...

Tiffany: For me I see in today's market there's room for everyone. I'm a Madonna fan, she's not a great vocalist, but she's a great businesswoman, entertainer and celebrity. When you go to Madonna you get a complete package. I think we get stuck on pushing videos and looks of youth and size two or whatever. You can get away with that for a little while. But it's not really doing justice to the artist. If that is really their dream, at some point they are going to have to step up to the plate. I think Britney has proven she's worked for it -- it is still work, she's a go-getter -- I wouldn't' devalue her because she's not a great vocalist. She knows what she's doing.

SK: As you said as we were walking here, you are a self-professed shop-a-holic. Now, ideally in that mode, what are you shopping for?

Tiffany: Anything. (Laughs) Ah, I'm trying to be crafty here. Well, I don't... it's weird. I buy magazines, but I don't read the articles. I read the headlines, you can't escape them. But I don't go a step further and read all the dirt. But I don't I immediately get my scissors out and I cut, and I even cut the head, I'm sorry girls, I cut your head off and I try to mimic those outfits or that fashion. Some styles work for me and some styles don't. But, literally if the new color is blue and it speaks to me I'm like 'that's pretty.' Then I'll be on the hunt for a blue dress. It could be shoes. It could be...I love shoes. There's always time for shoes. I try to keep as up to date as possible. Again, I'm not somebody that has to have the latest and greatest and work with all the major designers, and all of that kind of stuff. Those are not my demands. They're great, I love designer, but I also love vintage and I love thrift storing and I love all of that. As I get older I finding other niches about myself as a woman. Not really as an artist, but as a woman, where I'm like, 'You know what? I like my legs. I never showed my legs before. But you now, I do like them and now I'm going to wear skirts. I'm really into dresses right now. I really wasn't a dress person before. I just love dresses now. Of all shapes, all colors, and all sizes and styles. And I have so many it's disgusting. I'm addicted to dresses right now. I'm like a typical girl. It goes in waves and it goes with whatever. I don't want to look like everyone else. Like any woman, you want to be current but you want to do it your own way.

SK: I wanted to ask you, a lot of artists can't say this, is it still weird for you to hear that your debut single debuted at number one?

Tiffany: It is weird. I didn't really have anything to expect when I released my album. I didn't really know how it all came down the pipeline and what's right and what's wrong. I just wanted people to like my music and like I said, to be able to get on planes and go to other countries where people love your product and they love me and they're singing my song. It took my dreams to the next level. I was like 'Wow!' This is great. So I was just doing it. I was just living it. And when my manager called me and told me you have the number one single in the country. I told him, I said, 'oh, that's awesome. That's really great.' And he, you know started giving me the spew about 'do you know what that means? Do you know where you're going and dadadada...I said 'you know what, I'm really sorry, but my Mom's gonna be home and I have to finish these dishes, my chores. I was more worried about being busted than...I'm like 'I'll call you back, K?' I think, I think that's part of my character. My character is always, I've achieved a lot in my life, I'm world wide famous, there's all these little perks, but I look at myself as just Tiffany. I'm just Tiffany, people. (Laughs)

SK: Now, were you asked to appear in Playboy? How did that work?

Tiffany: Yes, they approached me.

SK: How did you approach that decision?

Tiffany: I thought about Playboy. It came across to people that were working with me, Jeff (Jones, her publicist) being one of them. He told me you have to do this. We were working on the record "Code of Silence" and going to radio and they were saying this is an amazing record, you sound great. It's just not gonna happen because people perceive you as the mall girl. Even though you are, at that time late twenties, they still had the perception of me as the mall girl. "I Think We're Alone Now."

SK: Right. That certainly was the case.

Tiffany: I was like, 'That's frustrating.' I'm not 15 anymore. So much has happened in my life. So how do I get out there? I did the college tour, which was really successful and started having great reviews from Billboard and that frustrated me even more because the critics loved the record. I've got all this momentum and I could still not cross over. It was about that time that Playboy came and Jeff was telling me that it would smack people's image of me. Well, yeah. There was the fact that I have a son. And, I don't really get it. I just never got being naked to work a record. It was really once I talked to Playboy. Once I talked to the photographer about the style and image, I thought we could make it pretty or natural. That's going to be really nice. It's nice that Playboy's asking me, it's pretty cool for me as a girl to be in Playboy. I think it broke that image of me being fifteen. I did it and I don't regret it. It definitely worked. Would I do it again? Right now, having a fourteen year old son would be so weird and awkward. I'm glad I did it earlier on when he was younger. I was doing morning radio at the time and they asked me what I thought my son would think and I said, you know, he's like seven. (Laughs) I hope that seven year old kids are not looking at any kind of Playboy because it's just to much too soon. Now he's fourteen and the possibility of that whole thing and getting razzed at school and people saying things about his Mom. Some people will think it's cool, some will think it's not.

SK: You're also part of the Playboy family, and once you're a part of that...

Tiffany: Exactly. I started researching some of the girls, Cindy Crawford, these are the girls that I look up to. Cindy Crawford is a great person. She's a mom and she's done Playboy. It was more to celebrate your womanhood. It was a real honor for me. It's nice to say I'm part of the Playboy family. I've actually done some shows with the Girls Next Door.

SK: You have?

Tiffany: Yeah, they're really cool.

SK: My wife loves them.

Tiffany: They're really funny. They've all been really nice, I have enjoyed meeting them.

SK: Are you excited about the upcoming tour?

Tiffany: Very excited, you know, my life is a little 'Spinal Tap.'

SK: Has it always been like that?

Tiffany: Yeah, it really has. I'm just that girl. There are people that wake up in the morning and their hair is perfect. They look beautiful and they need no makeup and just float along beautifully in life. I'm not that girl. (She laughs) I am the girl who gets really dressed up and has hair and makeup done and wonderful clothes and great shoes and trips down the red carpet. That's the girl that I am.