Alanis Morissette has shared the advice she got from her father Alan as she was breaking into show business in Ottawa.
The singer, now 47, was still in middle school when she appeared in several episodes of the locally-produced series You Can’t Do That On Television and recorded her first song, “Fate Stay With Me.” Her debut album Alanis came out when she was only 16.
Appearing on an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show that aired Thursday, Morissette revealed her father’s words of wisdom.
“As I was stepping into the public eye as a young creature my dad said, ‘Honey, there’s going to be three ways people perceive you: The first group of people will adore you and you can do no wrong; the second group of people will hate you and you can do no right; and then the third group of people won’t give a s**t.’ And he said, ‘That’ll be the case no matter what, so enjoy.’
“And it’s true. It’s liberating to know that no matter what I do, no matter how people please-y I can be – or fear of rejection or please like me – that no matter what, there’s just no way.”
Morissette said her father’s advice has stuck with her. "I haven’t read a comment about me that is disparaging and cruel in 20 years,” she explained.
“It’s about soliciting someone’s supportive opinion, who knows you. I’d rather have someone know me well and tell me what my growth edge might be and have them invite me in some behaviour that might be a little terrifying. You know, and everyone has their own growth edge. One person it might be to show up more, another person it might be to say ‘no’ more often.”