Cancer scare led to a change of direction for Sheryl Crow

“It forced me to take stock of the way I was living.”

With 50 million albums sold, worldwide tours and millions in the bank, Sheryl Crow was living the dream.

But a breast cancer diagnosis stopped her in her tracks and forced the singer to re-evaluate what was really important in her life.

She realised, more than anything, that she wanted kids.

So when she arrives in the UK for a rare tour this month, she’ll be saddled down not just with her guitars but her two sons, Wyatt, 7, and four-year-old Levi.

“The diagnosis had a major impact,” the 52-year-old said. “Everything in my life came to a halt.

“It forced me to take stock of the way I was living and treating myself.

“I realised I had taken care of everyone else first and myself last. I had to learn to let go and it was very liberating.

“We all have expectations of the order things happen in our lives, that we’ll get married and have kids.

“There was nothing in my life that looked like that, but I wanted to be a mom. I had to let go of the idea of getting married. Maybe it doesn’t happen in that order.”

Sheryl adopted two-week-old Wyatt in 2007 and three years later adopted baby Levi, and the three of them live together on a farm in Nashville.

The single mother has been in high-profile relationships over the years with Eric Clapton, actor Owen Wilson and, most famously, Tour de France drugs cheat Lance Armstrong, who she was engaged to for a short time.

It was just after they split in February 2006 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, it was caught early and following surgery and radiation therapy, she was given the all-clear.

One of the changes she made to her life after falling ill was to move from the celebrity-obsessed Los Angeles to the home of country music, Nashville.

“I moved two weeks after I was diagnosed,” continued Sheryl, originally from Missouri. One thing missing in my life was a place with roots and family.

“Nashville is such a musical town and my sister lives there. Also, my parents and brother are only three hours away, so it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

“There are no paparazzi in Nashville, so I’m at peace to bring up the kids.

“I have a recording studio in my barn. It’s great to just walk down the drive to work and have the kids running in and out.”

Appropriately, the album is called Feels Like Home and is being marketed as her first pure country record.

She’ll carry on that homely vibe on her UK tour, when not only Wyatt and Levi will accompany her, but also her parents and sister.

“There’s none of that sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle on tour now, as if there ever was,” she smiled.

“It’s two kids, Lego, books, the whole circus, but it’s great. I’m just like any working mother.

“They’ve already managed to rack up a million frequent flyer miles, although they probably won’t remember most places.

“Our tour manager grew up in Scotland, though, so they’re looking forward to visiting there.

“My folks travel less and less these days, but they’re excited about spending time in the UK.

“My seven-year-old is in first grade but the teachers are fine about him being away for 10 days.

“I think they consider him having the chance to experience something like this as more important at this stage, and he’ll write a little diary while he’s gone.”

Sheryl had a further health scare in 2011, when she discovered she had a meningioma, a type of brain tumour that’s usually benign.

“I like to blame a lot of things on my brain, like my bad memory, but in reality I just don’t get enough sleep,” she laughed.

“It’s benign and not uncommon to be overlooked it’ll never be diagnosed in a lot of people.

“I just so happened to have a strange sensation in my temple and after a couple of years, I had it checked.

“I had a baby and a four-year-old and it stopped me in my tracks when I heard those words. But it’s nothing to worry about and I have it checked regularly.

“When people annoy me now I say I have a brain tumour and make them feel guilty!”