Plenty of people end up in jobs they're not passionate about before finding a career that's a better fit. But for Victoria Beckham, that early job was being a founding member of one of the biggest girl groups in music history. When it comes to her time in the Spice Girls, Beckham has been open about the fact that singing isn't her true talent—and she thanks one extremely famous person for inspiring her to stick to her guns. In a letter to her future self for British Vogue, Beckham wrote about her decision to leave the Spice Girls and how seeing a certain artist inspired her to make that call. Read on to see who inspired the former Posh Spice to leave the group, and to see what else she had to say about her career change. And for more celeb news, here's How Mary-Kate & Ashley Stopped Elizabeth Olsen From Being a Child Star.
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An Elton John performance shifted Beckham's career path.
Victoria Beckham/InstagramWhile Beckham was watching one of Elton John's performances in 2008, she realized that the passion he has for music is not something she shares. In the letter to her future self, which British Vogue published on Jan. 11, Beckham wrote: "Remember years ago, watching your dear friend Elton John on stage in Las Vegas. He performed 'Tiny Dancer', as if it were the first time, and you realized this was like oxygen for him."
She continued, "It was a life-changing moment—while singing and dancing was fun for you, it wasn’t your passion. That day, you started your quest to uncover your own dreams. It was time to step away from being a Spice Girl. For the first time, you were venturing out on your own, and it was terrifying. It was scary to close a chapter that defined you."
And for more groups that didn't last, check out 11 Bands That Went on a "Hiatus" But Have Yet To Come Back.
Beckham gave John credit in the past, too.
Shutterstock/Featureflash Photo AgencyIn a 2018 interview with Vogue Australia, Beckham also explained that seeing John perform pushed her to put down her microphone. She said she told him of the effect he had on her life, too. "I was with Elton John this weekend and I told him: 'You’re the reason why I stopped the Spice Girls,'" she told the magazine.
She referenced the same Las Vegas show as in her British Vogue letter. "I remember sitting there very near to the front and looking at him singing those songs he’d sung time after time, year after year, and his passion and his enjoyment was incredible, even after all that time," she said.
"A few nights later, I was on stage at Madison Square Garden with the Spice Girls and I thought: 'It’s almost like a waste that I’m given this opportunity. I appreciate the time I’ve had with the girls, but I don’t have what Elton can have after all these years.' There was nothing there, other than that my kids were in the audience and I wanted them to see Mummy doing the Spice Girls."
At the time, Beckham was taking part in the The Return of the Spice Girls Tour, which ended early "due to family and personal commitments." The band had previously gone on an indefinite hiatus starting in 2001.
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Beckham and John have been close for years.
Elton John/InstagramBeckham, her husband David Beckham, and John have been friends for a long time. In Aug. 2018, when the Beckhams were hanging out on John's yacht in the South of France, David posted a photo of himself and John on Instagram and wrote, "Uncle Elton.... We have known each other now for 25 years .. Fun times with each other." John is the godfather of the Beckhams' two oldest sons, Brooklyn and Romeo.
For more on celeb families, read Jada Pinkett Smith Regrets Doing This One Thing With Her Kids.
Beckham is now focused on her fashion and beauty brands.
Liam Goodner / Shutterstock.comBeckham last toured with the Spice Girls in 2008 as part of the Return of the Spice Girls Tour and last performed with them at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, even though her four bandmates have gone on to tour together since. The year she left the group, Beckham started her eponymous fashion line, which has become hugely successful.
More recently, in 2019, she started Victoria Beckham Beauty. In the letter to her future self, Beckham looks back—and forward—on her career. "I know you are still reinventing yourself, taking on new challenges, and ignoring the naysayers," she wrote. "You always look beyond the conventional wisdom to pave your own path." No matter what Beckham does next, she told herself to never forget her manta: "Work hard and be kind."
For more celebrity news, check out Serena Williams' Husband Defends Her Against Body Shaming Comment.
