Kate Bush remains one of the planet’s most elusive cultural figures, living largely out of the public eye while rumored to be quietly preparing a creative return that blends new music, family collaboration – and a firm stand against artificial intelligence.
But RadarOnline.com has all the details of her life in hiding.
Chart-Topping ‘Stranger Things’ Resurgence
Kate Bush lives quietly away from the spotlight.
The English singer-songwriter, 67, who first emerged in 1978, has spent more than a decade avoiding the spotlight after releasing her tenth studio album, 50 Words for Snow, in 2011.
Her retreat was punctured dramatically in 2022 when her 1985 single Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) surged back into global consciousness after featuring in season four of Stranger Things, introducing her work to a new generation and propelling the song to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
Bush began her career with The Kick Inside at just 19, becoming the first female artist to top the U.K. charts with a self-written song, Wuthering Heights.
Over four decades, the warbling, elastic-voiced singer released 10 studio albums and built a reputation for fiercely controlling her work, collaborating selectively with artists including Prince, Peter Gabriel and Elton John.
Despite that legacy, she has not toured since 2014 and has released only live and compilation material in recent years.
New Kate Bush Album and Creative Return Confirmed
Her song ‘Running Up That Hill’ returned to global charts in 2022.
After years of silence, Bush recently confirmed she is ready to return creatively.
“I’m very keen to start working on a new album,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today program in October 2024.
“I’ve got lots of ideas, and I’m really looking forward to getting back into that creative space, it’s been a long time.”
Privately, Bush has built a life centered on family.
She has long been reported to be in a relationship with guitarist Dan McIntosh, 69, a regular collaborator who performed alongside her during her 2014 Before the Dawn residency at the Hammersmith Apollo.
The couple share a son, Albert ‘Bertie’ McIntosh, 28, whose influence has quietly shaped much of Bush’s later work.
The Musical Influence of Son Bertie McIntosh
Kate focuses her life around family and creativity.
Albert was born in 1998 and inspired the song Bertie on Bush’s 2005 album Aerial.
Reflecting on motherhood and creativity, Bush told BBC Radio 2 in 2005: “He’s such a big part of my life, so, you know, he’s a very big part of my work. It’s such a great thing, being able to spend as much time with him as I can.”
She added: “He won’t be young for very long. And already he’s starting to grow up, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss out on that.”
Albert has since become a musical collaborator in his own right.
His computerized voice was featured in the short film for Deeper Understanding in 2011, and he sang on Snowflake from 50 Words for Snow.
In 2024, Bush credited him again when releasing an animated video for Snowflake, writing on her blog: “I think his performance is extremely moving, and although I’d originally written the song to capture (Albert’s) beautiful descant voice before he entered adolescence, it has taken on a haunting new meaning within the context of this animation.”
Live Performances and AI in Music
Kate Bush has not toured since her 2014 London shows.
Bush’s last live performances came in 2014, when she staged 22 shows in London, 35 years after her previous concert.
On opening night, she acknowledged her son’s encouragement.
“He gave me the courage to push the button,” she said on stage. “Thank you, Bertie. It’s been a fantastic adventure so far. And it’s only just begun.”
Despite renewed acclaim – including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 – Bush remains selective about her work and public appearances.
“I love being creative in the visual medium as well as in audio,” she wrote recently, explaining her work on the animated film Little Shrew.
Most recently, she joined hundreds of artists on a silent album protesting the use of AI in music, underscoring that even in reclusion, Bush remains deeply engaged in shaping the future of art.
