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When did you last feel happy?
In
March my daughter-in-law Jenna, who’s married to my youngest son
Michael, gave birth to a little girl, Taylor May. When she was born I
was so happy. I just kept thinking, ‘This is life. You lose people you
love and then a child is born and it’s pure joy.’
What is your earliest memory?
It’s
of finding a baby floating in a box on a little stream near our house
in Spring Valley on the Isle of Man. I still dream about it. It was the
year the King died (King George VI in 1952), so I was about five. I
picked it up and I remember the baby was taken to a house. It was never
really explained to me, but I guess it was abandoned. I never saw it
again.
What sort of child were you?
When did you last cry, and why?
I cry at the drop of a hat. If I’m watching a sad movie or TV show, I sit with a towel on my lap because I cry so much. I came back to Australia recently, the first time without my brothers. A local reporter showed me a copy of our first television appearance and I started blubbering. I can’t help it – I’m emotionally wired.
How do you relax?
I’m
a huge reader. I collect first editions – I have a first edition of
Peter Pan and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I can lose myself in books, and my
greatest joy is spending hours in a bookshop. I feel sad that so many of
them are disappearing. These are places where I’ve spent so many happy
hours just browsing, lost in that world.
What or who do you dream about?
I occasionally dream about spending a day with Paul McCartney. We just sit around talking, having lunch, spending a few hours together playing music in the studio. I don’t actually know him, but he’s someone I’d really like to talk to.
What has been your biggest achievement?
I
can’t point to one single thing, because to me the achievement is the
whole journey with my brothers, good and bad. We did have fights, but we
were brothers, so there was always going to be sibling rivalry. But
there was always a lot of love.
What are you best at, and what would you like to be better at?
I’m
best at singing and songwriting. There are things that other people
wish I was better at – like technology. I don’t have a mobile or an
email address.
What is your best character trait?
I
have a very well-developed sense of humour. I laugh a lot. I think if
there is a God, he gave us the ability to laugh to get through the tough
times. I also believe you should never worry about tomorrow.
... and your worst?
I
get angry very quickly. I almost don’t see it coming, and it can be
something big or small. When I was younger I’d get angry about anything,
like being interrupted when I was working, and just fly off into a
rage. It happened too much. I think it’s to do with the life I’ve lived.
No one teaches you how to deal with the attention. But I have worked
on it. I’m much calmer now.
Who would your dream dinner date be?
My wife Linda and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I love the Sherlock Holmes books.
Who are you closest to?
Linda, my mother Barbara and my sister Lesley.
What is your biggest fear?
The loss of books. Handing down ideas and truths through books is a beautiful tradition, but it’s fast disappearing. I have two libraries in my house.
What is your biggest regret?
I
regret losing my brother Andy when he was just 30. None of my brothers
made the age of retirement except for me. It’s a poignant thing for my
mother to have outlived three of her sons.
Who is the love of your life?
My
wife Linda. I met her on Top Of The Pops in 1967 when we were
celebrating Massachusetts getting to No 1. It was love at first sight.
We went to the BBC canteen for a cup of tea and then hid in the Doctor
Who Tardis, where time literally stood still.
What is your most treasured possession?
My guitars. My favourites are my Guild and my two Matons, which is an Australian make. As a kid I always wanted one, but they were so expensive. I recently went to the factory and had two made for me.
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