In the early s the Irish star conquered the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Then his career crashed.
Now 75, he talks about self-belief, blowing his chance at Glastonbury β and the story behind one of the darkest No 1s in pop. It was His sweet, affecting tunes and wry, poignant, often colloquial wordplay landed him three Ivor Novello awards and six No 1s with songs such as Get Down and Clair. Alone Again Naturally topped the US charts for six weeks.
Then he disappeared below the radar, his career derailed by court cases and changing fashions. In recent years, the world has come round to him again. The title, Driven, describes him well. When he was seven, his family relocated to a Swindon council house in search of a better life. I remember defending myself against another kid in the playground, while everyone egged him on. Many working-class households had a piano in those days and inspiration arrived with the Beatles.
Mills had a private zoo and asked the singer to babysit a small tiger on the sofa. He has lost count of the numerous people β myself included β who have told him that song sings their life, but is adamant none of it is autobiographical. I think I have an understanding of the things I get into. I was very teary when my mother passed away four years ago, but I never really knew my dad, because he was out at work.
I regret that, and he would have been proud of me. He could be β and admits he still can be β endearingly naive. We had an orchestra, and played songs on the plane. The case stopped him recording and afterwards he felt blackballed by elements of the industry.
