* "I am a fully qualified engineer and served a seven year apprenticeship but I could also have become a professional footballer. I had trials with both Manchester United and City and I used to train with United when Georgie Best was there. For a while I played in the Showbiz XI where I was known as 'The Runner' on account of being so quick.The only other celebrity in the team at the time was Stuart Hall - all the rest were professional soccer players; Malcolm Allison, Tony Kaye, Albert Quixall etc."
WHO, TO DATE, HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN YOUR LIFE?
* "AI Jolson and Buddy Holly. Jolson used to get into the audience and work with them and I like to do the same. I don't like to be blinded by spotlights but prefer to make contact with the members of the audience and play to individuals - I prefer to see them. I was a big Buddy Holly fan and used to sing all his songs. When he died in 1959 I was still working as an apprentice engineer. I was so upset I had to take the day off work - I cried my eyes out!"
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL MEAL?
* "I love seafood, especially lobsters and oysters. But my favourite meals have to be Chicken Dupiaza and Chicken Dansak."
WHICH PERSON (LIVING, DEAD, REAL OR FICTIONAL) WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO INVITE TO A DINNER PARTY?
* 'Roy Orbison! In the 60's when we toured with Roy, we were playing in Bolton and I invited Roy, his wife Claudette, and their son Roy Duane to dinner. They came to my two-up-two-down in Manchester and I gave them salad! Nowadays I have a nice house and I love to cook. If Roy were alive it would be great to ask him back and give him a proper meal!
WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST IN OTHER PEOPLE?
* "Ignorance. 1 don't suffer fools gladly."
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
* "Rick Stein's 'A Taste Of The Sea' - it's a cookery book!"
DO YOU EVER PLAY THE LOTTERY?
* "Yes. They say that marriage is a lottery and I've been married three times - I like wedding cake! But if you mean the National Lottery the answer is 'yes' and I once won �10!"
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL?
* "I was good at English. I still remember getting ten out of ten for an essay on the weather! I also liked games - at which I was good and art (at which I wasn't!)"
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MISTAKEN FOR ANYONE ELSE?
* "No but my songs have. Quite often I get requests to sing 'I Like It'.
WHAT WAS THE BEST PRESENT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
* "My lovely glamorous wife Chrissy - definitely third time lucky there! People often ask what she sees in me - I expect it must be my talent. Believe it or not she has just removed today's home-baked bread from the oven, which she makes because I prefer it!"
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF MUSIC?
* "The music used for the theme to TV's Lloyd George series - the name escapes me."
WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
* "My wife Chris and I go caravaning! We have a Van Royce which is top of the range. I also play golf off a six handicap although, having recently moved, I'm not currently a member of a club. I also enjoy cooking. "
WHAT 1S YOUR FAVOURITE COUNTRY OUTSIDE THE UK?
* 'I love Australia. Australians are so down to earth - my sort of people."
WHO OR WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH MOST?
* "I was brought up on the Manchester club scene and I enjoy 'cruel' comics like Bernard Manning. I'm not really keen on the new wave comedians."
WHAT WAS THE LARGEST LIVE AUDIENCE YOU EVER PLAYED TO?
* "That must be the Chelmsford Spectacular in 1990 when the Rapiers backed me. I believe the crowd numbered around 25,000."
NAME SOMETHING THAT WAS BETTER IN THE SIXTIES THAN THE NINETIES?
* "Behaviour patterns and family ties were better in the 60's. Yobbish behaviour seems to be the norm nowadays whereas in the 60's we had flower-power. Maybe there was the drug thing then but even that was nothing heavy."
HOW WOULD YOU COPE WITH BEING ALONE ON A DESERT ISLAND FOR SIX MONTHS?
* "Quite easily to be honest! As long as I had a few bottles of wine with me and some nice weather - and there weren't too many mosquitos around!"
WITHOUT CHECKING FIRST! - CAN YOU NAME THE CURRENT NUMBER ONE ?
* "I haven't a clue. I don't listen to pop music these days."
WHO WAS THE BEST LIVE ACT YOU SAW IN THE SIXTIES?
* "The first name that comes to mind is Bill Haley and the Comets who I saw in 1959 - and, of course, Roy Orbison."
toFAKE DREAMERS
FREDDIES DREAMERS
2007