It is not any shock that Mick Hucknall remembers his playboy way of life within the Eighties as a “good time” in his life.
He dated a string of beautiful actresses, sports activities stars and supermodels and slept with as much as three girls a day.
As properly as being the Simply Red frontman with a silky voice and a head filled with pink hair, Hucknall was often known as a Lothario who bedded greater than 1000 girls.
His lovers included actor Catherine Zeta-Jones and British cleaning soap star Martine McCutcheon, fashions Helena Christensen and Melanie Sykes, aristocrat Lady Victoria Hervey and tennis star Steffi Graf.
In an unique interview with The Sun Hucknall remembers: “I was just touring the world and being single, being a playboy, being a bachelor — I didn’t really know what I was doing.
“I was just having a good time whenever. I like to have good times.
“I think in your life it’s a good thing to have dimension, to have done lots of different things, to have lots of different experiences.
“If you’re only here once, then it’s good to try and have all the experiences that life can offer you.”
Manchester-born Hucknall’s rock and roll way of life, which included taking heroin and cocaine along with 15-hour booze benders, started after he discovered fame with Simply Red 38 years in the past.
They have since offered greater than 50 million albums, 5 of them making the UK no1 spot.
But right this moment the 62-year-old singer and songwriter’s pastimes couldn’t be extra completely different.
At 47, he turned a dad to daughter Romy, now 15, and in 2010 he married her mum, artwork vendor Gabriella Wesberry.
He now has a style for the finer issues in life, having fun with half a bottle of wine a day from his personal winery on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, spends time fishing at his 8000-hectare property in Ireland and most not too long ago has been at house in Surrey, south of London, working from his bed room on Simply Red’s new album.
Hucknall mentioned: “I am a father and a husband. And I’m still having a good time. Very, very different, yeah, but I love it.”
And he insists with amusing that his wild occasions are very a lot behind him.
He mentioned: “Those days are long gone. I don’t miss them. I’m in a much happier place now than I’ve ever been in my life.”
He even gave up work utterly for just a few years when Romy was born as a result of he “wanted to be there every day for her”.
Now she is following in his footsteps and heading off to artwork college in September.
Hucknall admitted: “She is much, much better at drawing and painting than I ever was.
“She is also learning to play the piano but she’s more interested in the visual arts.”
Covid lesson
The household grew even nearer throughout Covid.
He mentioned: “I guess the bad news would be that if during lockdown you realised you didn’t get on well with your husband or wife and you got divorced.
“But for many of us, we found that we wanted to spend more time with our families because we realised that we weren’t spending enough time with them before Covid.
“I think this has been a huge social change in the world, where people now prioritise differently because of the experience of the lockdown.
“My relationship with my wife grew deeper during lockdown, absolutely.
“My relationship with my daughter and my wife has been really confirmed and actually enriched by the experience.”
It was throughout Covid that he labored on the brand new album, Time — out on May 26 — which was written solely on his iPhone.
He mentioned: “Part of the reason the album’s called Time is that I feel that the lockdown period was like a kind of time warp.
“Millions of us were reflecting on our lives, the value of our lives.
“We were reflecting on our families, our friends, what the priorities are in our life.
“What is living for? Is it to just go to the office every day? Or is it to spend more time with your family and friends?
“I feel that I’ve gone through the same experience as many other people except the difference is, much like a writer who writes books, I write songs about my particular surroundings and situations.
“All these songs were written on a guitar and my iPhone.
“I press record and I sing into the iPhone and all the ideas go into the iPhone, then into the iCloud, and so nothing disappears.
“I am a natural artist, this is what I do. I create things, it’s that simple.
“I think this album will be remembered as one of my best pieces of work.”
And a part of its attract will probably be Hucknall’s well-known voice.
As properly as the brand new album, Simply Red will carry out 20 exhibits round Europe this summer time — when Hucknall turns 63.
Not retiring
But retiring is just not one thing he’s contemplating.
He mentioned: “The idea of retiring for musicians — if you can still sing, there’s no reason to stop.
“It’s very different than another profession.
“For example, if you’re a construction worker or a road worker, you will need to retire because you’re physically worn out and you want to have some time.
“I totally understand that. But I think for musicians and songwriters and singers, I just don’t see how I would ever retire.”
And Hucknall goes to excessive lengths to ensure he retains his voice in high situation.
He mentioned: “The secret to my voice is I don’t talk very much — so thank God for email.
“And also, I don’t do very many interviews — ha!
“So especially on tour, I never do any interviews because I need to preserve my voice.
“When I’m on tour, I really don’t speak at all during the day.
“I just stay in my hotel room or go for a quiet walk. So that’s my secret — not to talk very much.
“After a concert I talk a little bit. I am just aware of not talking too much.
“So obviously I talk perfectly naturally with my family and people around me.
“But generally when I’m on the road, especially on tour, I just lock myself away and I don’t speak for most of the day.”
On tour the group are sure to carry out their large hits which embody Fairground, For Your Babies, You Make Me Feel Brand New and Stars.
One of his most liked songs was Holding Back The Years, and Hucknall says that now he does all he can to do exactly that.
He mentioned: “The most important thing I think for human beings, when they get to be my age, is that you are healthy, that you’re in good condition.
“And touch wood, I’m very healthy at the moment. I’m in good condition. I’m not aching or don’t have any serious illnesses. So I feel very happy about that.
“Growing old is the whole story of life.
“It’s your process, the things you go through and I’m very much enjoying being alive.
“And I feel very lucky to have had the life that I’ve had. I just want to keep being creative and doing my job.”
The story appeared in The Sun and is reproduced with permission.
Originally printed as Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall mentioned he bedded three girls a day and dated A-listers – however Covid taught him a precious lesson
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
