Musician

Everyone tried to be a singer other than just a player. We had four voices in The Moody Blues.

Everyone tried to be a singer other than just a player. We had four voices in The Moody Blues.

Music is my first love.

In the studio is one thing, but playing live is the important part, I think.

Traveling around, coming down to Florida for a few days, it's fun! You go on the road, you get inspired to write other stuff.

'Mull of Kintyre' was the biggest single of all time up until 'Don't They Know It's Christmas' by that big charity.

I was into all sorts of music as a kid. I was very curious about ethnic music and different styles. I loved Django Reinhardt. I loved Ella Fitzgerald. I was also influenced by all the crooners of the day, like Johnny Ray, Frankie Lane.

I like to live in the future.

I knew Paul when he was in the Beatles. We did the second Beatles British tour with the Moody Blues. And we became friends. I went to a couple of the sessions for the 'Sgt. Pepper' album, we went to parties together, we went to see Jimi Hendrix together.

One of my earliest inspirations was the 'Allan-a-Dale' character played by Elton Hayes in the 1954 movie 'The Story Of Robin Hood And His Merrie Men.' He was a wandering minstrel with his guitar.

I've lived in England, France, Spain, Portugal and Germany in the '80s. I don't like being settled. It's not really healthy.

That's what I tend to do - get into a band, and then it gets busy... and you want to get away from it all again. That's what happened with the Moodies and Wings.

John Bonham was a good friend of mine. I knew him a bit as a kid. I hung out with him quite a lot.

I've always been accused of being too clever for my own good.

And I had such a great working experience with Paul during the 'RAM' album.

I've no real musical training, although I took some piano lessons a while ago.

Art is really more musical than it is visual.

I just keep to myself and live in the country and visit the cities.

I don't like not working.

I began writing with Mike Pinder and eventually we went on to form a new band called The M&B, which later became The Moody Blues, what I would call a progressive blues band.