Introduction
I remember being just a lad in Pontypridd, listening to the echoes of American gospel and R&B coming through the radio. I was obsessed with that power, but I was far too young to understand the weight of the words I was trying to belt out. Back then, I was just chasing the big notes. But as life began to leave its mark on me—from the years of isolation as a boy with TB to the long road of fame—I realized that soul music has a resonance that only those who have truly lived can feel in their bones.
When I step onto that stage today, I’m not looking for technical perfection. I’m looking for honesty. A song has to be more than a melody; it has to be a testimony. My voice doesn’t just sing; it testifies. It’s the way I pour out everything I’ve seen and felt so that I can find a bit of peace at the end of the night.
I think back to the hardest road I ever had to walk—losing my Linda. We were together since we were kids, and after sixty years, losing her felt like losing the air I breathed. Getting back on stage and singing songs like ‘I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall’ wasn’t a career move; it was a lifeline. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a raw, aching conversation with the only woman I ever truly loved. It was the sound of a man trying to find a reason to keep his heart beating when half of it was gone. Seeing how that honesty helped others through their own grief taught me that our deepest scars can become a place of strength for someone else.
I’ve never pretended to be a flawless legend. I am the son of a coal miner who got a lucky break, a man who has lived through every high and low this business can throw at you. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I never hid from the truth of who I am. I turned those struggles into soul, not for the applause, but because singing was the only way I knew how to find my way back to the light.
My music is the soundtrack to my rowdiest nights and my most prayerful mornings. It’s a reminder that even when life breaks you down, there is still a magnificent power to be found in the spirit. As long as I can feel that rumble in my chest and the breath in my lungs, I know there is still a reason to keep the fire burning.”