Rod Stewart

What I do now is all my dad's fault, because he bought me a guitar as a boy, for no apparent reason.

Well, I've got nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing.

Songwriting's never been a natural art for me; it's always been a bit of a struggle.

Sometimes I think the playing field is certainly not even. You know, it's just not.

Obviously, I haven't really progressed that much at my craft.

My musical taste has always been wide. I started out as a folky before I moved on to blues and soul.

My father, being a Scotsman, taught me to look after finances. I'm shrewd. Some people may call me tight.

It has gone past me now, the writing phase.

I've tried to have a regular haircut, but it just pops back up again, so this is the way it's going to be.

I've always looked on myself as one of a band and never sought a solo career.

I'm shrewd about money; I invest well and look after it. But it's in my nature to be generous. I look after people.

I'm proud to be a railway modeler. It means more to me to be on the cover of Model Railroader than to be on the cover of a music magazine.

I'm not a natural songwriter.

I'm just delighted that this woman I love can be a mum again.

I was never a good-looking bloke. Not by a long chalk.

I think, with suits and clothes, if you keep them long enough, they all come back in fashion.

I have a voice coach, but only in so much as to make my voice stronger so I can sing for five nights a week, two hours.

I have a very lively and colourful show. It's two hours of hits and the music speaks for itself.

I hated singing and getting up in front of crowds.

I enjoy a glass of wine, and I love my football. I suppose it's because I'm a real working-class.

I don't have any social life or anything.

I don't enjoy songwriting.

I did things with the microphone stand that no-one else has attempted to do.

I can't do that wonderful thing that Tom Waits and Bob Dylan do - to do imagery. I'm not good at that. I just write from the heart.

I am somewhat on the shy side. I know people might find that hard to believe.

I am passionate about football. My support for Celtic FC has got me through some hard times in my life. I still play regularly, too.

I am a man of contradictions, I suppose.

Half the battle is selling music, not singing it. It's the image, not what you sing.

Everybody sung in my family.

Everybody sings from their diaphragm.