Chris Rea

I didn't start until I was 21, and most people I know were 13 when they had their first guitar - I missed that time where you sit in your bedroom all day for years and accidentally you're doing classical training, although you're not thinking of it that way. It's not as easy, as you get older, to do all that kind of practice. ”

Being on the road isn't hell - it's pure pleasure now. ”

I feel I've had three careers in one, really. There was the 'Benny Santini' stuff; that came with a general sense of, 'Who the hell is he?' And then there was 'The Road To Hell' stuff, and now there's the blues stuff. ”

If the heads of all the music companies had known about music and about Chris Rea fans, they wouldn't have worried about 'Stony Road.' My regular fans have always known that side of me. ”

Back in 1997, I got to race a Ferrari at the famous Monza circuit in Italy - a dream come true. ”

I read an article about 60 being the new 30 the other week, and I think it's very true. Our generation has not done what previous generations did and just got old and sat in a corner. ”

The Italian side of my family were gypsies, and we are little hard so-and-sos. ”

My family is the No. 1 priority. Next is the motor-racing season. ”

It's impossible for a couple to bring up two children without having lots and lots of arguments. ”

The operation left me very emotional. I cry a lot anyway. I've always been the type to feel hurt easily, but now I hit rock bottom. ”