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Before I was 12 years old, I had no interest in music; I was just into football. Then I heard Don McLean's 'Vincent' come on at the end of an episode of 'The Simpsons.' You know when you hear something and you don't understand why you like it, you just do? That's how I felt. I just thought, 'I want to be able to write songs like that.'

I grew up singing. My mother was a music teacher.

I was in the band as a boy and was taught music and learned to compose.

In the autumn of 1970 I had a job singing in the school system, playing my guitar in classrooms.

When I started studying tenor saxophone as a kid in Belfast, I did so with a guy named George Cassidy, who was also a big inspiration.

I did do a local musical, 'Bubblin' Brown Sugar.' I played the young Sweet Georgia Brown. I was 13 years old. After that, I just decided that I had to pick one thing, acting or singing, and concentrate on that.

I was in the band when I was a kid, I played the trumpet.

I actually started out on the stage as a singer.

I was a drummer, and I did a little singing too.