Erasure star Andy Bell says that singing was his natural calling.
The 61-year-old musician had hits such as ‘A Little Respect’ and ‘Sometimes’ alongside Vince Clarke during the 1980s and believes he was born to use his voice.
Andy told Classic Pop magazine: “My voice was my friend. I always liked my voice.
“I was forever singing in bed. I’d have the blankets over me, singing away, my parents telling me: ‘Go to sleep!’
“I wasn’t even singing along to the radio, I’d just lie there making up songs. I loved feeling the vibration in my skeleton that singing gave me. I didn’t really decide to be a singer, I just couldn’t not do this.”
Andy explained that the success of Erasure has only fuelled his desire to perform even further.
The singer said: “I live for the stage. That’s not because of the adulation, nice as it is. That adulation, it’s silly. Performing is just in my bones, I was born with it. The flamboyance of my Erasure costumes, that was a character that developed.
“Eventually, the character becomes less and less important, because you are who you are.”
Andy is releasing the solo album ‘Ten Crowns’ next month but revealed that he will be working with Vince once again on another Erasure project next.
He said of the pair’s relationship: “The love and respect Vince and I have for each other always allows us our own space. That space helps each other grow.
“More than anything, Vince is my mate. We’re friends, we’re not going to abandon each other. When I saw Vince recently in Brooklyn, we went to his local pub. We promptly got spotted and I was: ‘Oh no! Not at your local! Sorry, Vince.'”
Andy was satisfied that Vince – who also enjoyed success with the groups Depeche Mode and Yazoo – enjoyed seeing him perform solo.
He explained: “Seeing me live must have been strange for Vince, but he really liked it. It’s the first time Vince has seen me as a performer – seeing me from the front, after so many years being behind me on stage. He was: ‘Wow!’, which was really nice.”