Paul Carrack: Sheffield's enduring musical legend is top of the pops again

The 73-year-old Sheffield crooner has been on the music circuit for decades and there is absolutely no sign of him slacking off.

This month and next sees him embarking on what would be a gruelling tour for people half his age.

On Friday, he kicks off his appropriately entitled "How Long Tour' in Southampton, to commemorate 50 years since the release of his best-known song of the same name.

The one-time Crookes lad with a uniquely soulful voice plays Sheffield City Hall on October 13 before ending the TWENTY venue trip at the Royal Albert Hall, 11 days later. It comes at a time when he sits proudly at the top of the Official Jazz and Blues Albums Chart.

So how does the veteran entertainer keep going?

He first gave details of his lifestyle in a newspaper feature nine years ago.

Then, the positively spritely 64-year-old described how he kept youthful:

* FOOD: He bought in boxes of organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables once a week. His healthy diet included porridge or muesli with fruit for breakfast, and a salad for lunch.

* FITNESS: A daily walk, around town, and occasionally on a treadmill.

* GENERAL HEALTH: He had glandular fever as a teenager and doubtless feels fatigue during busy schedules like the once starting this month. But other than acid reflux, he has reported few real problems until 2021 when he contracted shingles.

* MEDICINE REGIME: Omeprazole to reduce acid, statins to combat cholesterol, along with multivitamins, a syrup made from elderberry, rosehip and blackcurrant aimed at boosting the immune system, and Omega 3 fish oil.

* TREATS: He likes a tipple or two of good quality red wine - in moderation, he said. If he has more than he should, hangovers are tackled by drinking plenty of water, taking a couple of Alka Seltzer tablets before bed, followed by a cooked breakfast with plenty of Worcester sauce!

So what kind of a character is the resilient Paul Carrack?

Paul, who taught himself keyboards and guitar before leaving Myers Grove School, says his take on life continues to be influenced by his early years in Sheffield, where he says "They don’t like people who get above their station.

"I get my self-deprecation in, before anybody else does!"

In an interview with a folk website the father of four, who moved to a grade II listed, five-bedroom house in Hertfordshire, said:

"My dad was a painter and decorator, with the ladders on a roof rack of the car. My mum ran a little paint shop, and that’s where I grew up...You don’t forget your roots; it’s a bit like that corner shop mentality."

The Sheffield Wednesday fan, who has supported charities battling teenage cancer and testicular cancer, has also previously revealed that when he was 11-years-old his music-loving father had "a fatal accident (at work) and that had a very profound effect on my whole life and my personality."

These days, he admits that fame has been a sometimes bumpy road.

"Even now I have imposter syndrome, as they call it, and I found they got a name for it, my condition.

"When you don’t think you’re worthy. But you know, billions of people don’t know where their next meal is coming from, so…I’m good where I am" said the former member of Ace, Squeeze, Roxy Music, and Mike & The Mechanics.

"Health seems to be okay, touch wood. I got my band, I got my music, I can make my records in my little studio, and life’s not too shabby."

*‘How Long (Has This Been Going On) Greatest Hits’ was released last month.