When you first start off, I know singers who have only been in the business just a short amount of time, and they've already written their autobiography. I didn't want to write it too soon. I wanted to live a while and write about things that I felt were important to me - growing up in Wales, and the characters that I met and listened to.

I have a weakness for watches. I have to stop myself buying more.

When I started off in Wales, I sang and accompanied myself with guitar in the '50s. And then I got a band together, which is a rhythm section, really. I used to do a lot of blues, and rhythm and blues, and '50s rock 'n' roll and country, and all kinds of stuff.

I think it's good that I had some experience of the real world before I became successful. You know, having to get up in the morning and going to work in construction.

Elvis was always over the top. That's why he had that gold lamé suit! He designed his jumpsuits himself. He always said, "If you're going to be a star, you should look like one."

As for the music business itself, the key things have not changed that much. It operates like any business and money still keeps things moving.

I come from a coal-mining, working-class background. My father was a coal miner.