Things went south for 15-year-old Paul Carrack at a career advice day at school. He was supposed to get to know the Sheffield coal mine, where you could earn well back then – but the amateur musician was claustrophobic and didn’t find it fun to eat his lunch in the dusty darkness. “Get me out of here,” he said at the time, and: “Give me a damn guitar and I’ll create a few more chords on it.”
Looking back: a good decision – for the entire British musical fraternity. From his first US number 3 hit. “How Long” with Ace, Carrack made a career alongside great colleagues, he played in sessions The Smiths, Roxy MusicRingo Starr, Simply Red and BB King, he played keyboards and guitar for them Eagles, Diana Ross and Elton John, Eric Clapton has brought him into his touring band since 2013. But above all, “the man with the golden voice” (as the BBC titled his life story) knows from Mike & The Mechanics and global hits like “The Living Years”. After his success with the SWR Big Band, Carrack is now on tour again with his own noble ensemble, showing how beautifully you can make money with your passion.
Paul Carrack, Saturday, October 28th, 8 p.m., Munich, Tonhalle