Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley has insisted he “never wanted to be a celebrity.”
Never Cared About Fame
The 66-year-old was the lead singer of Spandau Ballet, which enjoyed numerous hits in the 1980s, including True and Gold. His role in the group earned him millions of fans, the majority of them female, all around the world.
But in a new interview, Tony said he was never bothered about the fame that came with being a singer.
He told the Oxford Mail, “I never wanted to be a celebrity – I just like good music and my mates are still the same lads as when I was 17.”
Importance of Pubs
Tony made the comments as he spoke about the importance of supporting local pubs, saying the drinking holes are often hubs for the local community.
Adding he’s been hitting pubs since “Spandau hit the big time,” he explained, “When the pub is open you have to make sure you use it. It’s easy to say I want to go to the pub but you have to make sure you go.”
“For my wife Ali’s birthday we had the whole village celebrating in the local pub.”
Supporting Local Pubs
Tony has lent his star power to a campaign to save The Rose Thistle in Thame, Oxfordshire, which has now raised more than £65,000.
He said, “I am wholeheartedly, absolutely supporting the community trying to get The Rose Thistle back open again. It’s a fantastic little pub – I have been there many times in the past. We have to preserve our village and small town pubs.”
Back in 2014, Tony supported another campaign to save The Crown pub, also in Thame.
The crowdfunding campaign raised a whopping £650,000, with its leaders saying at the time, “In just under four months of hard work, determination, and incredible community support, we are delighted to announce that the purchase of The Crown has now been successfully completed.”
“This milestone marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our village pub and the wider community.”
“Over the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing updates on our plans and welcoming everyone through the doors of The Crown as we build a thriving hub at the heart of our village.”