Music legend honoured with home city star

A world famous Sheffield singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has been honoured with a special "star" plaque in his home city.

Known both for his solo career and for writing and singing hits such as The Living Years by Mike + The Mechanics and How Long by Ace, Paul Carrack has been awarded his own star outside Sheffield Town Hall.

Carrack, 75, who grew up in Crookes, has released 19 studio albums and performed alongside Eric Clapton, Elton John and The Smiths.

Speaking at the unveiling, Carrack said: "I grew up in a working class background like most people in Sheffield who had very little after the war, so it's amazing to have had a life in music."

Carrack has joined fellow Sheffield musicians Pulp on the Sheffield Legends Walk of Fame, as well as sportspeople such as Uriah Rennie, Danny Willett and Joe Root.

Carrack, who has been called "The Man with the Golden Voice", taught himself to play drums and organ in his family's paint shop before he later moved towards singing.

"I started from nowhere. I've never had any music lessons or anything like that, I'm self-taught," said Carrack.

"In the early days, when I was a kid growing up, off on the road, it was hand-to-mouth stuff."

In 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Carrack was selected by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters to perform in his famous The Wall Live in Berlin concert, singing before a crowd of more than 500,000 people.

As well as being a member of Waters' backing band, the Bleeding Heart Band, Carrack has also played in Squeeze and has had a long solo career.

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