Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp 'honoured' as he's named 'icon' at music awards bash

02 October 2023 , 22:44

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Gary Kemp has been hailed an 'icon' at the BMI London Awards (Image: PA)

The 63-year-old has been hailed an "icon" at the BMI London Awards. The Gary Kemp star was a guitarist in the 1980s new wave group and wrote all of their hit singles including True, Gold and Through the Barricades.

The 63-year-old, whose songs have featured in films, TV shows and advertising campaigns, and have been sampled by artists such as the Backstreet Boys and Nelly, was presented with the BMI Icon award at the glitzy bash on Monday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Gary admitted he was proud that his songs have "stood the test of time", saying it was "very nice" of Broadcast Music Incorporated to honour him, but he feels he's not good at the spotlight being shone upon him.

The 1980s band had an original line-up of Kemp and his brother Martin, Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble (Getty Images)

"I'm the same whenever I get told anything about me that's nice, I feel a great sense of imposter syndrome. (I think) 'They must have made a mistake'," he told PA. "This is the way I've been all my life. But, I suppose, I'm still here.

"I'm still making records, I still made music, my records are still being played and embraced in different ways, and become part of the ether really, so it's nice." Gary said the recognition has energised him to continue creating as he revealed he enjoys writing now more than he has ever done.

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"It’s not as easy to have the same success as I did in those years because every writer has a moment, a period of 10 years when everything happens for them," he explained. "They are riding the wave, their age is right, you’re in the zeitgeist and and things happen for you.

"Certain generations of people hearing music in their formative years will carry that music under their skin for the rest of their lives and that is something to be thrilled about." He recalled he was attending an Arsenal football match as a fan with his son recently and felt a sense of "pride" when the crowd began to chant to one of his songs.

Kemp said: "Some songs have stood the test of time and become part of the British songbook, you feel very proud. At the same time, it becomes extra baggage every time you sit down to write a song now."

In the 1980s band, which had an original line-up of Kemp and his brother Martin, Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble, they created six studio albums, with a reunion album featuring some of the members being released in 2009.

Naomi Clarke