Being invited by Ringo Starr to join his All Starr Band for arena tours of Europe and the USA in 2018 – during which the band played three 10cc songs at each performance – was “one of the most enjoyable things I’ve done”, says Graham.
Another event, although not widely known, gave Graham a further lift. It happened backstage at a festival when Robert Plant thanked him for writing one of the songs that got him through the audition to join what became Led Zeppelin. The song was one of his early compositions, For Your Love.
Graham’s status as one of the world’s leading songwriters was acknowledged in 2014 with his induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame – an arm of America’s National Academy of Music.
Previous inductees include Noel Coward, Irving Berlin, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Leonard Cohen and Sting.
That was followed in 2015 by Broadcast Music Incorporated in the US anointing him an Icon of the Industry at a special ceremony in London, where he stunned the audience with an acoustic rendition of I’m Not In Love, which he co-wrote, accompanied by Lisa Stansfield on vocals.
When Graham formed what became Heart Full of Songs nine years ago, it was purely for the pleasure of playing his songs in their simplest form, acoustically.
The format became so popular that Heart Full of Songs now tours the UK every two years, along with concerts and festival appearances in the UK and Europe.
For lovers of perfectly-crafted music performed by the composer, a Heart Full of Songs concert is truly an exquisite experience.
How it all began …
Born on 10 May 1946 in Manchester, Graham was given his first guitar at the age of 11 and started playing with local bands at 15. He received early encouragement to develop his musical talent from his mother Betty and father Hymie, who also contributed with suggested lyrics and song titles.
