WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, 51, lives in London with his wife Dawn, 52, and their children Daniel, 22, Emily, 20, and Daisy, 13
As a child, my calm home life allowed me to be truly myself.
I loved being the centre of attention – Istill do! – and was always the one talking at dinner. Neither of my parents were like that but they were such a strong couple and there was never any arguing in our house. It was a very happy, stable environment, and that brings out the freedom to do and say whatever you want.
Look ahead, go for the new things in life.
That was my mentality until a couple of years ago. But turning 50 last January, coupled with the pandemic, was a lethal cocktail for reflection, and I’ve enjoyed looking back. When I left the town of my birth [the market town of Frodsham in Cheshire] for London, it felt like an adventure starting and the day my life began. I never travelled as a kid, so joining Take That was the stuff of dreams – stepping onto planes and going around the world. Recently, though, I’ve gone back to my hometown and played some shows in the community centre, where I did panto, and it was lovely to return.
In the 90s, I took fame for granted and that was a massive mistake.
I thought it was going to be here for life, but few people have a whole life in our business and that was a big lesson learnt. After Take That disbanded and I then lost my solo record deal, it felt like everything had been taken away. I didn’t know what to do and it took me years to get back on my feet. That confident kid was gone for many years. I wish I’d known this at the time, but those times were the building blocks for a stronger and, hopefully, better person. Now, every time I go into the recording studio, or I do any work, I think, ‘I’m going to enjoy this.’
As a parent, you learn on the battlefield.
Everyone tells you ‘It’ll go quickly’ and at the time it didn’t, but I’ve blinked and now my son is 22. Time evaporates and I feel like I missed so much because of being in a haze of parenting craziness. Obviously, there were times I was out of the country or doing a world tour, but I was as involved as I could be as a dad. Parenthood is such a massive chapter in your life, perhaps the most important.
‘Even though the entertainment industry is fun, tr
