Holidays in Shrewsbury and haunted hotels – Bryan Adams shares Shropshire memories as he prepares for Eisteddfod date

Not only is the singer/songwriter touring the UK this year, he has an album almost ready for release. And there are plans to re-record that album, Reckless, at the Albert Hall later this year.

As part of the UK tour Bryan Adams will play a gig at the Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen on June 18, part of an exciting new collaboration for the International Eisteddfod which will see a host of stars performing either side of the musical competition.

“There is an old adage, if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life, and that’s what it’s like being a musician,” he said.

The Canadian-born musician said he loved playing concerts in Wales – and revealed that he has links with neighbouring Shropshire.

“My parents were born in England and when we went to visit my grandparents in Plymouth in the 1960s we would travel up to Shrewsbury to see friends,” he said.

“I remember staying in a Tudor building, close to the castle and remember the smell of the beams.

“We were also convinced that the house was haunted.”

Bryan credits his mother, now 96, with giving him the chance to become a musician.

“I dropped out of school when I was 15 to become a musician and they were hard times. But my mother always supported me and told me to follow my dream.

“I remember the first time I made my first decent amount of money as a musician. I was living with my brother and I was actually able not only to pay the rent but pay for him and I to go out for a meal.”

He has gone on to become an international superstar, selling between 75 and 100 million records and singles worldwide.

Touring means time spent apart from his family, but Bryan says the advent of face-to-face chatting over the internet means he can catch up with his daughters every day, if they are not touring with him.

“The family has accompanied me across the world, part of our entourage,” he said.

“They have been to so many places, Africa, Japan, South American, it is such an experience for them.”

Recently the musician and renowned photographer spread his wings further, to write songs for the musical, Pretty Woman, and said he loved it.

“It is great that the musical has been such a success and is still on tour in the UK.

“I would love to do more but it does take much longer that writing an album. It took two to three years, with an album taking about a year to write.”

Despite the average time it takes to write an album, Bryan says his best selling single, (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, was a complete exception.

Yes, he said he really did write it on his lunch break.

“I guess it took me about 45 minutes,” he said.

“Writing is like a puzzle and finding the right piece to put in the right place.”

The song went on to become one of the best selling singles of all time, spending 16 weeks on top of the UK charts.

And after the UK tour this year there are more exciting plans.

“I am an independent artist now, not tied to a record company. And that is really exciting,” he said.

“We are looking at tours in Australia and South America, the southern hemisphere next year.”

While he says he could live anywhere in the world, Canada will always be home.

That comes through loud and clear in one of his most recent singles, So Happy it Hurts.