He’s responsible for a catalogue of era-defining hits, but to onlookers he was just a man walking his dog on Wednesday.
With a hat over his famous shock of red hair, Mick Hucknall was unrecognisable as he ventured out near his home in north London.
The Simply Red star looked at odds with his suburban surroundings in a forest green T-shirt and simple chinos as he walked his small dog Pip ahead of the band’s 40th anniversary tour.
Mick, 64, completed his look with heavily tinted sunglasses and a pair of fingerless gloves during his solo walk with his dog on Wednesday.
The iconic singer became a household name with Simply Red in the 1980s thanks to the hit singles Holding Back The Years, Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) and The Right Thing.
With a hat atop his famous shock of red hair, Mick Hucknall was unrecognisable as he ventured out near his London home on Wednesday.
Mick in 1996 on a night out in Los Angeles (left) and in North London on a Wednesday afternoon (right)
The Simply Red star looked out of place in his suburban surroundings in a forest green T-shirt and simple chinos as he walked his little dog Pip.
Earlier this year, Mick reflected on his playboy lifestyle in the 1980s but admitted the coronavirus pandemic had taught him a valuable lesson.
The musician, who claims to have slept with more than 1,000 women, found fame with Simply Red 38 years ago.
He dated several stunning actresses, sports stars and supermodels and slept with up to three women a day.
Talking with The sunMick said: ‘I was just touring the world and I was single, I was a playboy, I was single; I didn’t really know what I was doing.
“I just had a good time whenever I wanted to. I like having a good time.”
His former lovers include actresses Catherine Zeta-Jones and Martine McCutcheon and model Melanie Sykes.
The composer is now the father of his daughter Romy and in 2010 married her mother, art dealer Gabriella Wesberry.
“I’m a father and a husband. And I’m still having a good time. Very, very different, yes, but I love it.”
He said: “Those days are long gone now. I don’t miss them. I’m in a much happier place now than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Mick on stage at the Glastonbury Festival with Simply Red in 1986, shortly after the release of their debut album, Picture Book
Mick completed his look with heavily tinted sunglasses and a pair of fingerless gloves during his solo walk with his dog on Wednesday.
The iconic singer became a household name with Simply Red in the 1980s thanks to the hit singles Holding Back The Years, Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) and The Right Thing.
Pip was kept under control while Hucknall ventured north to London to walk the dog.
Mick (second from right) with Simply Red at the Sanremo Pop Festival in Sanremo, Italy, 8 February 1987
Last year, Mick revealed that he is suffering from long-term COVID-19 and is struggling with the after-effects of the virus.
Talking with The sunMick said he suffers from heart palpitations and insomnia, explaining that he often wakes up in the middle of the night “with my heart going ba-boom, ba-boom.”
The singer also revealed the true meaning behind Simply Red’s iconic hit, Holding Back The Years.
Hucknall made the shocking admission in an interview with The Sunday Times in 2023, no less than 38 years after its release in 1985.
He said: “It’s true that there have been difficult times. My mother left when I was three, so it was just me and my father struggling with poverty.”
“That’s what Holding Back the Years was all about: waiting for a mother’s arms. But I found inspiration in Dad’s determination. He worked so hard and made sure we survived.”
Holding Back The Years was released as the third single from Simply Red’s debut album, Picture Book, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as number two on the UK Singles Chart.