Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp spoke candidly about his late father on son Roman Kemp’s You About? podcast, recalling how his dad’s faith in him changed everything
Martin and Roman Kemp(Image: (Image: Getty))
Martin Kemp battled to contain his emotions while discussing with his son Roman Kemp how his late father reacted to his daring choice to quit an apprenticeship in order to pursue a music career.
During an appearance on Roman’s You About? podcast, Martin, 64, who also has daughter Harleymoon Kemp with wife Shirlie, recalled the moment his father, Frank, wrote a letter essentially giving him permission to leave and try to forge a path in showbusiness.
Sharing the memory, Martin said: “When I was an apprentice compositor in print, my dad wrote the manager a letter when I wanted to leave to be in a band.
“And it said, ‘Dear sir. You have to excuse Martin from his apprenticeship. Will you release him early because he wants to be… a rockstar?’
“And that wasn’t really about trust — that was about my dad having faith in me and wanting to give me a chance, and not wanting to nail me down in one place,” reports the Manchester Evening News.
Martin and Roman Kemp(Image: ITV)
When questioned why he couldn’t write the letter himself, Martin explained: “I was only 17 and you can’t, because apprenticeships in those days — you are locked in. You are locked in for five years.”
Becoming noticeably moved while thinking about his father’s vital support, Martin’s voice wavered as he continued: “Do you know, I think there was a big bit of my dad that wanted it to come true.
“I’ve told that story so many times, but it’s kind of like every now and again, you realise how important it is. When my dad wrote me that letter, we had nothing.”
Martin Kemp(Image: Eamonn M. McCormack, Getty Images for Bauer)
The I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star revealed that, given the family’s dire financial situation at the time, he could have offered crucial support by sticking with his apprenticeship — but his father had unwavering faith that he would succeed in music.
This is not the first time Martin has spoken about his father. Earlier this year, the former EastEnders actor and Spandau Ballet star shared his experience of losing both parents in 2009 and how deeply it affected him.
Martin’s mother died just 48 hours after his father, and he later reflected on their lives for a new short film.
Speaking to The Mail’s Love Sunday magazine, he said: “Both of my parents have passed on now, but I’ve got memories of them and it feels like I can still smell them when I see old clips.
Martin and Roman Kemp
“We had a load of old tapes of the kids and a few Christmases ago, Shirlie bought me a camera that can play them all.
“I hadn’t seen these tapes in years, so I was watching them back through this little lens on the camera with my eye up against it, crying my eyes out. It brought back so many beautiful memories. That’s the power of capturing these moments. It’s something that mustn’t be taken for granted.”
Roman Kemp is set to feature on The Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4 this Sunday, April 26 at 7pm.