Pop icon Rick Astley has spoken candidly about the anxiety that led him to step away from music in the early 1990s.
Ahead of his upcoming UK tour next month, Rick sat down with Nicki Chapman for the latest episode of the Pop Idols series on Magic Radio’s YouTube channel.
He reflected on his career from the global success of Never Gonna Give You Up to more recent performances including Glastonbury.
During the interview, Rick revealed how severe anxiety once left him unable to board a flight while travelling for work.
“I was very lucky that Tops, my manager at the time, had never had a drink in his life, never smoked, didn’t go anywhere near drugs,” he told Nicki.
He recalled a moment travelling to the airport when the pressure of fame became overwhelming.
“I’m in the car with him on the M4 going to Heathrow and I was tearing up and going ‘I just can’t get on that plane,’ because I felt that the plane wouldn’t make it. That’s where my anxiety got to. Back then I didn’t even use the word anxiety. I was just in turmoil over everything.”
Rick explained that family life also influenced his decision to step back from the spotlight, saying he often questioned the demands of constant travel while his daughter was at home.
He also reflected on the pressures facing artists in the music industry, suggesting success can come at a personal cost for many performers.
“It’s an amazing business and an amazing thing to go through, having a hit record and everything,” he said. “But it does take a toll on you personally because there’s so much you invest in it.”
He added that he considers himself fortunate to have avoided some of the darker paths that can surround the industry.
Watch Rick Astley speaking to Magic Radio’s Nicki Chapman on the station’s YouTube channel.
