Rag’n’Bone Man: 'I don’t have a perfect voice'

Last night on Beats 1, Rag N Bone Man joined Julie Adenuga and discussed meeting Courtney Cox, Elton John, talked about his voice and seeing Aretha Franklin live.

Rag’n’Bone Man on meeting Courtney Cox

I turned up for this session in LA, I knocked on the door and Courtney Cox answered the door, in real life. It was her house, her boyfriend was the guy that I was writing with. I did that sort of hello, the really English sort of Hugh Grant hello. It was like I was speaking to someone else’s mum, when you went round to your mates house when you were a kid, and were like, hello Mrs. Smith, how are you doing? Yes, I’d love a cup of tea.

Rag’n’Bone Man on Elton John

He called me up on the phone, he’s Elton John, he can get anyone’s number. He wanted to call me to tell me how much he liked my music, which I thought was really nice coming from one of the best song writers of all time, he didn’t have to do that, it made my day. Yes Elton.

Rag’n’Bone Man on his voice

I don’t have a perfect voice, it is rough around the edges, and I didn’t have training, so certain bits to other people might sound a bit here and there, a little bit because, I don’t know harmonies or stuff, I have to learn everything by ear, and I’m constantly learning when I’m doing stuff. So I will probably listen back to it in 10 years and go, well, I could have done better on that, but it’s a representation of me right now.

Rag’n’Bone Man on seeing Aretha Franklin live

I went to see Aretha Franklin in New York, and me and my girlfriend sat next to each other, and I looked at her and she was crying, and I was crying too. I was like, I don’t feel less masculine for crying at Aretha Franklin.