A biography for Chris de Burghhasn’t been written yet.
“When you have children, you almost feel like you've made your contribution to the survival of the human species. It's your way of passing the baton.”
“Most years, I do 70 or 80 concerts.”
“I'm a strong believer in the importance of energies - ley lines, energy streams, whatever you wish to call them - within a house. They can affect your health as well as your happiness.”
“When I'm home I love to get the wellies on and take the dog for a walk.”
“I can fix dishwashers. I was brought up in a castle with no money and lots of imagination. I learnt a lot about plumbing at an early age.”
“People always try to pigeonhole you, especially the media, who are happy if they can label you as a particular kind of artist. But the spectrum of songs I write and record is vast.”
“I'm emotionally untouchable.”
“I have found myself able to cure people with my hands.”
“Robert Browning - I like his dramatic revelations, his allegorical form.”
“I'm very good to my wife. I never go home.”
“I spent a lot of my childhood saying goodbye because I went to boarding school. I didn't resent my parents for sending me there so young as I understood the limitations of the education system in Africa, where we lived at the time.”
“I don't spend much on myself. It's a bit of a joke within the family.”
“You know what happens if I walk out on the stage in Montreal? They stand up and they cheer for three or four minutes. It just brings tears to your eyes, because it's a love affair.”
“Canada was one of the first countries that took an interest in my career. Apart from a freak hit I had in South America, Canadians took my 'Spanish Train' album to heart and have stuck with me ever since. They've been very loyal, and it's been a long and rewarding affair.”
“I like to be subtle, without being too obvious.”
“In an outdoor environment, you need to be more energetic. The attention of the crowd begins to wander - not like an indoor concert where the audience attention is riveted on to the stage.”
“I'm not a fool with my money. I've known what it's like to be poor and I don't splash it around stupidly.”
“Love songs are the most complex to write because everyone knows about it.”
“Songs don't just suddenly arrive like a taxi you have to work on them and you have to put a lot of time and energy and self discipline into creating that kind of thing.”
“My father fought behind Japanese lines in the second world war and it traumatised him. Everybody who knew him from before said he was the life and soul of the party - fun to be with - but after the war he was different.”