I became a singer because I was poor. My father and uncle used to be actors, but they weren’t famous.

I had to quit school and start to earn a living. The only way I knew how to make money was by being a singer.

I started singing everywhere I could. I even went to Ubon Ratchathani to sing at a U.S. Army camp during the Vietnam War.

When I came back to Bangkok, my friends and I didn’t get lots of gigs, as there were too many musicians and too few clubs in town.

We decided to form a band called Joint Reaction, and went to a competition hosted by the Musical Association of Thailand under the patronage of His Majesty the King and we won. We got so many shows after that.

We decided to change our name to The Impossibles with the hope that it would bring us luck. We borrowed the name from a cartoon series where the hero is a musician. And also, we just wanted the impossible to be possible.

We became so successful. We only had two albums in 1972 and 1973 but we went on tour in many places around the world, like Hawaii and Europe.

Everyone was a hippy back then but I never took drugs. I don’t know why. Maybe I just wasn’t interested or I was just too exhausted from our tight touring schedule.

We finally decided to dissolve our band while we were playing in Sweden in 1976. We all needed to go in different directions. For me, I was getting more acting jobs, too.

I never get bored singing the same old songs. If I felt bored with my songs, why should others listen to them? If you don’t love what you’re doing, who will love it?
I’m taking singing classes because I feel that the new artists are so talented. I had never taken any singing classes so I wanted to improve. I don’t want my work to sound outdated.

Being gifted isn’t enough anymore. Everyone needs a promoter to push them to be a star.

I started studying for my degree five years ago. I love studying but I didn’t have a chance before because I was poor. I’m now studying to get a doctorate degree. I’ve chosen to study political science because I love it. It’s all about management.

The secret of my long happy marriage is virtue and morality. And if we feel a big fight coming, we stay away from each other until we’re both calm. It just gives us time to think about the problem and how to avoid it in the future.

I was crushed when my wife [Aranya Numwong]had a stroke and brain hemorrhage last year. She always gets check-ups. It made me realize how vulnerable we all are. You never know that someone right next to you could fall to the ground at any time.

Being together is the most valuable thing for me. I’m so lucky that she’s much better now.

I stay in shape by jogging every morning.

I haven’t had a “worst moment” in my life. The problems I faced, I knew I could solve.

Taking care of others is a part of living in society. If you have something to give, just give.

I think my new album Chak Wan Nan...Teung Wannee Pror Mee Khun [From Those Days to These Days, Because of You] might be my last. I don’t know how long I will live, but I will sing until I can’t do it any longer.

I have a back-up plan. I’ve just bought a rubber tree farm to be my income if I can’t work as a singer anymore.

I am so happy whenever I sing in concert. I make fans happy, too, but me, I am beyond happy.

If I could perform a song with any group, it would be The Beatles. Our band was famous when The Beatles ruled the world. Their songs are everlasting.

My daughter is the most precious thing to me. My wife and I would do anything for her. I quit smoking 28 years ago for her.

If you don’t love what you do, you will never be successful. Put your efforts into getting what you really want. Life is short, you better hurry.