An Ikon, a pop legend and a timeless figure of gay music history, eighties Pop star Damian has been lighting up dance floors around the world for over 30 years. The protégée of Take That manager Nigel Martin Smith and legendary record producer Pete Waterman, Damian’s career has taken him on a whirlwind journey of pop culture around the globe. Jason Prince meets Damian for a very personal and emotional catch up for first time since he went gone public about his terminal cancer. 

It’s so lovely to see you today Damian, we’ve had so many good times and laughs together over the years. I know that you have been coming to terms with living with terminal cancer for over a year now but a lot of your fans will be reading this news for the first time and are obviously, like me, going to be very saddened and shocked. What has made you go public with this now? 

I was diagnosed with cancer on 24th March 2014, which you can imagine was the most devastating day of my life as an entertainer and a human being. So I’ve decided to tell my little story, I don’t want people asking ‘’what happened to him?’’. I have a lot of fans and friends out there on this mad, wild fabulous gay scene, it’s where I started and continued my career so I owe it to them. I don’t want sympathy, it just happened, but if anyone feels that there is something not right go get checked up straight away.

Where is the Cancer? Are you receiving any treatment?

I was diagnosed with throat cancer, I can no longer eat, drink and sing at all now. I can speak a little but it’s hard work.

Now music and singing has been your life, you must have been devastated to lose your voice?

I had to give everything up it was awful.

I know you have become closer with good friends and family in this past year, have there been any positives in finding out you have a terminal condition?

I decided to move back to Manchester after living in my beloved Hackney for 15 years. I was glad to get back home near my mum and dad, family and friends. So I arrived back in Manchester in January 2015. Having a terminal illness is weird I don’t think about it every day, on the contrary I just get on with my day to day life. I can’t do a lot of the things I used to be able to do as I’m not as fast on my feet as I used to be and I get tired easier, but I’m not house bound. I’ve also started painting and doing colouring books, they’re great for de-stressing. I try and keep busy without fucking myself up.

You are certainly going down in pop history as one of our campest pop stars! You were first discovered and managed by Nigel Martin Smith, how did that come about?

I’ve known Nigel since I was 15, many moons ago. I was an artist on his books doing extra work. I was also doing drag in the northern clubs. Nigel came to see me one night, the night I finished the show off with The Time Warp. Afterwards Nigel asked if I fancied recording a pop version of ‘The Time Warp’, so of course I agreed, who wouldn’t? So that’s how my journey began. We released it twice it was a great success in the clubs and on Piccadilly radio where Timmy Mallet played it constantly, bless him. In between releases I appeared in a couple of plays in Manchester and released two tracks called ‘I’m a Man’ and ‘Sounds so Fine’ on passion records, which did very well on the club scene and brought me to the London scene. There I met and made friends with Paul O’Grady (then Lilly Savage), David Dale, Jeremy Joseph, Boy George, Mama Yvette and Madam Jo Jo. Nigel introducing me to those people changed my life forever. We are still very good friends to this day.

You are most famous for your big hit singles with Stock/Aitken/Waterman, How did you end up recording at ‘The Hit Factory’

At the time I was with Jive records and my A&R man Steve Jenkins was mates with Pete Waterman, he arranged for S/A/W to remix ‘The Time Warp’ so in August 1989 I hit the top 40 and climbed  up to No7. I ended up staying in the top 40 for 12 weeks. It was then I released ‘Wig Wam Bam’ which I love. Working with S/A/W was a great experience.

And you even co-hosted on Pete Watermans TV series ‘The Hitman and Her’ as well as performing on the legendary show ‘Top of the pops’. What was your favourite TV appearance and why?

I loved doing TOTP, it’s such a shame it’s no longer on TV. Back in those days every artist wanted to appear on it. It was THE show, if you appeared on TOTP you’d made it! Millions of people tuned in every Thursday. I’m so lucky I was able to appear on it before it got axed. I also loved doing Saturday morning kids TV shows they were camp. I’ve had a lot of fun over the years, I’ve appeared in some shit holes and some fab places, I also toured with Take That on their first ever tour. Not many people know this but Gary Barlow used to drive me to gigs when I was stuck for a lift!

“I was diagnosed with throat cancer, I can no longer eat, drink and sing at all now.”

You’ve had an amazing career performing all around the world, what would be your advice to young gay people looking at a career in entertainment?

If there are any lovely queens out there who are thinking of a career in show biz?  I’m sure there are quite a few of you, my advice to you is follow your dreams, work hard but always keep your feet on the ground, it’s a hard graft on the way up but it’s a very quick fall on the way down, so try not to piss too many people off you may need them if things don’t work out!

You’ve always enjoyed a fag and a ‘vodka or 2’! Do you feel this could have contributed to getting the big C. Do you have any advice for youngsters starting smoking?

I’ve been asked a few times if smoking and drinking a bit too much caused my cancer, well I’m sure it hasn’t helped, but we are all born with some form of cancer inside us, some stay asleep, some wake up, mine woke up! I don’t tell people ‘’don’t do this , don’t do that’’  it’s your choice , but what I will say is I wouldn’t wish what I have on anyone. I used to be a social butterfly fly but my wings have been clipped, don’t get your wings clipped.