Personal file: Holly (Frankie Goes To Hollywood)
Name: William Holly Johnson.
Born: (Aside) Should I give my real age? (Cries of “yeah go on” in the background.) Okay then, it’s the 9.2.60. in Khartoum, The Sudan.
Nickname at school: Joyful Johnson. I was such a happy child.
First record bought: “Blackberry Way” by The Move. And that’s the truth. It cost 7s 6d.
First concert: David Bowie at the Liverpool Empire. The date was June 9, 1973. Oh it was fab. The best show ever. He came on to all these strobes and Clockwork Orange-type theme music —
First crush: Miss Schofield, me infant teacher. She used to wear those really woolly jumpers and fab perfume.
Favourite toy: My yellow and black leather torch. I’m holding it at the moment. I’ve also got an Action Man which I like and a Superman pop-up book. I’d love a black Porsche.
Favourite drink: Kalua and milk. It’s a tropical cocktaily drink It’s coconutty. Really nice.
Favourite item of clothing: Brogue shoes. And I love a leather jockstrap, that’s quite nice. Oh and I mustn’t forget my pair of red roller-derby shorts. I got them in the States. I wore them on The Tube.
Previous bands: I was in Big In Japan between ‘77 and ‘78. Then I went solo, releasing a couple of singles. Then I joined the Dancing Girls who turned into the Sons Of Egypt who were then whittled down into Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Worst job: On a building site in Wapping. Really hard labour.
Favourite night out: New Year’s Eve ‘83 at Heaven club (in London). We performed there. The whole night was constructed to freak everyone out. First on was this muscleman. And there were all these dancers encased in the middle of the floor. At midnight they threw all this fake snow in the air. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never witnessed that amount of energy being exerted in one night. We had a ball. I like having a ball.
Who would you like to be cast on a desert island with?: Harrison Ford. And Sophia Loren.
What have you got in your pockets?: A cloakroom ticket from an East End pub. A matchbox with nude women on it — when you tilt it they move. I got it from Blackpool.
Describe your kitchen: Oh God! It’s quite small, about ten foot square. It’s got a little window that looks out onto the Roman Catholic Cathedral. There’s lots of red things in it. I like red things. And there’s two cookers —
Best thing about Liverpool: The people. The place’s full of really strong characters.
Worst thing about Liverpool: The unemployment.
Pets: No. I did have a Venus fly trap but that died.
Favourite clothes: Denim and black things. I like wearing suits as well —
How do you relax?: I like to do a bit of weightlifting. I also like watching TV but never have much time. I also like to go to bars and watch people. Just dead normal things.
Did you see Duran Duran at Wembley?: No.
Do you want to see Duran Duran?: No.