I survived on stew and dog biscuits, says Jethro Tull’s IAN ANDERSON

According to York Membery, Ian Anderson is the lead singer, flautist and acoustic guitarist of the British rock band Jethro Tull, which has sold more than 60 million albums since its formation in 1967. The 78-year-old artist has also released six solo albums.

The father of two and his second wife, Shona, split their time between their homes in Wiltshire and London. Their daughter Gael is married to The Walking Dead actor Andrew Lincoln.

Jethro Tull is touring the UK in April and May and playing other concerts throughout Europe.

What did your parents teach you about money?

I grew up in Murrayfield, a sort of middle-class area of ​​Edinburgh, to a Scottish father, James, and an English mother, Irene. My father ran a boiler fluid company.

We had a car and the first black-and-white television on our street, but our financial situation was more comfortable than good.

I have pocket money of sixpence a week, but I’ve been told to spend it wisely rather than spend it all on sweets.

I put aside a penny a week, so in a few weeks I had enough to give my mother sixpence in a white envelope for her birthday.

I was quite proud of myself, but my relatives laughed at me quite sarcastically and I thought: ‘You’re off my Christmas card list now!’

Have you ever struggled to make a living?

Having failed to leave school and become a cub reporter or police cadet in Blackpool, where we moved when I was 12, I thought I’d try Plan C: music.

I headed south with a few friends and found myself a loft bedroom with a toilet five floors down in Luton. Money was so tight that I couldn’t afford to light a gas fire.

I had to wear a thick woolen coat to bed to stay warm, and some mornings I would wake up to find there was ice on the glass of water next to my bed. At one point I was surviving on cans of Irish stew mixed with Spillers dog biscuits.

Have you ever been paid ridiculous amounts of money?

I guess you could argue that any money I make is stupid money, considering what I do for a living.

But money has never come first for me. I have always been grateful that I can make a living doing what I love.

I was offered stupid – serious – money to appear on stage at the birthday party of one or two oligarchs.

But I always turned down invitations to play for such rich and sometimes pretty awful people because I felt like it was like being a musical prostitute for hire. This bothered me.

What was the best year of your financial life?

Probably around 1972, when the royalties from Tull’s first few albums started flowing. Our 1971 album Aqualung would prove particularly successful, selling seven million copies worldwide, despite being a ‘sleeper’ hit. For the first time in my life, I realized that I was actually very well off, and as a result I was soon faced with a huge tax bill.

I never cared about paying my UK tax bill.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought for fun?

It’s a platinum flute that I never take with me on tour because it’s so valuable, but I take it out and play it two or three times a year for fun.

I bought my first flute in the 1960s for £30 with the money I earned from selling a Standard Stratocaster electric guitar that had once belonged to me. [Motorhead legend] While Lemmy was in The Rockin’ Vickers before switching to bass.

What was your biggest money mistake?

We once had an accountant who unfortunately couldn’t resist stealing some unpaid band royalties by transferring them to another bank account.

I only learned what had happened when the Internal Revenue Service launched an investigation, so I had to stage a dawn raid on our accountants’ offices to seize all our records. The guilty man, the senior partner, disappeared and bought himself a house in Arizona, which he then destroyed.

Best money decision you’ve ever made?

When I married Shona, I decided to give her all my money to take care of her; he has a real talent and interest in managing our finances.

Our son James is now busy taking care of the Jethro Tull brand and copyrights.

Will you transfer your money or spend it all?

I would like to transfer the majority of our assets as a tax-free ‘gift’ [seven-year] Let’s set rules for my children and grandchildren before it’s too late. But I will also make charitable donations.

I’ve always believed in giving back; I organized fundraising concerts for churches and cathedrals every year.

Do you have a pension?

Yes, I have a variety of private pensions, some paying better than others. I don’t get the state pension because I don’t need it. I hope to continue playing 50 to 60 shows a year for as long as I can; This helps me stay mentally and physically fit. Thank God, I am not in a line of work where there is mandatory retirement.

Do you own any property?

Yes, my main property is a 1750s house in Wiltshire, set on 400 acres of farmland and grazing land.

We also have a small house in London that we use occasionally, and a property in Cornwall that we rent and occasionally keep to ourselves.

What would you do if you were chancellor?

I would drink a stiff drink, enjoy a hot bath and think about England once upon a time and how we could go back to those glorious days!

What is your number one financial priority?

Keeping my financial house in order and making sure I can afford the later life care expenses my wife and I will undoubtedly face one day.

Is my pet hating right now? All those terrible commercials about cheap funerals claim they want to send you off well, when what they really want is your money.

• Jethro Tull embarks on a UK tour starting April 19th. Ticket details at jethrotull.com/tour-dates