Born in Berkshire in 1971, Chesney Hawkes started his career at the age of 19, appearing in Buddy’s Song, a film that featured his single The One and Only. The song went on to top the UK charts for five weeks. His second single peaked at No 27, and Hawkes, dismissed as a one-hit wonder by the press, was dropped by his label aged just 23. In recent decades he has found a new audience at nostalgia gigs and tours. His first album in 10 years, Living Arrows, will be released on 28 March. He lives in Los Angeles and has three children with his wife, Kristina, a model and actor.
This photograph was taken at the start of everything, just as The One and Only was released. The expression on my face is of someone who has done 10 other shoots that day. I was tired, with dark circles under my eyes. The leather jacket became a “thing” – I used to wear it without a top sometimes, showing off the old six-pack. As for the hair, I probably blow-dried it, but there wasn’t a massive amount of work put in to achieve that volume.
