‘I had the perfect life – then both my husbands died’: singer Labi Siffre on love, loss – and happiness

‘I was remarkably naive about the music business. But you don’t blame a rattlesnake for biting you’ … Siffre. Photograph: Eric Hands

Before meeting Labi Siffre, I am intrigued by the varied reactions I get when mentioning his name. Many people I speak to have never heard of him. Some remember his 80s anthem Something Inside So Strong. Others are dimly aware of a solo career before that.

And then there are those whose eyes light up – those who, like me, regard him as one of the key figures in British pop history, and wonder why he’s not celebrated as such. “Labi Siffre’s fingerprints have been on popular music for many decades now,” wrote the electronic musician Matthew Herbert in 2012. “But his actual voice is rarely heard.”