SYNTH-POP superstar Gary Numan believes the alien-like character he adopts on stage to belt out his best-known hits such as Are “Friends” Electric? and Cars is much more than just a stage persona. Rather, it is representative of the Asperger syndrome he has lived with all his life.
“I developed a whole persona that was stand-offish, didn’t engage or smile,” says the British singer/ songwriter, 59. “It’s an extension of what I am and a big chunk of my songs are about being alone or misunderstood.”
Asperger syndrome is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and how they interact with others. There are about 700,000 people in the UK on the autism spectrum. That’s more than one in 100 and it appears to affect more men than women.
Born and raised in the Home Counties, Gary, who now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Gemma, 49, and their three children (Raven, 13, Persia, 11, and Echo, 10) recalls: “I was a good, polite kid but I was a loner and would get frustrated, which meant I had a temper and that got me into trouble at grammar school.
Read more at: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/850136/gary-numan-aspergers-disability-singer-synth-pop
