Roxy Music star Bryan Ferry denies turning his back on his working class roots - but admits he's a "bit sad" that locals in his English hometown no longer see him as "their son".
The singer hails from a small town in the Tyne and Wear area of northern England, and his father was a hard-working farmer.
Ferry left his family behind to teach pottery in London before becoming a successful pop star - and he quickly became known for his lavish lifestyle and penchant for model girlfriends.
He has recently come under fire for his love of British aristocracy and for sending his four children to private school, but the star is adamant he has not "betrayed" his upbringing.
He tells Britain's Sunday Times magazine, "(My style) comes from the who-do-you-think-you-are syndrome. I'm going back (to my hometown) soon. I played there three years ago. I've always felt comfortable there. I feel a bit sad that people don't know I come from there. I'm not greeted as their son.
"There was no betrayal. I'm fond of my roots. For anybody creative it's quite natural. If you live in France and come from the provinces you go to Paris because there are more opportunities. It's not a case of turning your back on something, but, I like to think, of taking a bit of it with you."