Born in London, Gavin Rossdale, 54, co-founded the band Bush in 1992. They went on to sell 20m records and, in 2013, Rossdale was awarded the Ivor Novello award for international achievement in songwriting. The band split in 2002, but reformed in 2010; their latest album, The Kingdom, is out on 17 July. Rossdale has three sons with the singer Gwen Stefani, and is the father of the model Daisy Lowe. He is single and lives in Los Angeles.
When were you happiest?
Last year, when I had all four kids – Daisy, Kingston, Zuma and Apollo – staying with me on my birthday. It was magical.
What is your greatest fear?
Prison: awful catering and the constant threat of violence.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My ability to switch off and tune someone out without realising it, almost as a defence mechanism.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Judgment.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
The gross and lopsided spectre of the crumbling of my marriage.
Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
A picture: Cocky Patriot by Gilbert and George.
What is your most treasured possession?
My 1967 purple Jazzmaster guitar. I made my first record on it, and Joe Walsh from the Eagles played parts of Hotel California on it.
What do you most dislike about your appearance
I’ve got soccer player legs.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
An egotistical answer would be Timothée Chalamet.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Sometimes it was disappointing not to have the fan base at home in the UK that we had elsewhere.
What makes you unhappy?
Being misunderstood.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
“You lied to me”, when I did.
Which living person do you most despise, and why?
TV evangelists preying on poor people.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Painting 11 identical dentists’ offices magnolia. It was Kafkaesque. By the time you are in office four, you are losing your mind.
How often do you have sex?
As often as I can.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
The fact that I am still making music.
What keeps you awake at night?
If I am still in the argument I’ve had in the day.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Sid Vicious doing My Way.
How would you like to be remembered?
Funny and generous.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
That life is just a series of chapters, and it’s essential to try not to bring older chapters into new chapters.
Where would you most like to be right now?
Where I am meant to be, which is on tour in Australia, instead of stuck in my kitchen in LA.
