Jim Kerr Recounts Humorous Fan Encounter Mistaking Him for Usher
Simple Minds frontman shares anecdote of being asked for directions at his own concert.
Jim Kerr, the lead singer of the Scottish rock band Simple Minds, shared a humorous story about a fan mistaking him for an usher at one of the band's concerts. The incident occurred while the band was performing a more intimate acoustic set, a departure from their usual electrified stadium shows.
Kerr, 67, explained that he devised a plan to connect with the audience by walking through the venue's aisles from the back as the set began. Dressed in black, he was standing at the rear of the hall when two concertgoers approached him with their tickets. "Do you know where Row H is?" they asked, leading Kerr to double over in laughter. He quipped that he should have been carrying a torch to guide them to their seats.
The frontman still enjoys engaging with the crowd, often observing the audience's body language before the band takes the stage. He noted that venues can feel cold and dark upon entry and that it is the band's role to elevate the atmosphere. This practice allows him to gauge the audience's energy and connect with their experience.
Simple Minds, formed in Glasgow in 1977, achieved significant international success. Their song "Don't You Forget About Me" was a number one hit in the U.S. and featured on the soundtrack of the 1985 film "The Breakfast Club." Other hits include "Alive and Kicking," which reached number three in the U.S., and "Belfast Child," a UK chart-topper.
The band also famously performed at Live Aid in 1985 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, playing to an audience of 100,000 people, with an estimated global television audience of 1.9 billion.
Kerr's personal life has included marriages to musicians and actresses, including The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde and actress Patsy Kensit. His upbringing in a Glasgow high-rise flat was a stark contrast to his later life in the public eye. His first job after leaving school was cleaning out a butcher's shop, a role that provided him with enough income to pursue his passion for music and attend concerts by artists like David Bowie and Frank Sinatra. He credits these early musical experiences with his bandmate Charlie Burchill as their "university."
Kerr also recalled how the band's signing to Virgin Records might have been influenced by Richard Branson's wife, Joan, who was from Glasgow. Facing significant debt, the band received an unexpected offer from Branson, a detail Kerr suggests might have involved Joan's influence.