Interview: Benjamin Manning's first album available now

Growing up in London, one of Benjamin’s earliest memories is performing in a video to promote a Siouxsie and the Banshees song.

He said: “I was six and the video was for the song Playground Twist.

“I don’t remember much about meeting Siouxsie, although I apparently spent the afternoon with her and the other school kids on the video.

“I do have memories of the drummer, who died recently.

“It gave me a little bit of love for music and an insight into music.”

Benjamin’s goal from his teens was to go into acting and music, but there were difficulties.

“I had a back accident that left me disabled for most of my teens,” he said.

“That was followed by a nervous breakdown, and in my twenties, I had a heart attack and nearly died.

“My health is superb now, but every time I wanted to go close to music, something put me off.”

After completing an art course at college in Bournemouth, he started to play for other bands.

He said: “I found it quite difficult to get into music because of confidence issues.

“Other things happened that made me put music on hold in my younger days.

“I could have done with meeting a mentor in those days.”

Benjamin’s hero growing up was Paul Weller of The Jam.

“I remember hitching to Glastonbury and the first gig I saw there was Paul Weller,” recalled Benjamin.

“His drummer threw his drumsticks into the crowd, and I caught them.

"I’ve still got them.

“There was a photographer there who took a picture of me in the crowd, and it ended up on the front page of The Times.

“I bumped into Paul Weller in a pub in London once, and we had a nice chat.”

Benjamin moved for a period to America, where he worked as an interior designer for events.

He said: “I had a whirlwind romance and got married in California, but that turned sour and we divorced.

“I had an extraordinary time there, but then I lost my job, was bankrupted and came back to England.”

One of the happiest times in the USA was spent with a homeless dog he took in the same week that David Bowie died a decade ago.

But Betty Bowie, named after the pop icon, proved to be the inspiration that would get Benjamin writing and playing songs again.

It was then that producer Richard Ruth, who has worked with several bands, came calling.

“He discovered my music and said, ‘You’re a great songwriter’,” smiled Benjamin.

“It was a huge moment in my life.

“I always felt that was inside me, but I’d not had any confidence until then.

“He got me into a studio in Oxfordshire and produced the album Betty Bowie! with 13 tracks.

“It’s had some good feedback and I’ve been interviewed by the media.”

Benjamin had to leave Betty Bowie behind when he returned to the UK and the dog sadly died last summer.

Arriving in Taunton, he spent a short time living at his mother’s home in the Quantock Hills.

But he was to become homeless.

“The experience was really bad,” he said.

“I slept rough in parks for a time.

“In the USA, I’d stayed in some plush places, then suddenly I found myself in an [homeless charity] Arc hostel.

“I was in Lindley House for six months, then I moved out to an Arc satellite house and have since moved again to another one.

“I’ve been with Arc for a total of two years now.

“The staff have been great, lovely people, but I’d like to get my own place.”

His key worker helped Benjamin, who busked in Taunton town centre for a while, co-write a song, Pillows on the Pavement, which appears on the album.

He added: “My songwriting is really important to me.

“I’d love to get into proper arts and music venues to perform.

“Pillows on the Pavement is about the homeless situation in this country.

“Some people jump to conclusions about homeless people.

“My message is, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’.

“There are people on the streets because of family issues, bankruptcy, marriage breakdowns, whatever.

“In the past, people would help them, now it’s, ‘I’m alright, Jack’ and people are prepared to sit and let the situation continue.

“I’m so grateful to Arc.

"They’ve got a very difficult job.

“They’ve helped me get a music studio recording and upload my music to their social media.

“My music is already on Spotify and YouTube, now I’m hoping to get it on vinyl.”