His debut album, Chasing Dreams, peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 100,000 copies in the UK. It was the biggest selling debut album by a British artist in 2016.
In 1978, he was signed by Brentford FC and was a regular in the reserves. He also played for Dunstable Town, scoring 15 goals in 25 games, as well as Barnet and Boreham Wood. His football career was ended due to an ankle injury.