The frontman shot to fame with his band’s debut album, earning £1 million in just one month thanks to his Christmas number one hit and a sell-out world tour with big hair as a career.
The singer, 49, spent £150,000 of his estimated £6million fortune on cocaine, leading a life of excess that led him to leave his band in 2006 and begin his recovery.
Now he is a vegetarian, married, father of one, living a quiet life in rural Switzerland and seems far removed from his once brilliant stage persona.
Twenty years after the release of his band’s hit song, the imposing rock star looks completely unrecognizable.
Known for her long, curly hair, the rocker sported a completely new look as she left the BBC Broadcasting House studios in London on Tuesday with a short, dark hairstyle and a clean-shaven face.
But can you guess who it is?
A great rock star looks completely unrecognizable 20 years after the release of his hit song
The singer seemed far removed from her wild rock and roll days as she left the BBC Broadcasting House studios in London on Tuesday.
That’s how it is! This is Justin Hawkins from The Darkness.
In the past, the I Believe in a Thing Called Love opera singer wore extravagant metallic outfits that showed off her bare, tattooed chest.
But Justin ditched his signature stage suit for a more casual look during his recent outing.
He stepped out in the rain wearing a black hoodie and a leather jacket, paired with jeans and sneakers.
Justin showed he had expensive taste by wearing a khaki green Celine backpack.
Last month, The Darkness announced that they would be releasing a new album and touring the UK in 2025.
The news of the rock band comes after the viral moment in which she sang Taylor Swift’s 2003 hit song, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, with her boyfriend Travis Kelce in the US Open final.
The Darkness’ single has climbed charts around the world since the pop sensation’s clip went viral, reaching number one in the US 21 years after its release.
Now singer Justin Hawkins has revealed that Taylor wrote him a letter and that the song is “the best song ever written.”
While promoting the band’s eighth studio album, Dreams On Toast, on ITV’s Lorraine on Wednesday, Justin spoke about the incredible moment.
Known for her long, curly hair (she left it in 2003), the rocker sported a completely new look when she stepped out with a short, dark hairstyle and a clean-shaven face.
Justin ditched his signature stage suit for a more casual look during his recent outing.
Justin spent £150,000 on cocaine, leading a life of excess that led him to leave The Darkness in 2006 and begin recovery (pictured in 2017, six years after they reunited).
He said: “She (Taylor Swift) was just dancing and cheering and they play it at a lot of sporting events.”
‘My daughter is the biggest Swiftie I know, I’ve always been cool but now I’m even cooler.
“He (Taylor) wrote me a lovely letter and said he thought it was the best song of all time and if he said it meant anything, he was an expert at songwriting.”
He joked: “We saw Taylor sing and it went to number one and we thought we were going to get in the studio real quick.” No, we haven’t actually, we’ve been working on it for a year and a half and today we released the first single.
“I think she is a role model, she helps young women navigate that world, it calms me when my daughter listens to her.”
Earlier this month, Justin shared a video on TikTok, revealing that he woke up to videos of Taylor and Travis circulating online. He thanked the couple for helping him feel like ‘parent of the year’ as he rejoiced in his little daughter’s joy.
“It was a really touching moment for me and my little girl, who can’t wait to tell her friends at school,” Justin said. “So thank you Taylor, thank you Travis.”
As the clip begins, Justin reveals that he saw Taylor’s Eras tour in Zurich a few weeks ago and how a personal note from the singer saying he was a fan of the song surprised his daughter.
He said: “A few weeks ago I went to see Taylor Swift at the Zurich stadium and the hospitality they showed us was incredible.” There was a guy in a golf cart guiding us to the main area of the stadium, the trucks were parked nearby and they put us in a nice VIP area. I had Chris Rock on one side, Roger Federer on the other and I was Dad of the Year.
‘To make things even more spectacular, Taylor Swift even sent me a beautiful letter, which was waiting for me in the VIP section, about how much she loved the song I Believe in a Thing Called Love.
Justin said he was glad to leave The Masked Singer in the show’s second week in 2020 because it meant he wouldn’t miss his daughter’s birthday because she lives in Switzerland.
At the height of his fame, Justin blew £150,000 on cocaine in just three years and became a source of friction within the group (Figure 2004).
Most recently performed at the Justin Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert (September 2022)
“I was just father of the year, maybe father of the century, because everything was a big surprise.”
Speaking about the recent viral moment at the US Open, Justin added: “Speaking of big surprises, everyone sent me some footage of I Believe in a Thing Called Love at the US Open and Taylor Swift and her partner Travis dancing. Also, just enjoy the music.
‘So it was a really touching moment for me and my little girl, who can’t wait to tell her friends at school.
So thank you Taylor, thank you Travis, thank you to everyone who enjoys tennis. It was a very good start to the day. Good boy, greetings.’
The Darkness will hit the road next March for their biggest UK tour to date.
Dreams On Toast’s headlining UK tour will see them play 17 shows across the country at London’s OVO Wembley Arena on March 29.
