My life through a lens: Pop legend Gary Numan, 63, shares the stories behind his favourite snaps

Gary Numan, the pop icon, has shared some stories behind some of his most beloved photographs

1960: This is me at age two with my favourite truck toy. I spent most of my childhood in Middlesex at Heathrow Airport. As an only child, I was a lonely person. Tony, my dad built me control panels that had switches so I could pretend to fly rockets and planes. When I first saw Hank Marvin on TV from The Shadows, I was intrigued by his electric guitar. I connected string to an acoustic instrument to make it appear like a lead.

1976: Here’s me and my first car. It was a Morris Marina Estate. Because I was expelled from one school, I asked for permission to transfer. I didn’t have any qualifications. My third year was difficult because I couldn’t concentrate, and my teachers didn’t respond to me. A child psychologist diagnosed me with Asperger’s syndrome. He prescribed Valium for my anxiety.

1978: I’m perfecting my moody look here – this was just after my band Tubeway Army’s first single, That’s Too Bad, was released. My parents were hugely supportive – they sank their life savings into buying me a van, a PA system and an expensive guitar. My initial identity was punk. But the instant I saw a synthesizer at a studio, I transformed the direction of my debut album. I became a pop superstar with synthesizers in 1979, when I had our No. 1 hit.

1979: Following the success of our debut album, I decided to go solo. To combat stage fright and my crippling stage anxiety, I made this android avatar to disguise myself. This is why I am wearing white makeup here to shoot the video for Cars. Also, it covered my dark skin. While Cars became a big success both on the Atlantic and in my home country, fame was not something I could handle. If you are Asperger’s, it’s not easy to lose your anonymity.

1983: Aeroplanes have been a love of mine since I was tiny and I learnt to fly in 1978 – this is me with a Flying Fortress bomber at Biggin Hill. In the middle of 1980s my music career was over and I decided to become an aerobatic pilot. My main focus was in World War II combat planes. When I suffered from public ridicule and a severe drop in self-esteem, it helped me stay balanced. It was incredibly dangerous though – I was losing four or five friends a year in air crashes. It was a very sad time for Gemma, as a friend of mine died late in the 1990s. So I decided to sell my plane.

1997: Gemma is looking like a Disney princess at this Essex wedding. She was a fan – she’d often go to six gigs on my tours. One tour, however, she was absent for many months. When she finally showed up, she was in tears as she sang a sad song. She told me that her mom was dying from cancer. I got to know her better after the concert. We began dating after she shared her sadness, but she still had a bright personality. Since then, we have been together.

2018: Performing at the Royal Albert Hall was the highlight of my career – my biggest show since Wembley in 1981. This is just before the concert, with Gemma and our three kids, Echo (left), Raven (second right), and Persia (far right) – she sang with me that night. The concert was sold out within two hours after my album Savage reached No. 2 on the UK charts. It was my highest point since 1981 when I stupidly retired from live performances. Being there for the concert with my family was extremely emotional.

2019: I performed this show at London’s Roundhouse before the pandemic. The most important part of my job is performing live. This photo captures that energy and excitement. Today, I am a more confident performer on stage and love to interact with my audience. It feels like my life is full. I still feel flexible, and I love being on stage!