The veteran guitarist, singer and composer is the only person to have featured in every lineup of the band, which has seen 59 members move through the ranks since 1965.

Simmons tells the Journal Standard: "I bought my first guitar when I was 13. I had no idea at the time that I was meant to be an artist of some sort.

"I remember taking the guitar to school and thinking that I could make some friends with it. I think that was the advert that led me to buy the guitar: 'Make friends at school!'