You might only remember him as that bloke from Soft Cell, but at 54, Marc Almond has sold 30 million records, seen the world and nearly died in a motorbike accident.Helen Geraghty found out more, ahead of his forthcoming gig in the county.

Do you remember 1981? The charts were crammed with the likes of Chas and Dave and then Tainted Love, that dramatic, breathy, number, by two unheard of guys called Soft Cell played on the radio?

The boys on the school bus all claimed to hate it, the girls all sang it endlessly and then, wham, against a cultural background of St Winifred's School Choir (There's No one Quite Like Grandma), Tainted Love was at the top of the charts.

Since then, Marc Almond New Romantic idol has also become Marc Almond melodramatic torch singer, vocalist of folk songs, blues, ballads, Russian romances and on Sunday, October 16, he will be singing these, and songs by his heroes, including Bowie and Bolan, in Tunbridge Wells.

Marc Almond was born Peter Mark Sinclair Almond in 1957 in Southport, near Liverpool, the son of a second lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was brought up at his grandparents' house with his younger sister, Julia, and as a child suffered from bronchitis and asthma.

As a teenager, he became a great fan of Marc Bolan (spot the name change) and David Bowie. As well as Tainted Love, The Soft Cell hits he is most remembered for were Bedsitter, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye and the club hit Memorabilia.

Soft Cell, a partnership with his old college friend David Ball, had a string of nine Top 40 hit singles and four Top 20 albums between 1981 and 1984, when Marc released his first solo album, Vermin in Ermine.

In 1991, Soft Cell were back in the charts with singles issued to promote a new compilation album. The album reached the UK Top 10 and in 1993 Almond toured Russia and began a lasting love of Russian folk torch songs known as Romance.

It was in 2004, while enjoying something of a musical renaissance and receiving great reviews for shows at London's Almeida Theatre, Marc was seriously injured in a motorbike accident outside St Paul's Cathedral. The crash left him in a coma for weeks, he suffered serious head injuries multiple breaks and fractures, a collapsed lung and damaged hearing.

His website records that while he has overcome many obstacles in his life, the motorcycle crash was 'his hardest fight'. Marc had to learn to sing again, it says, with the help of top vocal coach Mary Hammond, and regain his 'shattered confidence'.

Last year Marc recorded a new mainstream album, Variete, celebrating his 30th year as a recording artist. The same year also saw Marc presented with the Hero Award by Mojo Magazine and this year he released a new collaboration album with Berlin-based musician Michael Cashmore entitled Feasting With Panthers.

Marc has said that his style comes from Jacques Brel and Marc Bolan, with a bit of Charles Aznavour and Johnny Ray thrown in.

When debating buying a ticket for the Kent gig, you might like to know that music magazine Mojo has been effusive in its praise of the Sin Songs tour, calling it; "A thrilling night of life-affirming intimacy". And you don't get many of those on a Sunday night in Tunbridge Wells.

Marc Almond's Sin Songs tour comes to the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells, at 7.30pm on Sunday, October 16.