Gary Numan admits way he met his wife at 16 years old ‘could be illegal now’ as they celebrate 29 years of marriage
NEW wave icon Gary Numan has opened up about getting together with his superfan wife – and how it might be ‘illegal’ now.
The Cars singer, 68 – who has been married to Gemma O’Neill, 58, for nearly three decades – met his future spouse in an unconventional way.
The singer first ran into superfan Gemma at an event when he was a 22-year-old artist and she was a young admirer.
Six years later, he posed for a picture with the then 18-year-old and knew to pen it straight to “Gemma”.
Following the sudden loss of O’Neill’s mum, the familiar fan vanished from the crowd at his gigs.
Worried about her, Numan managed to get her number through his fan club to ring her up and make sure she was ok.
“I used the fan club to get her phone number.
“That’s how I attracted her, which I think is illegal now,” he told The Times.
The star continued: “I rang her up and said, ‘Hello, it’s me,’ and she put the phone down – she thought it was somebody playing a cruel trick.”
He called again and was made to prove his identity.
Numan invited her along for a drive for a radio interview – where they had their first date.
He said: “I took her to a Little Chef because I’m very down to earth.
“I don’t do all that flash, rich man, pop star stuff.”
Gary and Gemma didn’t start their relationship until she was in her twenties.
In 1997, Gary married superfan Gemma from Sidcup and they share three daughters; Raven, 23, Persia, 21, and 19-year-old Echo.
His daughter Persia also added vocals to his song My Name Is Ruin.
Numan revealed that Gemma once told a career advisor: “I won’t need a job. I’m going to marry Gary Numan.”
Gary previously said of their relationship: “This is going to sound corny, given that it’s 30 years and four days since our first date, but I miss her even when she’s in a different part of the house.
“She’s everything I am not – which is most things, really.”
The singer, songwriter – who has an estimated net worth of around £5.5 million – toured last year to celebrate the 45th anniversary of his seminal album Telekon.
Sadly, he suffered the traumatic loss of his beloved younger brother John just after his show in Leeds – which he called the ‘worst news of my life’.