The Man Who... hasn’t aged well!
HE sprang onto Scotland’s music scene as a fresh-faced twenty-something in kilt and T-shirt complaining about the nation’s notorious weather.
But it would seem that Travis frontman Fran Healy’s lengthy quest to escape the rainclouds have given him a far more rugged appearance.
At a weekend gig, the 42-yearold rock star certainly looked totally different from the cleancut youngster whose musical career took off in the late 1990s.
Although born south of the Border, the singer and rhythm guitarist considers himself Scottish, having spent most of his formative years growing up in his parents’ home city of Glasgow.
Sporting a straggly grey beard, he was back home again on Saturday as Travis headlined the first day of Party at the Palace, staged at Linlithgow Palace in West Lothian.
Healy first di s pl ayed hi s musical ability at primary school, winning a certificate f or his rendition of traditional Scottish song Westering Home while dressed in a kilt.
But it wasn’t until he was in his teens that the song-writing obsession really took hold.
After being given his first guitar at 13, he later performed at a school talent show at Holyrood Secondary – but failed to impress the judges.
The knock-back failed to dent his enthusiasm, however, and he went on to play in several bands before being approached by Glasgow-based outfit Glass Onion.
They later changed their name to Travis after the main character in the movie Paris, Texas.
Their first single, All I Want to Do is Rock, enjoyed limited success – but their second album The Man Who... provided their breakthrough hit single Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
Since then, Travis have twice been named best band at the Brit Awards.