Time has been kind to Mick Hucknall.  He must be approaching 50 years old and yet his voice is still as vibrant and rich as it was when he burst on the scene 30 years ago. I saw him perform with the latest incarnation of SImply Red last night at Sandown Park race track in south London.  It was a blistering set of R&B with Mick going 100% in front of a tight six piece band.  The 15,000-ish crowd sang along with almost every song. His face has a few more lines, but otherwise he’s given up nothing to his age — or fame. Surely, that takes work!

Given the recent demise of Michael Jackson to remind us of the sad price of fame, it’s interesting to see someone who has apparently managed just fine with celebrity.

Innovators, be they in business, or in show business, have a job to do. They need to stay fit, stay balanced, and get up every day and do the work.  Hucknall is a great example of a real pro.  A person who re-creates every time he does a show.  He’s ready for the show when the curtain comes up, and then he does a joyous professional job.

He appears to have done well in the holistic sense — he’s married, has a child, supports a few noteworthy causes, and he just last year put out his first solo album. Even at 49 new bridges to cross.  If only Michael Jackson had found new ways to achieve and bring a sense of fulfillment into his life.

Success shouldn’t be measured in tabloid headlines or even in the size of one’s fortune.  It’s how you work, how you recreate yourself everyday.  Keep on singing Mick, keep enjoying the journey, thanks for the fine example of balance and professionalism.