SONGWRITER and 10cc band member Graham Gouldman is bringing an intimate acoustic concert to Salisbury next week. The idea for the Heart Full of Songs show came from the success of the acoustic element of 10cc’s concerts in recent years.

Gouldman formed 10cc with Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Crème in 1972, and the band enjoyed 11 top ten hits, including three number ones – Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday – along with tracks such as Donna, Good Morning Judge, and The Things We Do For Love.

But Gouldman was already a successful songwriter before he helped form the band, starting writing songs in 1965.

He wrote hits including Pamela, Pamela for Wayne Fontana, For Your Love and Heart Full of Soul for The Yardbirds, Bus Stop and Look Through Any Window for The Hollies, No Milk Today for Herman’s Hermits, and Tallyman for Jeff Beck.

“I was aware of music from the age of seven and I sort of fell in love with it,” said Gouldman. “I was given a guitar when I was 11 years old and that was a great era for music.”

Gouldman’s parents were also very supportive of his passion for music, his father helping to tweak lyrics or come up with song titles.

“He was a real wordsmith,” said Gouldman. “If I wrote a lyric he would make it better.”

The Heart Full of Songs tour is hitting the road with 20 concerts across the country, ending with a performance at the Wychwood Festival.

“It’s great because we’ll be playing in intimate settings, so we can talk about the songs and explain about how they came about,” he said.

“You can feel at one with the crowd, and are physically and emotionally closer to the audience.”

Gouldman, who last performed in Salisbury about three years ago, will be on stage alongside fellow 10cc band member Mike Stevens, and Iain Hornal.

They will be playing a wide range of songs Gouldman has written for other artists, from the 1960s through to his new solo album, Love and Work.

In recent years, Gouldman has co-written with the likes of Gary Barlow, Tim Rice, Paul Carrack, Chris Difford and Suggs, as well as spending time in Nashville writing with country songwriter of the year Gary Burr.

Gouldman also co-wrote with McFly for their number one album Wonderland.

Meanwhile, he continues to take the 10cc band around the world for concerts and festivals.

Last December saw them tour arenas with Status Quo, and they have headline concert tours set for October and then February to March next year, culminating with a return to the Royal Albert Hall.

To reinforce Gouldman’s status as one of the world’s leading songwriters, he is to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, an arm of America’s National Academy of Music.

Previous inductees include Noel Coward, Irving Berlin, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Leonard Cohen and Sting.

The concert takes place at Salisbury Arts Centre on May 8.

For tickets, visit salisburyartscentre.co.uk or call 01722 321744.