KING of funk Nile Rodgers has never wanted to be in the limelight.

 

The legendary musician has worked with the music industry’s biggest names - Madonna and Michael Jackson to name a few.

 

He has written, played or produced some of the catchiest tunes in pop over the last half century, including Diana Ross’s I’m Coming Up and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, which reached the UK number one spot in 1983 and remains one of his best-selling songs.

 

Despite his unrivalled contribution to the music industry, the warm and charismatic 64-year-old isn’t one to blow his own trumpet and admits he sees his band Chic as a warm-up act.

 

The disco supergroup are due to play two nights at Kelvingrove bandstand on June 10 and 11, with fans scrambling to get their hands on the £65 tickets from the minute they went on sale.

 

“ They told us the first date sold out within two days.” said Nile, confidently.

 

“I know people don’t understand certain things...people say ‘Oh my god, I’d like to see you but I can't afford £70.’

 

“What makes you think that Nile Rodgers and Chic are big enough to control ticket prices?

 

“I’m not Katy Perry, I’m not Adele. I never have been and I’ve never wanted to be.

 

“That’s the thing. We designed our band to be the opening act for a star; that’s how we’ve always thought ourselves and how we’ve always billed ourselves and always felt comfortable. .

 

“That feels right for us. We want to come out and warm up the stage for the next person.”

 

Despite feeling more comfortable as a warm-up act. Nile said he is excited about coming back to Glasgow and hopes to see a good friend when he arrives in the city

 

“The most fun I’ve had in Glasgow was with Irvine Welsh when I released my book about six years ago.” said Nile.

 

“He has brilliant wit, is a great writer and a lovely Glaswegian with a filthy mouth.

 

“He was fantastic, we had the time of our lives together, and we’re still terrific friends.”

 

As we spoke, modest Nile was standing in a pair of wellies, sloshing around in the basement at his home in Connecticut.

 

The previous night his boiler exploded and he is watching priceless clothes, paintings, guitars and furniture floating around the room.

 

In between our conversation about his plans for the next year - a neverending list which includes a new Chic album, West End musical, tours with Earth, Wind and Fire and Duran Duran - he keeps groaning as he sees more of his previous possessions under water.

 

“Oh my god. I just don’t know what to do.” he exclaimed.

 

“I’ve lived in this house for 40 years. Water is the most damaging and corrosive element on the planet, who knows what it’s going to do to my little house here.

 

“You save this stuff for 45 years of your life and now its…I’m looking at pigment from 200-year-old Asian furniture, turning the water in my basement red.”

 

Before the boiler incident, Nile had been up most of the night making music and was still recovering from his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction which had taken place just days before.

 

It’s not a surprise he was given the accolade, having made such an incredible contribution to the industry since he was a teenager.

 

Born in New York in September 1952, Nile ran away from home at the age of 14 and it was then he started working as a session guitarist with the Sesame Street band.

 

He then moved on to play in the house band at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, supporting the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ben. E. King, Parliament Funkadelic and a whole host of R&B legends.

 

It was the culture and vibe of New York at the time which really fuelled his passion and opened up doors at an early stage in his career.

 

He explained: “I was very clear about what I was going to do. I wanted to be a professional musician, I didn’t dream it would be on this level. I knew that the curriculum that I was being taught at school was not conducive to my future.

 

“At the time. the wonderful culture in New York City was that if you wanted to learn, teachers wanted to teach.

 

“You could have the most sophisticated professors and classes, whether you were registered at the school or not. It was very liberal then. “

 

In the last 50 years, Nile has worked with almost all of the best musicians you could think of and his style has moved with the times.

 

Not only did he work with Sheena Easton and Bryan Ferry in their heyday, but he has spanned generations by collaborating with Daft Punk, Lady Gaga and even Britney Spears.

 

Despite his star-studded contacts book, there are still a few people he didn’t get the chance to work with that he wished he had.

 

“Some of the people I most wanted to work with have already passed away – Prince and Miles Davis.” said Nile.

 

“At least with Prince I got some portion of satisfaction as we played live together a few times.

 

“Even George Michael, we worked together. I was working with him the day before he died, that was so heartbreaking.”

 

The fact he didn’t write a song with Miles David, he said, will be something he regrets forever.

 

He explained: “Miles Davis tried to get me to do a funky dance record with him but I was so embarrassed that he was going to make jokes with me.

 

“He has a very tough reputation but with me he was loving and f un, we were just like two guys hanging out.

 

“I thought he would be ready to say ‘You idiot, I didn’t want that bulls**t!

 

“But in fact he did want it. I never got to it. I just kept thinking after he passed away and I listened to his body of work at the end I just thought ‘Oh my god, am I crazy?’

 

“I could have walked in there and we could have been grooving and funking. Miles Davis could have had this signature song he could play for the rest of his life.

 

“Diana Ross has I’m Coming Up, David Bowie had Let’s Dance... I was heartbroken. He wanted me to do that and I didn’t believe him. I will go to my grave lamenting that.”

 

Get tickets to catch Nile performing with Chic on June 10 and 11 via www.tickets-scotland.com