He’s Kim Wilde’s rock ‘n’ roll dad, but what has Marty Wilde finally realised about himself?

Marty Wilde – who was at the forefront of British rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s – has finally accepted he is an old man at the age of 87.

British rock ‘n’ roll icon Marty Wilde has only just accepted he is an old man.

Marty – who is the father of ‘80s pop star Kim Wilde – was one of the artists who pioneered rock ‘n’ roll in Britain in the 1950s along with artists like Sir Cliff Richard, Joe Brown and Billy Fury.

Despite having reached the ripe age of 87, Marty never saw himself as an old man as he is still performing live and releasing new albums.

But it was video of himself on stage shuffling along like former American President Joe Biden that made him accept his OAP status.

Marty – who has just released a new album Let’s Rock This Place – said: “I’m 87, but I don’t see myself as old other than when I get back ache, I just see myself as a guy who loves music. But now and again it hits you.

“When I’m on stage I used to do a Biden thing as I walked across the stage. It would always get a laugh. So I’d be getting a rise out of Biden at the peak of his presidency and I’d be laughing and the audience would be laughing. That was until they did a video of me and I watched myself and I was walking just like Biden was!

“I’ve accepted I’m an elderly gentleman these days.

“But really I don’t feel old at all. I feel it when I’m trying to play golf. Or I have trouble walking sometimes because of damn arthritis. With arthritis you have to keep going.”

Another incident that made Marty realise he wasn’t still the same rock ‘n’ roller that made him famous decades ago was a trip to Welwyn Garden City shopping centre in Hertfordshire, South West England.

In an interview with ContactMusic.com, he said: “I remember I went to one of the great big shopping precincts in Welwyn Garden City and as I was walking up to the back entrance there were these steps and there was a young couple, a young man and a young woman, and I was walking behind them. As I came behind them the young man stood back and opened the door for me, it dawned on me. I got home and looked in the mirror and thought, ‘Oh, right.’

“But you’ve got to laugh at yourself, you can’t be too serious.”