James Taylor at LG Arena, Birmingham

Legendary musician James Taylor might be 63 but he still knows how to wow his millions of fans,

James Taylor has long been regarded as one of the world's greatest songwriters. And at the age of 63, the North Carolina singer/songwriter shows no sign of slowing down.

Taylor continues to travel the world, playing to packed out concert halls across the globe. His latest tour reaches Birmingham's LG Arena tomorrow (Sunday, July 9, 2011).

The star has sold more than 40 million albums throughout his career and been awarded Billboard magazine's highest accolade, the Century Award.

He's also been inducted into both the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriter's Hall of Fame and picked up numerous Grammys.

However, the man who wrote Sweet Baby James and the intensely personal Fire and Rain longs for one thing more than anything: time to himself.

"You need to defend empty time. Inspiration for songs can happen in the middle of a lot of other kinds of activity, but to actually bring it home you have to have a place to go off and wait," he says.

"That's the nature of writing lyrics."

Taylor has blazed a path and had a profound influence on both songwriters and music lovers of all generations and from all walks of life.

His first number one hit was a version of Carole King's classic, You've Got A Friend, while he's enjoyed some of his biggest successes during the 1990s and 200s, with Hourglass, October Road and Covers.

Taylor married fellow singer/songwriter Carly Simon and they had a son, Ben Taylor – who is also a well-respected singer/songwriter – before divorcing in 1981.

Despite his success, however, he claims not to have a formula for writing.

"I don't direct these things. They're as much a surprise to me as to anybody," he states.

"The idea that they're personal – and if not universal, at least accessible and useful to a number of people sometimes – I think is really what you'd probably say about any art form.

"I think that people have a personal experience that they then externalise in some way, and the statement of it also serves to take the listener's internal process out of them.

"I feel that whenever I look at a painting that opens a door for me, or a sculpture, or any kind of creative work that I can use in my own personal process."

Taylor maintains a high profile and has been busy in recent times. In March last year he sang The Beatles In My Life in tribute to deceased artists at the 82nd Academy Awards while during the same month he undertook a Troubadour Reunion Tour with Carole King and members of his original band.

The tour sold more than 700,000 tickets and grossed more than 59 million US dollars.

Fans at the LG Arena can expect a greatest hits package from one of the best singer/songwriters in the business.Tickets, priced at £50, are available on 0844 338 8000.