"James singer Tim Booth reveals how falling in love with his Shamanic healer wife saved him after cheating death: 'I challenged myself to find a purpose in life or I was going to check out early'"

"James singer Tim Booth has revealed how falling in love with his wife Kate Shela at first sight gave his life a purpose after he almost died from a childhood liver disease.

The musician, 64, and his Shamnic healer wife, 53, have revealed their incredible love story in a joint interview with The Sunday Times Magazine and how it has endured after a chance meeting.

The couple first met in 1994 in a dance studio but were both in other relationships. And despite only speaking '50 words' to one another Tim declares 'we were meant to be with each other.'

A year later Tim moved to LA to be with his then girlfriend, a clairvoyant who promptly told him they shouldn't be together.

The night he moved across the world the couple went to a dance class and Kate was there, the next day his girlfriend, sensing their connection, drove him to meet Kate.

'My girlfriend walked over to her and said, 'This is Tim. Look after him.' Kate and I went for breakfast and I told her I was in love with her,' Tim revealed.

Tim has explained how he feels meeting Kate was his 'purpose' in life after he cheated death at the age of 21.

An undiagnosed liver disease saw him taken to hospital where he stopped breathing, 'I felt myself slipping down and it felt wonderful. When the nurse forced me to start breathing again, I was quite pi**ed off,' he told The Times.

'But that experience affected me. I challenged myself to find a purpose in life or I was going to check out early. I started meditating, gave up alcohol , drugs, sex; I lived like a monk.'

'Lots happened around that time — James became very successful, I became a father, I went wild. And then I met Kate. I guess that was the final part of the story. The purpose in life became a clear picture.'

Their connection has spanned 30 years with the couple parents to son Luka, 19, as well as raising Tim's son Ben, 35.

The couple, who married in 2000, recently left Los Angeles for to live in Central America.

Kate is an internationally renowned movement teacher and co-founder of The 360 Emergence - 'a spirit-driven movement practice that bridges dance and personal growth, rigor and freedom, individuality and the global collective.'

She teaches globally and with Tim's nomadic life on the road with James, the couple are often separated for months at a time, but their relationship alongside their successful careers has endured over three decades.

James' new release, Yummy, recently became their first studio album to hit the top of the charts, 42 years into the band's career.

Previously, the band's only number was their 1998 Best Of compilation with the latest release beating the likes of Beyonce's Cowboy Carter to the top spot.

Tim told Chris Evans' Virgin Radio Show how he celebrated last week, admitting: 'I drink once every two years and went out with them and had three margaritas. I was surprisingly able to walk home afterwards, which was good!'

There's plenty more to come from James too as they are currently writing their 19th studio album before kicking off a tour in June.

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