Posted on 20th December 2008 08:00AM
Alex James fell asleep while his wife was in labour.
The Blur bassist was left so exhausted from rehearsing for 'Maestro' - a UK TV show in which he learned to conduct an orchestra - he dozed off in the hospital waiting room before his wife Claire gave birth to their daughter Sable earlier this year.
Claire explained: "Alex sat with his headphones on for a while and then he fell asleep.
"The midwife came in and said, 'Well he's really helpful.' But when the contractions were getting close together and became really painful, that's when he got the kick in the ribs to be more helpful."
Alex insists ignoring his wife to continue working was essential to his success on the celebrity TV show.
He explained to Britain's OK! magazine: "I was learning how to conduct 'Summertime' and was trying to remember when the bassoons kicked in."
Alex and video producer Claire, who married in 2003, also have three sons together - Geronimo, four, and two-year-old twins Artemis and Galileo.
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