Andrew Lloyd Webber had already introduced an emotional Michael Crawford, the first performer to take the title role in one of his most successful shows.

The composer was a little aflutter when he revealed that his former partner and muse, Sarah Brightman, his "angel of music" had agreed to sing. She took the stage with four of those who had played that famous character in the previous quarter of a century – and the final moment of drama came as a fifth Phantom appeared on stage in full costume and commanded: "Sing for me."

Ramin Karimloo's place in West End history was secured that night as he was acknowledged as the latest Phantom of the Opera in that star-studded 25th anniversary performance at London's Royal Albert Hall.

He was also the youngest Phantom and went on to take a lead part in Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies before moving on to another great West End role. The singer betrays his musical roots when he described that character as "the one who looks like Kenny Rogers".

He is referring to Jean Valjean, the hero of Les Miserables, which he was playing until a few weeks ago when he set out on the road in his own right.

The good looks that have made him a heart throb owe much to his Tehran birthplace. The father of two confirms he has had "some flattering letters and offers". He bears this with the worldly confidence of his North American upbringing, his family having fled to Canada when he was a child, where his musical taste was formed.

"I didn't grow up with musical theatre, I didn't train for musical theatre and I don't listen to theatre music. I just do it and I love doing it. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking for more theatre work but what I listen to is Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Tracy Chapman and Kenny Rogers," says Karimloo.

"The first two songs that really inspired me were 38 Years Old by The Tragically Hip and The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. What I love is that they've got a story at the heart of them. Even when we perform songs from musical theatre it's not necessarily going to seem a different musical genre. I strip things away and do them differently so that the essence of the song is there."

While he is grateful to the stage world in which he has made his name, it is a different Ramin Karimloo who established fans and, he hopes, a new audience will see at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on Sunday.

"This tour is not just about theatre music. I'm a songwriter and I love folk music and country," says the 33-year-old whose debut solo album Ramin was released last month.

"As a solo artist, when I'm on the road it's just me, so it would be weird to do some songs I've written and then start acting like the Phantom. I would be uncomfortable watching that, so I'm not going to do something I wouldn't want to see, but I want to sing those songs. I want to do more musical roles but after Jean Valjean I kind of need a break from that. But I do have to find another theatre job, just like any actor.

"I want to do music theatre, but I don't want to have to do it. I want to do it so I'm completely always 100% behind it. I think that comes by diversifying. If you're future is OK and you're not worried, like for me if my kids are OK and I know they're going to be fine, then whatever creatively I do I know I'll be 100% behind it."

Partly because of his friendship with Troy Nathan, the Glasgow Warriors rugby player who is promoting this leg of Karimloo tour, he is particularly excited by the prospect of visiting the city.

"I came to Glasgow with the Pirates of Penzance," he says. "Glasgow was a real buzz. We had a great time.

"I'm planning to spend a couple of days here checking out local bands who write their own stuff. Someone mentioned a bar in town with live music, so we're going to go there and take our guitars and, if they'll have us, we'll play a couple of tunes.

"That's what the concert's about as well. I'm bringing my banjo and we'll do some of the musical theatre numbers that people know me for, but those fans who have known me for a while are ready for new stuff. I don't want to just make money doing the same thing all the time. How are you going to grow?

"For my album I've written four of the songs. I've done some great theatre, but I don't think I've done enough just to do an anthology album. I want to do more music theatre before considering that because you have to have a reason for doing an album. Anyway, if I did just music theatre it would have been a purely financial thing. I want to sleep well at nights and I feel I can do better and give more if I do an original album that my heart's completely behind.

"I've done some covers, a Muse track and one from Bryan Adams and we put some Phantom songs on there, but we've stripped it of the Phantom character and just done them as songs. It's less theatrical. We might have had a 60-piece orchestra at Abbey Road orchestrating the songs, but the album is all about the lyrics."

Ramin Karimloo is at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Sunday.