Ian started out as an actor and appeared in a number of UK theatre productions, including the musicals The Pirates of Penzance, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and The Rocky Horror Show.
As a singer, Ian twice attempted to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest, taking part in both the 1984 and 1986 A Song for Europe competitions on BBC1 as a member of the bands First Division and Jump respectively.