R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe has finally admitted he is gay.

The rock legend has been notoriously vague over the years about his sexuality - but said he finally realized he could help other homosexuals by coming out.

“I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there,” he tells a U.S. rock magazine.

Stipe - who has long denied rumours of a relationship with Morrissey - admits that his confusion over his sexuality has made it into his songs.

“The song ‘7 Chinese Brothers’ was about me breaking up a couple and then dating both of them - a man and a woman - which is a terrible thing to do,” he says. “But I was young and stupid.”