Spencer Leigh

rise of the Beatles and Merseybeat

The Cavern club

Born Richard Wayne Penniman, Little Richard said he invented rock 'n' roll. Spencer Leigh claims he didn't, but the world would have been very different without 'Tutti Frutti', two minutes of wild exhibitionism, recorded in 1955. It transformed American music and world culture. There still would have been the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Prince without Little Richard but their careers would have been different. Little Richard: Send Me Some Lovin' is a fun-packed biography about an influential and charismatic man who lived his life as though he were continually on stage. An influential and charismatic man who lived his life as though he were continually on stage. Page after page, you will be exclaiming 'Ooh! My Soul'. Come and meet Lucille, Long Tall Sally, Jenny Jenny, Miss Ann and Good Golly Miss Molly. Come and enjoy the company.

Send Me Some Lovin'

Little Richard

The Billy Kinsley Story

It's Love that Really Counts

Why was Pete Best sacked from the Beatles? In this unique book, based on extensive research and interviews with those close to the events, Spencer Leigh has gathered the clues together to try and solve the greatest Beatles mystery of all. On 16 August 1962, the Beatles drummer, Pete Best, went to see their manager, Brian Epstein, in his Liverpool office. He thought that Epstein wanted to discuss future bookings with him but instead, Epstein sacked him. Pete had not seen it coming. Why did Brian Epstein do it and not the Beatles themselves? Why did they want to be rid of him? Why did they do it so callously? Pete never spoke to any of them again. Best of the Beatles: The sacking of Pete Best tells you what really happened and is essential reading for Beatles fans.

The sacking of Pete Best

Best of the Beatles

SIMON & GARFUNKEL is a definitive account of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s career together. With unique material and exclusive interviews with fellow musicians, promoters and friends, acclaimed author Spencer Leigh has written a compelling biography of some of the world’s biggest musical stars. With remarkable stories about the duo on every page, the book not only charts their rise to success and the years of their fame, but analyses the personalities of the two men and the ups and downs of their often fraught relationship.

Together Alone

Simon & Garfunkel

Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Elvis death. As well as being the greatest solo star of the 20th century, Elvis Presley's career is full of controversy and Spencer Leigh's new biography ELVIS PRESLEY: CAUGHT IN A TRAP sorts out facts from the fiction. What separated Elvis Presley from his contemporaries, just how important was Colonel Parker, how did he come to reinvent himself for Las Vegas, did he have to die so young, and why does his legend endure. How good a singer was he, how good an actor was he, and was he caught in a trap, perhaps set by Colonel Parker Spencer Leigh has spoken to band members, songwriters, friends, fans and many people who have worked with the King, and he examines the evidence with the scrutiny of a forensic scientist. With a Foreword by RUSSELL WATSON, the 'People's Tenor'.

Caught in a Trap

Elvis Presley

Frank Sinatra: An Extraordinary Lifeis a definitive account of Frank Sinatra’s life and career. With unique material and exclusive interviews with fellow musicians, promoters and friends, the acclaimed author Spencer Leigh has written a compelling biography of one of the world’s biggest stars. With remarkable stories about Sinatra on every page, and an exceptional cast of characters, readers will wonder how Sinatra ever found time to make records. If this book were a work of fiction, most people would think it far-fetched

An Extraordinary Life

Frank Sinatra

Jon Kutner

The official UK charts started in November 1952 with Al Martin's Here's In My Heart at the top. Since then, there have been over 50 years of changes and we have now reached the 1,000 number one.

1,000 UK Number One Hits

Journalist, broadcaster and Beatles authority Spencer Leigh analyses and discusses the Beatles and their records with the help of his vast archive of recorded interviews about the Beatles – more than anyone in the world. Leigh has been interviewing musicians, roadies, fellow broadcasters and many others on his BBC Radio Merseyside programmes for over 30 years. This book draws upon that resource and the plethora of books about the Beatles that have preceded it. Each chapter is prefaced by the cultural or historic events of the times to put the music into context. This book will take you on an enjoyable musical journey and you will be thoroughly entertained by it and will be listening with fresh ears to the Beatles back catalogue.

Beatles on Record

Love Me Do to Love Me Don't

Buddy Holly died in 1959. He was just 22 years old. Don McLean called that fatal day ‘The Day the Music Died’. But Buddy’s music hasn’t died and he left behind a wonderful legacy. With his animated voice, trademark black glasses, Fender Stratocaster and inimitable songs, Buddy and his music live on and continue to influence subsequent generations of musicians. His solitary UK tour was crucial to the British beat explosion of the early 1960s, spawning the Beatles, the Hollies and the Rolling Stones. Without Buddy Holly, today’s popular music would, almost certainly, be radically different. Spencer Leigh discusses the importance of this legendary figure through his music, his life, his image and his legacy. There are fascinating interviews with those who knew him best – his young widow Maria Elena, his band members the Crickets, Des O’Connor who compered his 1958 tour as well as musicians, songwriters, friends, fans and many others who worked with Buddy. It is inevitable that we remember the giants: Elvis, the Beatles, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, but Buddy Holly’s death enables us also to acknowledge the less well-known musicians who died with him, 17-year-old Ritchie Valens and the outlandish Big Bopper. What emerges from Spencer’s research is an insight into Buddy’s short, impulsive life as well as an account of his continuing legacy. Packed with facts, including US and UK discographies, this book provides an invaluable wealth of information.

Learning the Game

Buddy Holly

Bob Dylan: Outlaw Blues by Spencer Leigh is a fresh take on this famous yet elusive personality, a one-man hall of mirrors who continues to intrigue his followers worldwide. It is an in-depth account with new information and fascinating opinions, both from the author and his interviewees. Whether you are a Dylan fan or not, you will be gripped by this remarkable tale. Most performers create their work for public approval, but at the centre of this book is a mercurial man who doesn't trust his own audience. If he feels he is getting too much acclaim, he tends to veer off in another direction. Despite his age, Bob Dylan still tours extensively. Famously known for not looking happy, the author looks at what motivates him. 'Journalists are very fond of saying Bob Dylan is an enigma,' says Spencer Leigh, 'but that word is flawed. It's as good as saying you don't know... I have not called Bob Dylan an enigma at any point in the book as I have tried to find answers.' Spencer Leigh has spoken to over 300 musicians, friends and acquaintances of Bob Dylan in his research for this book.

Spencer Leigh

Books

Your next favorite book is out there