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Street-Level Superstar

A Year With Lawrence: 'One of the great Pop biographies' SUNDAY TIMES

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Street-Level Superstar

By: Will Hodgkinson
Narrated by: Will Hodgkinson
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'Will has finally written his masterpiece. I'm glad I could be of assistance' LAWRENCE

'Essential reading' JARVIS COCKER

'****' MOJO

'One of the best music books I've ever clapped eyes on' MARC RILEY

'10/10 - An extraordinarily empathetic study' UNCUT

'Magnificent' SPECTATOR

Guardian Book of the Day

This edition includes an exclusive Q&A with LAWRENCE

Lawrence is the greatest pop star who never made it, his dreams of glory thwarted over the past five decades by bad luck and self-sabotage. At sixty-one, he set off on a new mission: to escape poverty, obscurity and the humiliation of kids at the bus stop laughing at him by writing a smash hit. But what is the cost of a dream?

In 1980, Lawrence formed Felt, who released ten albums and ten singles in ten years before splitting up. In 1991, he reinvented himself with novelty-pop outfit Denim. Signed to EMI, riding the wave of Britpop, in 1997, Denim's song 'Summer Smash' became Radio 1's Single of the Week and looked like a sure-fire hit. Then Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. All copies were melted down. Crushing depression, addiction and homelessness followed... but in the face of it all, Lawrence never gave up.

In Street-Level Superstar, bestselling author and journalist Will Hodgkinson follows Lawrence as he rebuilds his life. He gets mistaken for an old lady by an amorous pensioner, is reduced to dragging sacks of 2p coins to his local bank and wanders through London's distant suburbs in search of lyrical inspiration. As they walk together down rain-soaked streets, Will tells the story of Britain's most eccentric cult star. Will he write the greatest song the world has ever known before the year is out? And was it worth sacrificing everything - family, relationships, health, sanity - for art? Business Aspects Entertainment & Celebrities Music Thought-Provoking Dream
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I love Denim. I love Go Kart Mozart. I love Mozart Estate. Get this book if you do too.

It's Brilliant.

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Some books are a delight to read, this is one of them. A record of his life whilst walking around haunts with the author.

A lovely read

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Quitw simply, I did not want this book to end. I need more Lawrence musings in my life.

Wonderful

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Just read it and go on the journey with Will & Lawrence. You won’t regret it.

The best music book of the year.

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I finished this in two days, but then there is a 50 minute bonus interview with Lawrence tagged onto the end. When you thought you’d had your fill you find you can’t stop listening to it. This proves that you can never get bored of Lawrence stories.
A great attempt by Will Hodgkinson to capture the essence of the man.

A fascinating enigma.

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