With 40 years in showbusiness under his belt, Freddie Starr's autobiography is full of humorous stories about his exploits both on and off stage, and his encounters with some of the biggest stars of the 20th Century - from John Lennon to Elvis Presley and Dean Martin. But there's also a dark side to the story of Freddie's rise to success - starting with his tough childhood in post-war Liverpool.

A father who would think nothing of challenging a workmate to a no-holds-barred bare-knuckle fight in his lunch hour. An elder brother who bullied him. A psychosomatic illness that struck him when he was only six years of age, robbing him of the power of speech and sending him to the only place he could be cured - a children's home miles away from his family, where he spent two long years learning to talk again.

The violent people he hung around with in his teenage years in the Liverpool clubs, in particular his employer and mentor. The young blonde singer who broke into her own house just to attract his attention!

In this book, Freddie reveals the truth about his broken marriages, his "overnight" success at the Royal Variety Performance in 1970, the occasional court case, the showbiz scandals, and what really happened to that poor, defenceless hamster.

First published: Friday 12th October 2001