Name: Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence
Brand: Will Hodgkinson

Tax rate EU

Supplier EU

Rough Trade UK

Format detail

Signed by Lawrence and Will Hodgkinson. Rough Trade Exclusive zine of coloured photographs.

Limited edition

Colour

Format Books EU

Hardback

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: Yes

Signed copies

Signed copies: Yes

Download code

Download code: No

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Release date

2024-09-05

Format multiplier

Catalogue number

9781785120220special

UPC / Barcode

9781785120220

Hardback | Signed Copy | Rough Trade Exclusive

Artist

Will Hodgkinson

Label EU

Nine Eight Books

Genre EU

Music

A year in the life of Lawrence, Britain's most singular musical genius who never hit the big time.

'Will has finally written his masterpiece. I'm glad I could be of assistance' Lawrence

'A fascinating tale beautifully told' Brett Anderson

Lawrence is the greatest pop star you have never heard of, 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 1979, 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?

Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence

Books EU

Discover Street-Level Superstar by Will Hodgkinson. A captivating tale of Lawrence, Britain's unsung musical genius. Available in book format from Nine Eight Books.