In the summer of 1956, while on shore leave from the Merchant Navy, Thomas Hicks was spotted playing a new type of music in a coffee bar in London. Having never heard anything like this ‘rock’ performed in Britain, he became an overnight sensation - never returning to his ship.
He changed his name to Tommy Steele and for 65 years he has been Britain’s greatest showman.
In a remarkable career spanning radio, records, Broadway and Hollywood, Tommy Steele started the rock revolution in the UK before moving to lighter, family entertainment and becoming a well-loved household name. He received an OBE for Services to Entertainment in 1979 and a knighthood for Services to Entertainment and Charity in 2020.
He has conquered the West End, Hollywood and Broadway; holds records for the longest-running one-man-show in the London’s West End and also the record for most appearances at the hallowed London Palladium.
However, his remarkable career has never been detailed accurately and comprehensively - until now. Authorized by Sir Tommy Steele himself, A Life in the Spotlight offers readers a detailed insight into the career of an unrivaled entertainment legend, with countless facts, stories, details and anecdotes never before committed to print.
