Tommy Steele is back in the spotlight with new authorised biography

The authorised biography of Tommy Steele is set to be released this May. Covering his 65 year stage and screen career, the biography titled “Tommy Steele: A Life in the Spotlight” will cover every recording, film, show and concert in its 400+ pages. 

Authorised and approved by Steele, the biography will feature over 80 rare photographs and forewords by Sir Tim Rice and Elaine Paige OBE. As one of Britain’s greatest showmen and all-round entertainers, there are many contributions by industry names including Petula Clark CBE, Dame Judi Dench and Hollywood star Lesley Ann Warren.

The biography runs on a chronological narrative, which allows readers to follow his life from Thomas Hicks’ leaving of the merchant navy to coffee bar success in Soho to overnight stardom introducing live ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ to England. 

From there, he went onto further success; being taught to dance by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, being directed by Walt Disney and Francis Ford Coppola, and conquering the West End, Broadway, Hollywood and Las Vegas. 

He appeared more times than any other performer at the London Palladium and had the longest run in any show in the theatre’s history. This book is the first complete, chronological, and detailed account of his career as an actor, singer, dancer, sculptor, artist, author, Guinness World record holder and county-level squash champion! 

It includes an additional set of appendices with complete filmography, discography and a full list of every show and concert that Tommy Steele has played over the last 65 years. It is an exhaustive chronicle of the original Bermondsey Boy and features anecdotes on famous songs and films such as ‘Rock with the Caveman’ and ‘Flash Bang Wallop!’

The authorised biography will be published on 20 May by Fonthill Media and will be available online and in bookstores – now we know when they can open! It is also available to pre-order now here.

The book will also have a companion in a 3 CD set of ‘Hits, Live and Rare’ material of Tommy, which will feature over 90 tracks, over 50 having never been released on CD before. Much of the material comes from private archives, digital transfers from off-air reels, demos, rare singles and LPs, and features songs that haven’t been heard for over 60 years.