"Be proud of everything that you do, or have a fucking damn good
reason for doing something which you're not proud of." (Gary Holton
to Danny Baker, NME, November 1984, a year before his death) A true
rock 'n' roll casualty, Gary Holton packed a lot into his
thirty-three years, including fronting proto-punk legends, Heavy
Metal Kids, and playing a leading role in one of the most revered
TV dramas of its day. Drawing on her own recollections and
first-hand accounts of others who knew him, Teddie Dahlin completes
the picture of a man who never outran his demons but who, in the
process, gave a lot of pleasure and some little anguish to those
who surrounded him. Born in East End London, Holton became a member
of the Royal Shakespeare Company at an early age before joining a
touring production of Hair, prior to pursuing long-harboured
musical ambitions. While Heavy Metal Kids never did reach the
heights predicted for them, there was a number one solo single in
Europe and an invitation to front AC/DC that was declined. He
would, however, become a fixture of British TV as the first actor
cast in the hugely successful 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet', his portrayal
of the flamboyant, womanising Cockney carpenter Wayne Norris
drawing heavily on his own experiences and outlook. Before he
succumbed, in murky circumstances, to a cocktail of alcohol and
morphine, brought low by unpaid tax bills and bankruptcy
proceedings, he would be a key part of an incestuous and hedonistic
social circle in London, his propensity for alcohol and drug
consumption sadly unchecked by wiser counsel. This is an
unflinching account of a life lived in haste, without hesitation,
and of those he touched, both personally and professionally. Alex
Ogg Writer and journalist and the author of more than a dozen
books, including The Art of Punk, The Hip Hop Years, Independence
Days, No More Heroes, and many more.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!