Exit Stage Left: The curious afterlife of pop stars

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What happens when the number ones become double - even triple - digits, when the screaming fans become a muted memory? These include Wendy James, Robbie Williams, Bob Geldof, Shaun Ryder, Robbie Williams, Roisin Murphy, Stewart Copeland, Billy Bragg, Alex Kapranos, Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer, Gary Lightbody, Lisa Maffia, Tim Booth, Bill Drummond, Rufus Wainwright, David Gray, Lloyd Cole and Justin Hawkins. In many ways, this is when these former idols are at their most heroic, too, because they reveal themselves not only to be humane and sensitive, but also still driven to create, to fulfil their lingering dreams, to refuse to live quietly. They will talk about their new album, or their upcoming tour, the Grammys, the Brit Awards – so it’s fairly ephemeral,” says Duerden.

Exit Stage Left” is an occasionally fascinating exploration of how musicians navigate their lives after their fame is over and their dreams of everlasting stardom have died. At times, the book does feel repetitive, but this only adds to the fact that for all the riches some have attained they have been put through punishing schedules and mental fatigue to earn it. But if a career in pop music is so often about managed decline, what is wrong with gracefully managing that decline? I made a conscious decision to end my celebrity career when I suspected that decision was not far from being made for me. These are tales of heroin addiction, bankruptcy, depression, divorce - but also of optimism, a genuine love of the craft, humility and hope.This is a light, enjoyable read which gets a little samey as the author carefully avoids anything too dark or tragic.

The book includes interviews with a genre-crossing range of artists whose stories, while wildly different from one another, all echo the fickle nature of the music industry. Duerden does well to get so many interviews, let alone ones where the subjects speak so openly about their careers (or eventual lack of, in many cases). In these interviews, they went really deep and they were quite existential and philosophical and I had gotten the sense that it was a subject that they had given an awful lot of private thought to. I found this quite repetitive and dull which was a shame as I thought the subject matter was very interesting. It could be argued this is a good thing as I think we're unlikely to get so many one hit wonders and curios as we had before.The pop star's bittersweet lot—the mass adoration that comes with pop stardom, followed by the bathetic comedown of what inevitably follows—is represented with flair and empathy. If you love reading about interesting people and music, and have eclectic music tastes, you’ll really enjoy this too.

Without exception, they are at their most interesting when they’ve peaked, and when they are on their way down. His story has ‘a redemptive arc’ that is incredibly moving to read: Peter Perrett, left, performing with the Only Ones at Hammersmith Odeon, London, April 1978. The reasons for there inclusion differ, some were one-hit wonders, some music changed, or the audience changed, either age or novelty making them not as relevant. Warning: Attempt to read property "post_title" on int in /home/bkjxxpmy/public_html/wp-content/plugins/events-calendar-pro/src/views/v2/widgets/widget-events-list/event/venue. He has written widely on the arts, family and health, and is the author of two novels, a memoir on fatherhood, and other non-fiction works.Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars,” out now, is Duerden’s exploration of what happens to pop stars after fame fades. We know the stories of appearing on Top of the Pops, or the thousands of hours (and even more money) that goes into making an album. No doubt he was constrained by those who volunteered to speak to him and those who denied him access. The world’s smallest violin is playing somewhere as they mooch around recording studios, take up painting or become personal tribute bands - it must be great to have the luxury of a fat bank balance and regular royalties to navel gaze, gaff about in a studio and reminisce about the good old days. Dennis Seaton, once 15-year-old singer of Birmingham’s Musical Youth, is now chair of the Ladder Association’s Training Committee, and has prevented many accidents and fatalities by running training programmes for construction professionals.