Never by Rick Astley (Independent Bookshop Edition)

“I hadn’t been very comfortable with fame, but I didn’t know what to do with myself after I was famous. On the surface, I was just hugely relieved to be shot of the whole thing. I felt like I’d been let off the hook… But underneath that, I was pretty miserable.”

When ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ propelled Rick Astley into the pop stratosphere, it irrevocably altered his life’s trajectory. Nothing could have prepared the young, unassuming lad from Lancashire for what was in store for him. After agreeing to sign with legendary music producer Pete Waterman – under the wings of music powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman – what followed was unpredictable and outlandish adventures and a peek into the mechanics of the music industry, all of which would eventually take Rick from the shadows of local bands to international stardom. From platinum-selling albums to worldwide tours, doors had been blown open and the world was at Rick’s feet. And then, suddenly, at what seemed like the height of fame, it wasn’t.

At 27 years old, Rick retired himself from the industry that had brought him much success and financial stability. Behind the hits and the glitz and glamour was a young man coming to terms with his new-found fame, the realities of life in the pop-music machine and the pressures of life on the road, not to mention reconciling with his childhood spent between his divorced parents in a volatile family dynamic. Time out of the industry was to offer Rick room for much-needed reflection and therapy – and unknowingly helped to set the stage for his triumphant return to music.