Not one to miss an opportunity, SHARON OSBOURNE cleverly uses the X in ‘Extreme’ to highlight her X Factor fame. Sharon has not taken her rock promo genes for granted, but has pursued a high risk, high octane, self-made career. When your dad has managed Gene Vincent, the Small Faces and the gravy-train that was ELO, you have been handed a ladder in the business. Full credit to our Sharon though, she ditches daddy after two years and makes her own way. The book is uncompromising in revealing the bitterness in this father-daughter relationship. She displays a raw, in-your-face honesty in writing her story that mirrors the warts-and-all telling of her family life on TV in ‘The Osbournes’. And what a story – it reads like a rejected film script, too extreme to be believed; Ozzy’s drugs, his murder attempt (of her), her weight reducing surgery, near total face-lifting and body-sculpting, her managerial success, the hit TV shows (plural), and of course her widely documented battle with cancer. This is a woman who has taken what was given and used it to the most; she changed her body, her work and her life to make it the success it is.
In 1997 ALAN BENNETT was also diagnosed with cancer, and given a 50/50 chance. Unlike Mrs Osbourne, he chose not to wear his colon on his sleeve but he did use the experience to determine the final form of this collection of writings. The looming death sentence was a powerful creative laxative and purged all inhibitions from his system, he decided to publish everything. ‘Untold Stories’ is Bennett’s first collection of prose since ‘Writing Home’ and takes in all his major writings over the last 10 years. ‘Writing Home’ dominated the bestseller chart for 10 months, selling a quarter of a million copies in the UK and this collection will no doubt do the same. There is a joyful irony to be observed in the English language’s greatest champion of understatement telling ‘Untold Stories’ to such critical and commercial success.
For John Peel there was no death sentence to galvanise his writing muse. No warning for us either, John died suddenly from a heart attack. Peel had already been commissioned to commit his life to paper and had the job half done – his widow Sheila writes the second half of this extraordinary record of a much loved man and voice. Sheila Ravenscroft (John’s real name was Ravenscroft) was married to him for more than 30 years and has used her intimacy with the man and his memories to great effect. The beauty of John’s contribution is that he wrote exactly like he spoke; you hear him coming off the page.
Three very different people have recorded their lives and works in their own distinctive voices. Each book resonates with the unique sound of that author – and there lies their success; you don’t so much read these books as listen to them.
This review first appeared in the 'Times & Star' 28th October 2005. The copyright is owned by The Derwent Bookshop.
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