Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence: WINNER OF THE 2025 PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZE

WINNER OF THE 2025 PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZERough Trade Book of the YearUncut Book of the Year Mojo Book of the YearA Guardian Book of the YearA Daily Mail Book of the YearA Financial Times Book of the YearA Resident Book of the YearA Telegraph Book of the YearA Daily Express Book of the Year'Will has finally written his masterpiece.I'm glad I could be of assistance' LAWRENCELawrence is the greatest pop star who never made it, his dreams of glory thwarted over the past five decades by bad luck and self-sabotage.At sixty-one, he set off on a new mission: to escape poverty, obscurity and the humiliation of kids at the bus stop laughing at him by writing a smash hit.But what is the cost of a dream?In 1980, Lawrence formed Felt, releasing ten albums and ten singles in ten years.In 1991, he reinvented himself with novelty-pop outfit Denim.Signed to EMI, riding the wave of Britpop, in 1997, Denim's song 'Summer Smash' became Radio 1's Single of the Week and looked like a sure-fire hit.Then P