Homage to Wembley session musician who played with The Beatles.
Book took more than a decade to write
“I think he’s more important than Lady Gaga” says the author of a biography about a man who played with The Beatles, The Stones and The Who.
Julian Dawson, who lived on Howard Road in Cricklewood for nearly a decade, has penned “And On Piano…Nicky Hopkins” about his late friend and musician.
The biography, which has been well received by music lovers and fans alike, charts the life of pianist Nicky Hopkins.
The session musician grew up in Harrow Road, Sudbury, and went to Sudbury Primary School and Wembley County Grammar (which is now Alperton High School).
He died in 1994 aged 50.
Of the book, which has taken 12 years of hard work and 130 interviews before being fully complete, Mr Dawson, now based in Somerset, is philosophical.
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He said: “The phrase ‘labour of love’ really applies here.
“I think just about everyone I knew, including my family, thought I had gone barmy by agreeing to go unpaid for so many years.”
Dawson, who is one of six brothers and has forged a musical career himself, is realistic about the book’s commercial success.
He said: “It’s never going to be a best seller.
“The reason I wanted to do this is because he deserves so much more attention than he gets – he’s more important than Lady Gaga.”
“And On Piano…Nicky Hopkins”, released last month is published by Desert Hearts.
