Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all of the people who have come to see me play or bought the records. Those who have trusted me with their health and those who have sought my advice or attended talks. You have all taught me a great deal and I thank you for that. Thanks to all the friends and relatives who have kindly read early versions and given me valuable feedback, especially The Baker who either has a better memory than I or was less drunk. 

Thanks to my long-suffering typists Kay Lundy and Annie Sharma – stand by for the next project! Well done to Milan Jovanovic for his striking cover design. I thank Paul D. McCarthy for teaching me about book writing. Robert Lambolle for patiently copy-editing my endless tirades. Sam Wilkinson and Chris Georgiou for the all-important final touches. My agent Rick Mayston (from Getty Images) for finding me people I can work with. My two publishers, Michael Wilkinson and Christopher Lascelles for their faith and enthusiasm. 

To all of you much love and gratitude and I promise to be quicker at writing the next book.