When Billy J. Kramer's "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" by Lennon and McCartney topped the charts in 1963, he was the first singer in the world to have a number one hit with a Beatles song, apart from the Fab Four themselves. This propelled the teenage Kramer into the fast lane, and he followed it with another five top twenty singles in the next two years. In this autobiography, Billy J. Kramer (born William Ashton) tells his rags to riches story, from his working class childhood in Liverpool to the racy world of international pop music. Managed by Brian Epstein, produced by George Martin, and friend, confidante and colleague of the Beatles, Kramer gives a definitive insider's account of the birth of the Liverpool sound and also the "British Invasion" of the USA. But there are dark secrets in the Kramer story. Before he reached his twenties, he was in the grip of drugs and alcohol, and there were constant tensions between him and his backing band, the Dakotas. When the screaming stopped, he reinvented himself as a cabaret performer, and some of his best records were made in the years he was out of the limelight. With a young family, drink and pills made his domestic life, and eventually his professional life, a struggle. In this no-holds-barred account, Kramer brings to life the vibrancy of the sixties. He then reveals how he exorcised his demons and forged a new career in the United States. He assembles his current band, shows a growing mastery of songwriting, and returns to national tours of Britain and the USA, keeping the flame of the Mersey sound alive. The lifetime of experience he brings to his new songs infuses every page of this enthralling read.
Billy J. Kramer is a singer, songwriter and bandleader, whose career with The Dakotas took him into the top ten on the British and American charts, including three UK number one hits. Born in Liverpool he now lives in the United States. Alyn Shipton has co-authored many musicians' biographies, including most recently, that of chart topping jazz bandleader Chris Barber. His life of singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson won the 2014 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for pop biography.
"He was the most handsome man on stage, and well-dressed too." - Ringo Starr "Billy J. Kramer and his band The Dakotas have always been an inspiration to me." - Peter Frampton "Seeing and hearing Billy J Kramer in the early days of what became known as the Merseybeat scene was an inspiration to all us teenagers in England. At last someone real was taking it over! - Peter Noone "Billy J. Kramer's story takes you on the full roller-coaster ride of British Invasion superstardom, rock and roll excess, sobriety, love, and music redemption. This is a don't miss for any music fan.: -Ken Dashow, DJ at WAXQ (Q104.3) New York City "Billy is without a doubt the most unique, charming, welcoming and humble human being I've ever met. His enthusiasm and youthful outlook are so inspiring and (thankfully) contagious. Billy's depth of feeling and thinking are beyond the norm." - Don Celenza, record producer "My friend Billy has seen it and has been through it all. He is a musical survivor. He is real and tells it like it is, 'cause he has been there. If you are disappointed by the truth don't ask Billy for an opinion. His only fault is his kindness. I love the man and consider him one of my best friends." - Liberty DeVitto, drummer

Billy J. Kramer

Alyn Shipton