Dusty

Dusty Springfield was one of the biggest and brightest musical stars of the twentieth century. From the launch of her solo career in 1963, she exuded beauty and glamour with a distinctively unique voice that propelled her into the charts time and again. Never shy of the spotlight, Dusty was deported from apartheid South Africa in 1964 for refusing to play to segregated audiences, and broke the mould as the first female entertainer to admit she was bisexual. Streets ahead of her time, with an unrivalled musical ear, she was heavily influenced by Motown and was the first British artist to appreciate its impact, successfully introducing her contemporaries Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder to audiences through her TV shows. Not just a fad of the Swinging Sixties, Dusty's musical legacy as one of the greatest British singers of all time has endured, her distinctive style now influencing a new generation of artists including Amy Winehouse and Adele. Using brand-new material, meticulous research and frank interviews with childhood friends, lovers, employees and confidants of the star, Karen Bartlett reveals sensational new details about Dusty's childhood, her relationships, her addictions and her lifelong struggle to come to terms with her sexuality.