Don Murfet had been struggling to write his memoirs  and after an introduction through a mutual friend, he handed over the job to me. That meant trawling through hours upon hours of audio cassettes as well as conducting countless interviews before writing the book in Don’s distinctive tone of voice. ‘I could hear my Don’s voice as I read it!’ said Don’s wife June shortly after his death.

About Don Murfet and the book

an was not only part of things in the music business but worked with the biggest and the best. He looked after the scene when Jon Bonham died. The Led Zeppelin drummer died in his sleep and the rest of the band knew they only had to call one man to protect them from the full glare of the police and the media.

This book is the first volume in the journey through Don’s life and shows in a respectful way how the music business works and also what happens when you fall off the edge of your life and end up in prison.

From the respectable business man to the darker side of his life this book is a great rock and roll ride through the sixties and seventies without having to rely on shock stories.

READ THE PRESS RELEASE (also written by yours truly):

Press release at the time of publication

LEAVE IT TO ME

A life of rock, pop and crime by Don Murfet

This first instalment in Don Murfet’s life story is the reader’s ACCESS ALL AREAS pass into an arena few of us ever see: the dog-eat-dog, duck ‘n’ dive world where showbiz, rock ‘n’ roll and the underworld meet. And there are few ‘faces’ better placed to recount what really went on behind the scenes in the music industry of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

We’ve all heard the stories of television sets flying out of hotel windows, Rolls Royces driven into swimming pools and interesting applications of Mars bars…but what we don’t know are the day to day trials, tribulations and traumas of the stars that made those headlines. Don does – and now he’s telling all!

Working as security consultant, minder and eventually manager with a diverse galaxy of stars including Led Zeppelin, Donovan, David Cassidy, the Bay City Rollers, Adam and the Ants and the Sex Pistols to name but a few, Don became known in the industry as a ‘safe pair of hands’ uniquely capable of making problems go away. Hence the recurring phrase: ‘Leave it to me’! All of which explains why this book reads like a Who’s Who that tells you What’s What!

The tales of the highlife are balanced with those of the lowlife, with which Don’s equally intimate – and they make a refreshing change from the parade of hard-bitten East End villains who’ve trotted out their often vicious histories in recent years. In contrast, Don tell his stories with a twinkle in the eye, a lot of affection and plenty of ribald, earthy humour. His anecdotes are by turns touching, tragic and very, very funny – and between the lines they tell a story of a hard life, lived in a time when there really was honour among thieves – and Don was among the most honourable.

Now fighting cancer with the same fortitude that sustained him through his many helpings of ‘porridge’ at Her Majesty’s Pleasure, Don’s already begun another volume of similar stories in this Spinal Tap meets The Italian Job vein!