Review: Never by Rick Astley

His book is conversational, easy to read

Eighties pop songs are back on the airwaves thanks to young people who are discovering them for the first time. For me they bring back memories of my senior high school years. Classmates were totally into Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, A-ha, Depeche Mode, and Rick Astley.

He was a clean-cut guy who gave off the boy-next-door vibes, wearing a suit and singing Never Gonna Give You Up, and Together Forever, songs that had catchy, optimistic tunes that were sweet and endearing. 

The British singer became so big so fast, but also disappeared just as quickly.

Never Gonna Give You Up was a huge hit in 1987

What happened to him?

Turns out at the age of 27 he quit the music business and lived quietly with his wife and daughter.

But then in around 2006 Rickrolling became a thing -- people would prank others by sending a link on email that when they clicked on it was to Astley's music video for Never Gonna Give You Up, giving him a second lease on his music career.

He writes about all this and more in his conversationally-written autobiography Never that was published last year. I hear his interview on CBC Radio and thought I should read it.

Originally from Lancashire, Astley was born into a rough childhood; before he was born, one of his older brothers died at the age of five from meningitis. The child's death caused his parents' marriage to fall apart, his mother became distant and detached, his father's bipolar behaviour was stressful for Astley and his three siblings.

Astley had a strong interest in music, starting with the drums, but it was his voice that caught the attention of a music producer who signed him on to Stock Aitken Waterman, which became known as the "Hit Factory".

Astley with his wife Lene

In Astley's book Never he talks about how Never Gonna Give You Up came about and how it became so big so fast, and how he handled his sudden fame. The book also explains what the music industry was like at the time, what it was like touring around the world (lots of jetlag) and meeting the love of his life, his wife Lene who was in the music business but later pivoted to film.

It's not until halfway through the book where his career takes off where he describes some hilarious scenes where I actually laughed out loud. As a reader and sometime fan, it was endearing to read him recall what life was like at the time for him, and he constantly says in the autobiography he did not want to be perceived as a "twat". 

That part gets a bit nauseating, but he wants to remind readers that stardom did not go to his head -- he didn't want it to and was keen to live as normal a life as possible after such a chaotic childhood. 

In the second wind of his career in his 50s, Astley writes about how relaxed he was, and enjoyed performing for fun; readers can't help but feel happy for him to finally be comfortable in his skin. That's what growing up is all about.