Over the Moon (34 page)

Danny is a music producer, his business partner Dave Need-ham is a member of my live band, and they produce both my albums and those of other artists. Kit is in the States, writing songs and doing some recordings.

Bill is a gifted actor and has just completed his first feature film,
Gajengi Boy
: it’s a gypsy phrase for ‘half-breed’. I have a small cameo role in the movie and am writing the score, and while I was on the set, the director of photography, Mikolaj Jaroszewicz, a man with an Oscar nomination to his name, told me that Billy has an amazing presence and may be the future of British film. That was a proud moment.

Between them, my kids have given me four brilliant grandkids in Josef, Daisy, George and David, and spending time with them is the most natural and precious pleasure in the world. And I am lucky that in my lovely wife, Susan, I have somebody bighearted and wonderful enough to enjoy them as much as I do.

None of this means I am going to start taking things easy. As I write, I am considering offers to turn
All the Fun of the Fair
into a film. I’m writing
Che
, a musical based around the life of Che Guevara. I’ve dreamt up a one-person play called
Tramp
about
a man who has lived hard and well. I’ve started writing poetry (yes, really!) and I still can’t imagine a time when I’m not making records and touring.

So, who knows what twists and turns lie ahead? Maybe I will return to
EastEnders
at some point after all. As the old saying goes: never say never. But for now, I think I am probably Over the Moon.

The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.

100 Club 37, 75

A&M 226

Abba 288

Ace 246

Ackland, Joss 177, 178

Adams, Tony 93

Adelphi, Liverpool 151

Advision Studios 119–20, 168, 172

Afrigo Band 246

Agra 233

Air Studios 210

Alfie, Uncle 40

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford 262

Allison, Mose 33

America (group) 262

Amin, Idi 244

Anderson, Jimmy 32, 34, 38

Apted, Michael 136, 139–40

Argentina 196–7

Arnold, Martin and Morrow 84

Arnott, Eric 259

Arts Club Theatre 60–1, 274

Askey, Arthur 95

Aspel, Michael 271, 272

Australia 163, 208–9

Avondale Court 10, 17, 19–21, 34, 272

Baddiel, David 276

Bailey, David 123, 129

Baldry, Long John 73

Bangkok 207–8

Barbican 254

Bart, Lionel 59

Batt, Mike 179, 183, 210, 229, 262

Baxter, Jeff ‘Skunk’ 202

Bay City Rollers 282

BBC Radio One 154–5, 163, 275–6, 278

Beatles 37, 52, 83, 111, 114, 116, 137, 138, 148

Beaumont, Hugh ‘Binky’ 114, 128

Belafonte, Harry 189

Belbin, Susi 237–8

Belfast 282–3

Belgrade 256

Belle Stars 210

Belle Vue 137–8, 149

Bennett, Bobby 262

Bergman, Ingrid 180

Bermondsey 48–9

Berry, Chuck 43, 46, 54

Betjeman, Sir John 235

Blackburn, Tony 154–5

Blackburn Rovers 22

Blackpool 283

Blakey, Art 37

Bligh, Captain 221, 224

Blitz 4, 17

Blondie 216

Bluesology 73

Bob, Uncle 5, 6

Bogdanov, Michael 225, 227–8

Bond, John 22, 26

Bowie, David 72

Bowman, Derek 58–63, 64–71, 74, 78–80, 82–6, 88, 97, 99–101, 106, 113–14, 119, 122–4, 128, 132, 138–9, 141, 145–6, 148, 155–7, 159, 162–3, 167–8, 170–2, 174, 176, 182, 187–8, 202, 205–7, 221, 225, 237–8, 260, 263, 271, 273–5, 299

Brands Hatch 184–5

Branson, Richard 168

Brazil 196, 199–202

Brel, Jacques 194

Bridges, Beau 184

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 84, 89, 110, 112, 126, 130–1, 210, 237, 240, 272, 297
see also
BBC Radio One

Bruce, Christopher 222–3, 227

Buckingham Palace 278–9

Buckley, David Joss 261

Buenos Aires 197

Burke, Solomon 70

Burkina Faso 276

Burrows, David 302

Burton, Richard 172–3, 176, 205

Bush, Bev 148, 150–1, 154–5, 162, 190

Bush, Mel 146–8, 162–3, 170–2, 176, 178–9, 182, 206–8, 236–7, 260, 269–71, 280–1, 293

Cameron, John 185, 191, 224

Canning Town 2, 5–6, 9–10, 38, 160

Cantwell, Noel 22, 26

Capaldi, Jim 200–1

Cape Town 189, 190

Carr, Jacquie-Ann 101–2

Cassidy, David 282–3

Castro, Fidel 177

Cattolica, Italy 50–5, 62

CBGB’s club 216

CBS 123–5, 133, 143, 154, 156, 160–2, 168, 170–1, 178, 183

Chadwell Heath 38–9, 41–2

Charles, Ray 74

Cher 168

Chigwell Row residence 123, 131

Chiswick residence 193

Christian, Fletcher 221, 223

Christy, Carlotta (David’s second wife) 216–17, 219, 226–7, 229, 235–41, 255, 263, 265, 267–8, 272, 275, 277, 281, 287

Churchill Theatre 289

Clapton Football Club 26–7

Clash, The 166, 216

Collins, Joan 182

Coltrane, John 40

Colyer, Steve 125, 143, 163, 165, 169, 174–5

Connolly, Ray 115, 117, 135–6, 137, 138, 141–2

Connor, Kenneth 89, 91

Conway, Jon 281, 288, 289

Cook, Albert (David’s father) 3–10, 16–18, 21, 29–30, 37–8, 47–51, 53, 96, 153, 174, 182, 211–15

and David’s acting 80, 103

and David’s contract with Derek Bowman 64–6

and David’s music 34–40, 43, 60–1, 69–70

death 265–7, 268

tuberculosis 8–10, 12

Cook, Bill (David’s son) 238–41, 255, 263, 265, 267–8, 272–3, 275, 277, 281, 287, 303

Cook, Daniel (David’s son) 173–5, 182, 185–6, 191, 193–6, 217, 235–7, 255, 261, 272, 278–9, 281, 283, 303

Cook, David Albert
see
Essex, David

Cook, David (David’s grandchild) 303

Cook, George (David’s grandson) 303

Cook, George (David’s uncle) 4

Cook, Kit (David’s son) 238–41, 255, 263, 265, 267–8, 272–3, 275, 277, 281, 287, 303

Cook, Olive ‘Dolly’ (David’s mother) 3–12, 14–17, 30, 37–8, 43, 47–51, 96, 153, 174, 211–14, 280, 283, 295

attends David’s OBE ceremony 278–9

and David’s acting career 80, 103, 143

and David’s contract with Derek 64–6

and David’s music 34–5, 60–1, 69–70

gypsy roots 5, 17

and her husband’s death 265–7, 268

illness and death 285–7

Cook, Peter 85

Cook, Verity (David’s daughter) 254, 261, 272, 303

attends David’s OBE ceremony 278–9

birth of her son, Josef 280–1

childhood 115–17, 123, 131, 134, 136, 139, 143, 152, 157–8, 163–5, 171, 182, 186, 191–6, 217, 226–7, 235–7, 255

marriage 280

in
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
261–2

Cooper, Ray 119, 145

Coulson, Lindsey 297

Covington, Julie 101, 108, 111, 126, 172, 176

Cox, Harvey 101

Crane, Richard 221

Cuba 284

Cukor, George 180

Cumberland Road 25–6

Curtis Brown 293

Daily Mail
(newspaper) 79, 280

Daily Mirror
(newspaper) 79

Daily Telegraph
(newspaper) 291

Daisy (David’s granddaughter) 303

Darlow, Alan 289

Davey, Colin 129, 154

Davey Jones and the Locker 72

Deayton, Angus 276

Defoe, Daniel 260, 261

Delfont, Bernard 88

Delhi 232–3

Des Longchamps, Ines 141–2, 144

DeSouza, Barry 119

Diana, Princess of Wales 196

Dick, John 22

Diddley, Bo 215

Dietrich, Marlene 166

Digance, Richard 210

Discipline, Tony 299

Dockland Settlement nursery school 9, 11

Dolby, Thomas 210

Driscoll, Julie 73

Dubrovnik 256

Dudley, William 225–6

Duncan, Peter 137

Dunlop, Frank 203–4

Dylan, Bob 147, 179

East Ham Odeon 148–51

Edmunds, Dave 137

Eel Pie Island 72

Eileen (David’s Cousin) 42

El Grotto club 71, 73, 87

El Morocco club 85

Elizabeth II 241–2, 278–9

Ellen, Aunt 5, 6

English, Louise 289, 291

Equity 68

Essex, David

acting career

All Coppers Are
(film) 89

All the Fun of the Fair
(musical) 288–92, 301–3

American success 131–2

Aspects of Love
(musical) 284, 287

Assault
(film) 89, 224

Boogie Nights 2
(musical) 281–2, 283, 287

Carry On Henry
(film) 2, 89, 116

Childe Byron
(play) 202–5

Cinderella
(pantomime) 93, 95, 96, 97

Dick Whittington
(pantomime) 90–3, 167, 302

EastEnders
(TV soap) 1, 2, 283, 293–301, 304

Evita
(as Che Guevara) 2, 176–81, 242, 256, 272

Footloose
(musical) 283

Godspell
(as Jesus) (musical) 1, 99–114, 116, 118, 121–8, 177, 247

Heartbeat
(TV drama) 280, 283

Mutiny!
(musical) 221–32, 260–1, 277

Oh, Kay!
(musical) 81–2

She Stoops to Conquer
(play) 263–6, 268–9

Shogun Mayeda
(film) 255–60

Silver Dream Racer
(film) 182, 183–5, 187–8

Smashing Time
(film) 88

Stardust
(film) 2, 128, 135–43, 145–7, 149, 165, 182, 272

That’ll Be the Day
(film) 2, 113–18, 121–2, 126, 128–30, 134–6, 139, 142–3, 147, 160, 182, 272

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
(pantomime) 169, 260–2

The Fantasticks
(musical) 81–2

The Magic Carpet
(pantomime) 86

The River
(TV sitcom) 2, 237–8, 240–1

To Dorothy a Son
(play) 81

Tommy
(rock opera) 134

training 67–8

birth 3

character

inverted snobbery 180

laid-back appearance 220

moral code 152–3, 182, 192

shyness 45, 121, 153

charity interests

Amnesty International 197

Children in Need 242

Comic Relief 276–7

Voluntary Services Overseas 242, 243–54, 279

childhood 2–3, 5–27

Canning Town Arsonist 13–14

football 17–22, 25–7, 39–40

gang membership 28–9, 37

hop picking holidays 15–17

schools 11–12, 18–25, 28, 37, 39–42

children
see
Cook, Bill; Cook, Daniel; Cook, Kit; Cook, Verity

and the
David Essex Showcase
(TV show) 210

fame, and Essex Mania 121–2, 124–5, 127, 128–9, 136, 139, 152–5, 163–4

grandchildren 280–1, 303

gypsy blood 29, 98, 160–1, 178, 279–80, 288–9

patron of the Gypsy Council 279–80

hobbies, helicopter flying (Bell 47) 211–12, 226

jobs 29–30, 42–4, 49, 56, 60–1, 68, 75–8, 129, 160, 206

management

John Reid 206

Maxine Hoffman 293

Michael Grade 89–90, 93

see also
Bowman, Derek; Bush, Mel

music 1–2

albums

All the Fun of the Fair
(1975) 160–2, 166

Be-Bop the Future
(1981) 202

Beautiful Day
(2006) 283

Cover Shot
(1995) 262, 275

David Essex
(1974) 145–6, 147, 160

Forever
(2002) 281

Gold and Ivory
(1977) 168–9

Here We All Are Together
(1998) 277

Hot Love
(1980) 191–2, 196, 206

I Still Believe
(1999) 278

Imperial Wizard
(1979) 183

It’s Gonna Be Alright
(2004) 281

Living in England
(1995) 276

Missing You
(1996) 276

Out on the Street
(1976) 165, 168, 235

Rock On
(debut, 1973) 126, 129, 133–4

Silver Dream Racer
(1980) 185–7, 191

Stage-Struck
(1982) 206

Sunset
(2003) 281

The Best of
collection (1996) 277

The Whisper
(1983) 210

Touching the Ghost
(1989) 235–6, 241

Wonderful
(2001) 280

American number ones 138–9, 141

American success 131–3, 138–9, 141, 147, 159

Beauty and the Beast
ice ballet 269–71

CBS Records deal 123–5, 133,
143,
156, 160–2, 168, 170–1, 178, 183

dreams of being a drummer 33–41

and the Dudley Moore Trio 85

and the Everons (China Plates) 42–6, 48–55, 57–64, 67–8, 165, 273

first band, with Reg and Eric 40–3

Grammy nominations 156–7

guests on
War of the Worlds
album 172, 176

Johnny Carson Show
appearance 167

Lamplight Records 241, 281

London Palladium gig 1976 167–8

Merv Griffin
show appearance 168

and Mood Indigo 71–5, 79, 82–3, 86, 153, 165

offered solo career 62–3

Phonogram Records deal 178–9, 183, 191, 277

and producer Bunny Lewis 68–70, 74, 75, 78–9

and producer J J Jackson 74, 78–9

and producer Mike Leander 83–4

singing lessons 67

starts writing music seriously 117–19

tap-dancing lessons 66

on
The Cher Show
168

Top of the Pops
appearances 130–1

tours 162–3, 196, 207–10, 236, 277–8, 280, 282–3

America 156–9

debut 145–6, 147–51

The Secret Tour
290

tracks

‘A Winter’s Tale’ 210, 280

‘Africa – You Shine’ 247