Firstly I would like to mention to Andy and all concerned that "I have the blessing of Steve's management to upload this piece" and I thank them for allowing me to do so - much appreciated!

My cousin Lee Benfell has just had a Kindle book released via
Amazon called Virgin To Angel.
Search Amazon.co.uk kindle books lee Benfell for further info.
The book is available to download to a kindle,computer etc.

lee has been a semi pro musician in the Brighton area for the past 30 years and it's a great story ( this is part 1) of the ups and downs in his musical journey.The forward is written by George Kimpton former Managing Director of Rough Trade Records.

Amongst those mentioned by Lee who he has come into contact with on his musical journey include Andy Fraser ( from Free ),Janice Long,Mike Chapman,Paul Young,Barry Blue,Robert Smith ( from The Cure ) and Steve Harley.

lee talks of when he met Steve in 1980 in a recording Studio and also when Lee saw him on The Comeback All Is Forgiven Tour in 1989 with his cousin.

I'm obviously biased but I think It's a cracking little read.Check out the reviews so far on Amazon and at £1.98 well worth investigating!

Thanks again to Steve's management for the blessing re the posting.

Sounds good stew,will have a read at that mate.Funnily enough my son Andy is releasing his first book on Amazon/kindle,a comedy about a day in the life of a sunday pub football team.It will be available in a few weeks called ,'Where boys and dogs run wild',beware though it is pretty down to Earth language in there as you would expect.
He has also written a pilot comedy for TV about debt collectors,this has been accepted and they have asked him to write a six part series,to follow up the initial pilot.It has been accepted by Lime Productions,and they hope to film it here in Chesterfield this year,and have suggested a 60 grand budget,initially.
Amazingly Kathy Burke has been offered a lead part in it.Hope he sorts me out with a few bob when he is famous.!!

Will definitely down load. Also like the sound of the 'Where boys and men run wild', having played Sunday Football for over 20 years I could tell a few stories of my own, including one where we had to forfeit a match, because the whole team were 'helping police with their enquiries'!
I always try and support up and coming writers on Amazon, since I too have joined that club. My first book (and probably only, since it took me 10 years to write), 'Borrowed Time by David Rose' has just been published.
It's a time travel thriller set in a world where the Nazi's won the 2nd World War, and features an alternative version of Steve Harley. Actually, that last bit is a lie, but I'd try anything to get a few extra downloads ha ha.

Downloaded both of these. They had better be good

Stewart- "Virgin to Angel" is an excellent read!
An early name check for Mr Griffin is followed later on by a fabulous section where Lee meets Mr Harley at a reherasal room/studio- and then goes on to eulogise the fans of the Man. Wow Stewart, some accolades there- and what a perceptive insight as regards how your Rebel Mates would react!.

This is fascinating stuff, genuinely an excellent read and I am picking up lots of stuff. I think the way he tells the story, using his bandmate's diary as the structure of the story, interspersing his own perspectives on the events in the diary, almost as a side commentary is novel. But it works really well.

Now- if Steve was in that rehearsal room, auditioning a bass player..June 1980. That would be around the time of recording "El Gran Senor" wouldn't it? (Who would have been that rehearsing bass player with the good background vocals I wonder??)

Thanks chaps for supporting Lee's book and for the kind words. He's one of life's good guys and is very grateful!