'A fascinating history not only of her early career, but of the casual racism and sexism that prevailed in Britain in the Fifties ... and the strength of character Bassey required to overcome it' Mick Brown, Daily Telegraph. 'Sensitive and empathetic ... lovely details abound' Guardian. 'Shirley Bassey has shown that even a triply underprivileged black Welsh woman could make it to the giddy heights of showbiz. This is the story John L. Williams tells in a fascinating book: the way in which she negotiated herself into another world' Independent. 'The rags-to-riches legend of the gritty girl from Tiger Bay' Daily Mail. 'Wildly entertaining. Someone should make a movie' The Times.

John L. Williams is the author of six books, most noticeably his Cardiff trilogy and Bloody Valentine (which the police force tried unsuccessfully to ban). He currently writes for the Mail on Sunday, having worked for the Independent, Sunday Times, NME and as contributing editor of GQ magazine. He was born and still lives in Cardiff.

Introduction: For One Night Only. Prologue: The Gambler. Mother and Father. In Tiger Bay Before the War. The Canadian Cafe. Life During Wartime. On the Street Where You Live. The Rainbow Club. Down the Docks. Hot from Splott. Stormy Weather. Talk of the Town. Burn My Candle. My Body's More Important Than My Mind. Viva Las Vegas. Sophisticated Lady. Cruel to Be Kind. Shirley the Weirdie. Screen Dreams. Love and Marriage. I (Who Have Nothing). A Knight in Shining Armour. The Man with the Midas Touch. The Second Time Around. Napoleon and Josephine. After the Rain. Discography. Appendices: A Short History of Tiger Bay; Bute Street and its Cafes; A Short History of Mahmood Mattan and the Murder of Lily Volpert; A Short History of Minstrel Shows; A Short History of British Striptease. Notes. Acknowledgments. Picture Acknowledgments. Text Acknowledgments. Index.