‘Genuinely decent guy’ Rick Astley delights fans at Ely Cathedral
No one would have felt let down at Ely Cathedral as pop legend Rick Astley fielded questions from 1,100 fans who had come to hear about his autobiography, Never.
Stuart Havis, bookshop manager at Topping & Company Booksellers of Ely, which organised the event on Tuesday, 22 October, said: “He was fantastic.
“He was brilliant to everybody who asked him a question. He was very generous with his time, interesting and spoke in a very articulate way. He was just a genuinely decent guy.”
Stuart continued: “Everybody had a great time. It was just a very happy atmosphere with lots of excited fans. I can understand why he’s got such a devoted fanbase, having met him.”
Rick, best known for pop classic Never Gonna Give You Up, answered questions from the audience about the book and about his life.
Born in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, in 1966, Rick Astley started his career at the music production company Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW).
His 1987 debut album, Whenever You Need Somebody, which also featured the hit singles Together Forever and Whenever You Need Somebody, sold 15.2 million copies and made him a household name.
He has gone on to release eight studio albums, selling more than 40 million records worldwide, and headline tours and festivals all over the world, including a sell-out UK tour in 2024 and a memorable appearance at Glastonbury in 2023.
Other big-name speakers that Topping have coming up, at various venues in Ely, include Susie Dent, Jay Rayner, Vanessa Feltz, Matt Haig and Caroline Quentin.
For more information, visit toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/.