At My Mother's Knee...And Other Low Joints: Tales from Paul’s mischievous young years

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Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O'Grady tells story of his "early" life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure. I have always felt different and alien to this world before I even knew of these labels, before I knew they applied to myself and how I identify. This particular book covers his early life and his first jobs prior to entering the entertainment world and rather than been full of famous people with anecdotes it is loaded with humorous unknown characters that would easily fit in a Tom Sharpe novel.

Lily later became a regular on This Morning, took over the bed on The Big Breakfast and presented Blankety Blank, but has now retired. News from Nowhere will not obtain personal information from other organisations, and will not share, pass on or sell personal information that we hold about individuals to anyone else. I thought this was his life story, his autobiography, and was shocked when the book finished and he was only 18 years old !Now I release his autobiographies are four books, so far, a good money earning business, his first 18 years took 352 pages, yes agreed a busy young life, but I was let down after this first autobiography. I’ve always been a fan of Drag Queens, and long before there was my avid interest in RuPaul’s Drag Race, there was Lily Savage. Personally I do not want to read four books to catch up with his life story, too many books to read. The young Liverpool entertainer, an altar boy from Irish Catholic Birkenhead, becomes the acid-tongued and outrageous drag queen Lily Savage, and moves from gay pubs to national television, creating something of a British comic institution en route (O'Grady's caustic drag character was a world away from safer predecessors such as Danny La Rue). Paul O'Grady first came to fame in the guise of Lily Savage, and was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1991.

His amazing and riveting life story reminds us that there is, when all is said and done, a bit of savage in all of us. What I received was an interesting and not surprising amusing tale of Paul's early life growing up in Birkenhead that was certainly light entertainment.I laughed so hard reading this book that I cried, and the only criticism I have of it at all is that it ended, when I wanted it to go on and on.

I found this to be an entertaining read, I knew he had a colourful background he is frank and honest and you can see where Lily came from, his family is interesting,the women are strong, powerful and compassionate stubborn creatures who are every bit as colourful as our Paul, the men hold a prehapes quieter place, but are none the less as inportant, it was interesting reading about his feelings and confusion about his sexuality,a recommend but possibly for fans only - cant wait for the sequel! It was whilst living in London in 1978 that he first turned his hand to drag, developing the character of Lily Savage based upon various female relatives of his. I am partial to a biography now and then as a change to my psychological crime novels and this one ticked the box. At My Mother's Knee features a cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress.Told with pathos, love, empathy, and naturally, biting humor, the story of Paul O'Grady is that of everyman, everywoman, and inevitably, every drag act ever.