Author Description

It is the autobiography of Music Legend Lonnie Lee, a celebrated icon in rock 'n' roll history. The forward by Glenn A. Baker. This first book, "Almost a Star", from the four book series titled, "Once upon a Star," is a 224 page with photographs, gripping memoir which chronicles Lonnie's extraordinary journey through decades of music, fame, and personal triumphs, offering readers an intimate look at the early life behind the legend. It features his family history back to Prussia in the 1500s, through his life as the product of a broken and abused, yet privileged family. The many challenges he faced during years in boarding school, and the horrors that it brought to this shy young boy. His dual life as a young boy on the family sheep station 650 klms from Sydney and the young teenager who in 1956 at 15 years old, introduced Elvis Presley to Sydney radio and who not long after, would become one of Australia's first Rockabilly stars. In January 1957 Bill Haley and his Comets brought Rock'n'Roll to Australia, and 3 weeks later this young teenager won 2 contests to help promote the near unknown Elvis to the growing Rock'n'Roll audiences. The book is packed with incredible memories. Incidents that gave birth to the success of his Rockabilly Band, right up to the accident that within a few minutes, 'stopped his career and his music'. A 17 year old with a multitude of fans who followed him to show after show, to a lonely jackaroo tending to the sheep and cattle on his family's property, hundreds of miles from nowhere. Then a year later back to Sydney to try to pick up his music path. It wouldn't be long before his records were topping the parades, and he was singing his heart out to thousands of adoring fans across Australia.