Harrogate musician interviews Cosgrove on new Muhammed Ali book

Heath Common, a former Melody Maker and Guardian journalist, will appear live on Zoom in a launch event for Stuart Cosgrove's new book Cassius X: A Legend in the Making.

The interview with Cosgrove, a former Controller of Arts and Entertainment at Channel 4, takes place at 2pm on Friday, August 14 but it is expected to be sent to media outlets around the world from September.

Cassiux X shows how Ali went from being a young Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky to becoming the greatest sportsman of all time and his gradual embracing of the ideas of the Black Power movement and firebrand preacher Malcolm X leading to his defiant rebirth as Muhammed Ali.

As with his award-winning soul music trilogy, Stuart Cosgrove's deep research and very human storytelling highlights how black music lit up the Sixties against a backdrop of political turmoil - and how Cassius Clay began his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali winning the world heavyweight title from scratch three times in the process.

Set to be published by Birlinn General on September 3, Cassius X is the first new book from former NME media editor Cosgrove since his award-wining 'soul trilogy'.

The three books were all highly acclaimed - Detroit 67: The Year That Changed Soul, Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul and Harlem 69: The Future of Soul.

Memphis 68, won the Penderyn Music Prize in 2018 while the Scottish-born Cosgrove himself appeared in person at a packed Harrogate International Festivals event last year to talk about Harlem 69: The Future of Soul with fellow Scot Ken McNab who wrote And In The End about the final year of The Beatles.

Musician and spoken word performer Heath Common has been hailed as ‘"what Jack Kerouac would have sounded like if he came from Manchester" and is also is a songwriter with Hi4Head records.

Music events are back in Harrogate after lockdown rules are eased further by Government