Dusty: An Intimate Portrait of a Musical Legend

"Karen Bartlett's biography sends you back to the music—to the extraordinary, dusky vulnerability of her voice."—Daily Telegraph

Known the world over for her unique musical style, distinctive look, and a voice that propelled her into the charts time and time again, Dusty Springfield was undoubtedly one of the biggest and brightest musical stars of the twentieth century.

Never one to be shy of the spotlight, Dusty broke the mold as the first female entertainer to publicly admit she was bisexual, and was famously deported from South Africa for refusing to play to segregated audiences during apartheid in 1964, just a year after the launch of her solo career.

Combining brand-new material, meticulous research, and frank interviews with friends, lovers, employees, and confidants, journalist Karen Bartlett reveals sensational new details about the soul diva's unconventional upbringing, tumultuous relationships, and unbridled addictions, including a lifelong struggle to come to terms with her sexuality.

Named one of the Sunday Times's best musical biographies of 2014, this is the intimate portrait of an immensely complicated and talented woman—the definitive account of one of music's most legendary figures.

Karen Bartlett is a writer and journalist based in London, England, where she contributes regularly to the Sunday Times, the Times, the Guardian, and WIRED.