Lee Brilleaux, the charismatic star of proto-punk R&B reprobates Dr Feelgood, was one of rock'n'roll's greatest frontmen. But he was also one of its greatest gentlemen - a class act with heart, fire, wanderlust and a wild streak.

Exploding out of Canvey Island in the early 1970s - an age of glam rock, post-hippy folk and pop androgyny - the Feelgoods, with Lee Brilleaux and Wilko Johnson at the helm, charged into London, grabbed the pub rock scene by the throat and sparked a revolutionary new era, proving that you didn't have to be middle class, wearing the `right clothes' or living in the `right place' to succeed.

Zoe Howe is a music author whose books include the acclaimed Typical Girls? The Story of the Slits, `How's Your Dad?' Living in the Shadow of a Rock Star Parent, British Beat Explosion: Rock n' Roll Island, and Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson's memoir Looking Back at Me. Her writing has also appeared in The Quietus, Company, Notion, BBC Music, Holy Moly, Classic Rock and NME. Zoe has also made music radio series for stations including the award-winning Resonance FM, and she can be heard talking about rock n' roll from time to time on BBC 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Planet Rock, BBC London and elsewhere. She lives in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.