Tearful Rick Astley supported at Liverpool show as he breaks down

Legendary 80s star Rick Astley was in Liverpool talking about his new autobiography, Never

Tearful Rick Astley supported at Liverpool show as he breaks down

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An emotional Rick Astley was warmly supported by fans last night as he talked about growing up on Merseyside. The star is currently on a short UK tour with his new autobiography, Never, in which he shares stories about his life, including his early years in Newton-le-Willows before finding global fame in the late 1980s.

Appearing at the Philharmonic Hall in front of 1,500 people he spoke candidly about his 'unconventional' childhood and his difficult relationship with his parents. Being interviewed by broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake, Rick, 58, said with both his parents having now passed, he'd spoken to his family and his siblings to get their permission to write about their experiences.

He said: "I wouldn't say I've been given a green light, but you know, it's a difficult thing because it's their story as well. But I think, when you see the videos of me when I was 21, sort of shuffling around - the kind of brightness of those videos and those songs, it's kind of hard to believe I was raised the way I was."

He explained a little about his family, how his mum and dad had five children, the second of which died of meningitis. It was a death he feels his parents never recovered from, and as such they divorced when he was five. The children were then raised by their dad.

Rick said: "My dad had some issues with, probably, mental health. I think if he'd been diagnosed today he'd have gone in for treatment, and that wouldn't be an issue today. But going back a generation there was no way he was going to do that."

He went on to explain how his dad struggled to control his temper and his moods and how one minute he would be "really happy, singing Frank Sinatra and whistling how life was great, and the next he would be unbelievably dark." His dad sold the family home and moved his sons into a temporary cabin in the middle of field while he set up a garden centre.

Rick said: "In the summer holidays it was great, but the minute you had to go back to school, and there's someone shouting from the back of the class 'Miss, Rick Astley lives in a tin hut', it's a bit embarrassing to say the least."

The singer is painfully honest about his feelings towards his dad, how despite being unsettled by him, the children were left in no doubt that he loved them dearly. Rick explained: "I actually think if he was a pure b****** all the time it would have been easier to deal with, but the fact that he really loved us and showed us that as well was what was really psychologically hard to get your head around."

It's when he begins talking about his love for music and his burgeoning success within the industry that he becomes emotional. Explaining how the one thing he really wanted in life at that time was "normality" and not to "live in a tin box in a field", he shared how he began to feel that he would find security in music - using the attention and love he got from audiences to fill the hole left by his parents.

He told how, not long after the release of Never Gonna Give You Up in 1987, a local bank manager invited him into a Warrington branch to show him how much money he had in his account. It's at this point he pauses, clearly becoming emotional at the memory.

He said: "I go upstairs and he says to me, 'do you know what's in your account?' - and he showed me what was in my account and it was A LOT of money. I was 21 - maybe just turned 22 even - and it was a stupid amount, like winning the lottery.

"And I thought I'm saved. Music has just saved me. I don't have to go back and live in that way ever again, this is my life now and I can choose what I want. It meant a lot to me, because music had saved my life."

The audience begins to clap, cheers of support filling the hall as he takes a sip of water and wipes away tears. It won't be the last time he allows fans to see some vulnerability, and they love him all the more for it.

He shares tales of his first journey to London with Pete Waterman - one part of legendary music producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman - who would go on to make him a star. There's stories of trips to LA, how it feels to randomly be invited to tea with Sir Elton John and how, at the age of 27, when he told Tony Henderson, his Liverpool-born former manager, that he simply couldn't cope with the industry anymore, he took him home.

He wells up again as he explains: "A lot of managers would probably have given me a few drinks, probably put a tablet in one of them and said 'I'll get you to New York however I have to to get you there', but he didn't. He took me home, because he's a good guy."

Despite the darkness of some of Rick's childhood experiences, it's clear he's managed to fill his and his family's lives with a lot of light, love and laughter. During the second part of the show he takes questions from the audience, revealing the secret to his amazing hair is that "he hardly ever washes it", and that the secret to his youthful looks is "Nivea for men".

He speaks with an absolute passion about music, saying never a day goes by that he doesn't tinker in a studio in some way. Speaking about his incredible set at Glastonbury in 2023, he said: "I was on a massive shot of adrenaline that day, and if I had been pulled to one side at the end of that weekend and been told 'that's you done Rick, you have to go away now', I could have signed off on that weekend, said 'thanks very much I'll take that'."

Given the crowd's reaction at the end of the night though, I feel safe in saying Rick won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

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