Amazon best selling author Elizabeth Sharkey live in Conversation with live music from Chyan Davidson

“This book will lovingly hold your hand as it takes you through the sociological
history of our islands and their music.” Eliza Carthy

“Why Britain Rocked’ should be on every music fans literary radar. Prepare to be
enlightened.” Louderthanwar

‘An unexpected treasure trove of exploration, academic rigour and a welcome, bold
attempt at re-framing the history of British pop music’ – Classic Rock
Why Britain Rocked: How Rock Became Roll and Took Over the World travels deep into
Britain’s history to trace the events that led to its twentieth century musical explosion.
Completely rewriting the history of British pop music, Why Britain Rocked argues that The
Beatles’ arrival that so surprised the world really shouldn’t have been a surprise at all.

From the Celts and the Quakers, to Ira Aldridge and Paul Robeson, Why Britain Rocked
breaks out of British pop history’s twentieth century confines. Instead, Sharkey starts the
story in Celtic Britain and follows the migration of the peoples who carried their music from
the British Isles to the southern states, laying the foundations of America’s folk music and
ultimately, rock n’ roll.
Back on British shores, Sharkey reveals how Henry VIII ensured Britain’s art colleges
became feeder schools for Top of the Pops; she identifies the Celtic inheritance of
superstars from Lonnie Donegan and The Beatles, to David Bowie, John Lydon, Kate Bush,
Johnny Marr, Noel Gallagher and Ed Sheeran; and completes the story with the enduring
power of British balladry and the Marxists, who liberated the voices of England’s working
class, inspiring a revolution of British singer songwriters.

About Elizabeth Sharkey: Elizabeth is a music historian, author, columnist and media commentator.
“Growing up, music was everything to me: my home, my thrill, my escape and my
understanding of the world. If you love certain songs or pieces of music to the very core of
your soul – then you might, as I was, be curious to look a little deeper into just why, how,
such magic came to be.”
Her first book Why Britain Rocked: How Rock Became Roll and Took Over the World is a
top-seller in Amazon’s non-fiction list and widely respected amongst the music community,
including Classic Rock magazine who described it as “a treasure trove of exploration,
academic rigour and a welcome, bold attempt at re-framing the history of British pop
music.”
Sharkey is a regular contributor to the culture and current affairs magazine Perspective,
providing historical insight and comment on subjects as diverse as the 17th century origins
of feminism, Britain’s gothic scene and the lost art of the story song. A trained actress, Elizabeth’s previous career was working extensively in television and film. She is also recognised as one of the UK’s leading voice-over artists.

About Chyan Davidson: Chyan is a Shetland fiddle player who started performing from a young age, winning the traditional section of the Shetland Young Fiddler of the year competition in 2014 and
performing as part of the ‘Hjaltibonhoga Shetland Fiddlers’ in the Royal Edinburgh Military
tattoo. At Aberdeen University she served as President of The Folk and Trad society,
became involved in regular Ceilidhs and has played in various ceilidh bands across the
country.

Why Britain Rocked: How Rock Became Roll and Took Over the World is published by
Academica Press.