Rachel Reviews: My Family and Other Rock Stars by Tiffany Murray

Having already read Diamond Star Halo by Tiffany Murray, it was with some excitement that I saw that she was publishing her memoirs, knowing that her novel was based on her own experiences.

It was always going to be an interesting read, describing as it does, the unorthodox upbringing that Murray had as the daughter of a cordon bleu chef whose food feeds rock stars. To explain: Tiffany's story begins in an old rectory where Ozzy Osborne wreaked havoc around the gravestones at night and the neighbours were less than thrilled and Joan, Tiffany's mother cooked for all who stayed there. But this does not last and Joan finds herself given the opportunity, due to her cooking talent, to work and live at Rockfield, a recording studio built within the walls of a farm and a Mecca for musicians where they can dedicate themselves to what they want to do the most - record new music. There are stars here; Freddie Mercury, the aforementioned Ozzy and plenty of others who are rather casually thrown into the pages of this book. And this is not a conceit: this is how it was. Musicians came and went and Tiffany was a young witness to this.

However, although the rock stars form a major part of the recollection, the book is primarily concerned with Tiffany's life and she goes some way to conveying her memories in the style of her self at the time. There is not perfect recall but snippets amalgamate to form a picture.

Throughout, the love that Tiffany feels for Rockfield is uppermost. It was her home, albeit unorthodox, where she was surrounded by a "family" beyond Joan in the form of the Wards, owners of Rockfield, and was given freedom within an environment of creativity. It is also about her relationship with her mum whose recipes frame the book, containing Joan's voice in their descriptions, creating her as a character in our minds through these and incidents in the book. With the recipes' inclusion, the book is both memoir and tribute.

What is also central to the book is the relationship that Tiffany develops with her stepfather, Fritz, who features as a producer initially met at Rockfield but who becomes an integral part of her life, educating her in music and being an ever solid presence alongside Joan.

For rock enthusiasts as well as lovers of memoir - recommended.

Rachel Rating: 5/5 stars! A stellar read!

This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery:

You can also read about the night when I met Tiffany Murray:

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