Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, has given an insight into his career and family in his brand new book, It Ain’t Over ‘Til The Fatboy Sings.
The book isn’t a tell-all memoir, rather its a coffee table book with over 1,000 images. Speaking to The Mirror about the decision, Cook said: “There comes a point in your life when people ask ‘Do you wanna write an autobiography?’ Well, this ain’t gonna happen, as I can’t remember the juicy bits. Firstly, I was so off my nut at the time, and secondly, the bits I can remember, I can’t really tell them while my children are still alive.
“So what I have decided to do is a coffee table visual book about memories from my career. It is good for me, as it is mainly pictures and it is not going too deep.”
Featuring personal photos, original artwork, flyers and posters the book documents Cook’s life since growing up in Redhill, Surrey, and forming his first band, aged just 15. Born Quentin Leo Cook, the musician was the bassist for indie rock band The Housemartins, famed for their No.1 single Caravan of Love, in the 1980s.
After the band split, he formed the electronic band Beats International, and had a number one single Dub Be Good To Me. But Fatboy Slim won him worldwide acclaim, thanks to his albums Better Living Trough Chemistry and You’ve Come A Long Way Baby.
But it seems the talent runs in the family, with Cook’s son, Woody, following in his footsteps.
Speaking of his children, of which has two with ex-wife Zoe Ball, he told The Mirror: “If you grew up in our household with me and Zoe as parents there are two things you are not going to be. One is shy and the other is normal,” he says.
“When we had kids we were going through the most mental times of our lives. They have both grown up around showbiz and I mean proper hardcore showbiz.
“When Woody was 10 he said ‘Dad, have you got any friends that are not in the film or music business?’ They did not grow up in a normal environment.
“But despite this, they have grown up quite sensible. They have not got that nepo kid sort of attitude or just completely useless trust fund t*ts or something. I am biased but I am very proud of the way they turned out.
“I do go to Woody’s gigs and he always knows I am there. I will leave all my vinyl to Woody. My son loves vinyl. He devours it,” says Norman.
Reluctant to DJ when he was younger, in case he lived in his dad’s shadow, Woody attended Bristol Uni to study drama. However, two weeks in, the phone rang: “He rings up and said ‘Dad, I have started DJ-ing.’ He is a full time DJ and he is very good. He is not shy.
“I must admit he has taken my level of showing off but has put some pizazz into it. Once he did a standing jump over the decks and did not break his ankle. He wont listen to me (over fame pitfalls). He says ‘When you offer me advice it comes out of the same mouth that told me to eat my broccoli.'”
The 61-year-old also spoke about his relationship with his ex-wife Ball, who he married in 1999. He praised her for supporting him when he was struggling.
“In the 90s, I was having too much fun to think about the next day or the next thing. It was like being on top of a big wave and you had to stay on.
“You concentrate on not falling off. It became a whirlwind, but to be honest Zoe helped me through it as she knew that level of fame before. Zoe is a very kind, thoughtful person and she just had this way of just checking my ego like ‘We are still human beings. We are still nice to people.'”
Despite their divorce in 2020, the pair remain close: “She brought me through the trickier bits. If you are out with your mates you can’t say to them ‘I am having trouble coping with fame.’ You are not going to get a lot of sympathy.”
“But to Zoe I could say ‘I am a bit scared. Is this not scary?’ We could talk about it as we were thrust into the same spotlight. It was nice to have a soulmate in there with you.”
Cook also shared that he’d been offered to go on reality shows: “I would absolutely not do a reality show. I have been invited on most of them like Strictly. Can you imagine me on Strictly? I have been asked to do the jungle too.
“When Big Brother first came out me and Zoe used to really love it. And when there was a celebrity one we talked about it and we decided that the only way we would do it if nobody ever saw it. Because the places where we would go and things we would do would be absolutely hideous. That is why you can’t see it!
“We had the same thing with Louis Theroux. He wanted to do one with Norman and Zoe and we just thought ‘There are so many warts and all you are going to bring out if you interview us.’ We would just shoot ourselves in so many feet.”
It Ain’t Over ‘Til The Fatboy Sings is available to pre-order from Rocket 88 from March 12.