Willy Russell

b. William Martin Russell, 23 August 1947, Whiston, Lancashire, England. After leaving school at the age of 15, Russell became a hairdresser, meanwhile harbouring a desire to become a writer. In his spare time, he wrote songs, composing with the guitar, and for a while sang as a member of the Kirby Town Three. He drifted into other jobs, mainly manual, then, at the age of 22, he decided to extend his education and returned to school. He attended Childwall College of Further Education and then St. Katharine's College of Higher Education in Liverpool, training to become a teache...