Pete Doherty

by William English

Some say he’s an untalented junky, others call him a free-thinking libertine, Kate Moss’ ex or the spokesman for his generation; Pete Doherty is nothing if not divisive of opinion. Notorious for his prodigious drug intake and his stints behind bars, yet revered by many for his song writing and his impressive artistic portfolio, from the Libertines and Babyshambles to solo work, acting, art exhibitions and poetry; inevitably, for many, Pete’s talents have been frequently overshadowed by his often vividly portrayed vices and accompanying tabloid-delighting antics. Over the last decade, he’s had four top 10 albums, six top 10 ten singles, and brought trilby hats back into fashion. Unfortunately, he’s also been arrested more times than Charlie Sheen, served three prison sentences and been found in possession of cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and his ubiquitous partner in crime, heroin. There is certainly more to him than the red-tops would have you believe, but does he deserve to be the rock icon of a generation? The man, the music and the madness, revealed.

15 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2012