Spencer Leigh was born in Liverpool, the birthplace of the Beatles. His program On the Beat has been broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside for more than 25 years, and he has contributed to several BBC music documentaries. He is the author of The Beatles in Hamburg: The Stories, the Scene, and How It All Began; The Cavern: The Most Famous Club in the World; Everyday: Getting Closer to Buddy Holly; Tomorrow Never Knows: The Beatles on Record; and The Walrus Was Ringo: 101 Beatles Myths Debunked. He writes for the Independent and has contributed to Country Music People, Now Dig This, and Record Collector.