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‘To be totally the focus of someone, who was really into sex, was fantastic’: Tracey Emin and Billy Childish on their blazing romance

Never was a couple so combustible, but their relationship in the 80s would influence their entire life’s work. In an extract from a new biography of Childish, the pair, who are somehow still friends, give their side of the story

What is indisputable is that Emin was a great muse for Childish, first in the many paintings, book covers and record sleeve artwork he produced of them together, continuing to echo through songs contained on the 150-odd albums he’s released since their meeting, as well as a subject within dozens of poetry collections and autobiographical novels. Tracey tried to get me to go along to these things and I said: “I’ve avoided cocaine people in music, and I’m not about to start meeting them in art.” To Ease My Troubled Mind: The Authorised Unauthorised History of Billy Childish by Ted Kessler is published by White Rabbit on 4 July.

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