Tom Zanetti's dad, DJ Daz, writes a book on the Leeds party scene in 80s and 90s

The father of Leeds DJ Tom Zanetti has penned a book charting his own life as a DJ and man about town in Leeds during the 1980s and 1990s.
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Daz Courtney has released "Nine Foot Tall", which is a ficto-biography style account of growing up in Leeds, going out, becoming a DJ - and some of the scrapes he got into.

While the names of people and some places have been changed - he is referred to as Gaz and even son Tom makes an appearance as Dom - readers will recognise the places he refers to.

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For example Casa Locos is referred to as Casa Blancas, Sonny is called The Blues Club and Big Lil's also features in the account which spans around 20 years.

Daz Courtney with son Tom Zanetti pictured with the book at Dakota Hotel, Leeds.Daz Courtney with son Tom Zanetti pictured with the book at Dakota Hotel, Leeds.
Daz Courtney with son Tom Zanetti pictured with the book at Dakota Hotel, Leeds.

Mr Courtney, who lives in Pudsey and had aspirations of being a journalist, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "I had a similar growing up to Tom's - but not as famous. In the 80 and 90s I was DJ Daz around Leeds at bars and clubs but didn't go into making my own songs."

He admits he got into trouble and ended up spending a short time in prison and it was that that really gave him the idea for the book.

He said: "That was in 1999 and I sorted myself out and thought 'that's not for me, I will write a book and show people that you can come out of the other side'. I thought about writing a chapter and stopped, got married, DJd some more, bought a pub, bought another pub and thought before I am 50 I will write it and finish what I started 20 years ago,"

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The book is in anecdotal style and told like a story would be told in a pub - which really is how Daz told them before they were put on paper.

It starts in the 80s when he was 14 and 15 years old and carries on into the 90s when he is 25 up until being around 30 and follows him making a complete career change, until an out of the blue phone call in 2006.

"Just after the Millennium I went to get a proper job. My wife at the time was insistent so I got a job at the Royal Bank of Scotland as a bank manager - but it was just not me. I got a phone call in 2006 saying someone needed a DJ. I was just short of 40 and thought 'I am too old'. But I looked around my house. I had a nice sofa, TV, my wife was doing her nails. Everything was normal and said 'yes, when do I start...?"

Nine Foot Tall is published by The Book Guild Publishing.

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Thank you

Laura Collins