A Sussex college lecturer has published a book aimed at teaching wannabe pop stars how to make it in the music business.

Jeff Clark-Meads has shared a taxi with Jon Bon Jovi, rubbed shoulders with The Corrs and witnessed Sir Cliff Richard being teased.

He lectures at Hove College on the music industry and has been involved in it for more than 20 years, helping to promote festivals and sitting on the organising committee for the Brits.

He has now written a book, How To Be A Pop Idol, published this week.

Jeff, 43, has drawn on his experience of working on national publication Music Week and the international Billboard for the book, which describes the industry and how to break into it.

Success stories mentioned include Kylie, Madness, Enya and Tori Amos.

Along the way he has had his own brushes with the stars.

He said: "I once heard Wurzel from Motrhead tell his lawyer his court case couldn't go on for a week because he only had one shirt."

He also witnessed Sir Cliff grimacing at a band's album title, Headless Children, only to be asked: "What's wrong Cliff, is that what you wanted to call your album?"

In the Eighties, he took a taxi with Bon Jovi when he was headlining the Donington festival.

The driver took no notice of the rock star, blared out songs by country singer Jim Reeves and drove them the long way round to Donington.

Jeff got his first real taste of the music business aged 20 when he gave the Donington promoter a helping hand.

He decided he wanted to work in music for living but a lack of musical ability meant he had to look off stage.

During his career, he has helped revamp the Top 40 and, while a director of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), sat on the committee that organises the Brits.

He was involved in the government inquiry into CD prices in the early Nineties when he worked with then prime minister John Major.

He also works in public relations, runs a small international news agency and writes fiction.

He has put his knowledge and experience to use in his book, which he hopes will help at least a few people make it in the business.

He said: "I was looking for a book for my students to read and realised there wasn't one. All the advice being given to bands was about how to put a demo tape in an envelope and stick a stamp on it."

So Jeff sat down and wrote How To Be A Pop Idol in six months flat.

He said: "The first page was hard but the rest went quite smoothly.

"It was mainly off the top of my head - I just had to keep up with any changes in the law.

"It's really about getting rid of the myths that surround the industry.

"There is so much ignorance and the people who suffer are the bands struggling to make it.

"For example, people who download music from the net think they are only ripping off the big companies.

"But the truth is they are hitting the hard-up musicians and the guy behind the counter in HMV.

"Musicians need protection. If they can't make a living in music, there is no business.

"There will be no new bands because they can't make money.

"I hope my book can open doors for people, whether it's in songwriting, performing or producing."