Am I Famous Yet? Memoir of a Working-Class Rock Star

The chapter in which I am fired not once but twice from the same gig. I'm hoping to be rehired so that I can be refired for a record third time.

Ms. Shirley Alston Reeves - Original Lead Singer of the World-Famous Shirelles has some kind words about Ivan as a bass player.

Ms. Dee Dee Kenniebrew of The Crystals ("Do Doo Ron Ron") talks about what it's like to have Ivan conducting the band onstage for her.

The chapter in which I discuss the value of a trademark to a touring act and what it's like to play for a group that has no original members.

Cover photo: Charlie Thomas of The Drifters, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

The chapter in which I get fired and re-hired for the same job so many times that I lose count and lose a close friend in the process.

The chapter in which I get my dream gig, my ticket to stardom, and then immediately lose it after just one performance.

The chapter in which I recount being wildly disrespected by a promoter who was a stumbling drunk and a public embarrassment. When I complained about the mistreatment to my bandleader, instead of sympathy I got fired!

The chapter in which I recount the time in Mexico performing on a stage of, um, questionable engineering.

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The chapter in which I detail some epic failures to balance out the successes recounted in the last chapter. I've been fired from bar gigs, recording sessions, and theatre gigs. There is a glimmer of hope, however, as I was able to learn a new skill after one of these brutal dismissals.

Photo: me in a Broadway pit with my bow, something I never thought I would say!

A few kind words from Crispin Cioe from the Uptown Horns, renowned music director, saxophonist, composer, and songwriter who has played and recorded with James Brown, the Rolling Stones, Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, and the Ohio Players, among others.

Photo: Crispin Cioe, Richard Belzer, and Ivan at the Kennedy Center for the Mark Twain prize PBS broadcast featuring music by Cracked Ice led by Crispin.