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Title: Lonely Boy

Subtitle: Tales from a Sex Pistol

Author: Steve Jones

Narrator: Steve Jones

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 119 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Ask anyone who knows about music, and they'll tell you: Without Steve Jones punk rock would not exist. This is not hyperbole. No Steve Jones, no punk rock. Period. The prototypical street urchin turned Sex Pistols guitarist was the sole inspiration and creator of the punk movement that began shaking the culture in late 1970s London and is just as strong today.

A pervasive air of gloom and coal smoke hangs over Jones' memoir, Lonely Boy, which is set mostly in working-class London of the '60s and '70s. For the first time ever, he'll illustrate a moment in time when the actions of a loose association of people became the full-fledged punk scene we know so well today. Legendary artist and trendsetter Malcolm McLaren took in the young Jones after noticing him hanging around the sex boutique McLaren owned with his then girlfriend, Vivienne Westwood, on Kings Road in Chelsea. By then Jones was basically homeless, stealing anything and everything to support himself and scratch his itch for theft. He would frequently pop in to McLaren's legendary shop. McLaren was so fascinated by Jones' rough background, wardrobe choices, attitude toward authority, and general aura that he created a cultural movement around it. And so the Sex Pistols, and with them punk rock, was born.

Included in the audiobook are never before told stories of sexual abuse Steve suffered at the hands of his stepfather, stories of petty crime and acts of perversion he perpetrated as a young boy in London, the sadness of never knowing his real father (and then meeting him in a tale that bookends this narrative nicely), the early days as a Pistol, breaking into the music business, and how the hell a band with one album meant so much to so many people. Jones will also bring listeners up to speed on his more recent exploits, such as hosting a legendary radio show on KROQ, Jonesy's Jukebox; beginning an acting career by playing Krull on Showtime's Californication; his recovery from both sexual and substance addictions; and his attempts to fall in with the hair metal crowd of the Sunset Strip in the 1980s.

You may be asking why Steve has waited until now to write his memoir, and you wouldn't be wrong in asking that. The thing is, I'm not sure we have a good answer. He just feels like now is the time, that most of what he wants to and will achieve in his life has happened, and his current existence lends itself to reflection and sharing. He hopes to do that with listeners the world over. There's also still an intense appetite for punk rock everywhere you look, and he'd like to educate some young people on where it all started, from the guy who inspired the whole scene.

No topic is off limits in this grimy, streetwise memoir.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Love Steve Jones Even More Now!

I've been a long time fan of Steve Jones'. I listen to Jonesy's Jukebox, have all of his albums, devoted to his Instagram account and now... This book humanized him even more. I could listen to this over and over! To be honest, I've even purchased the print version.

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Title: So, Anyway...

Subtitle: The Autobiography

Author: John Cleese

Narrator: John Cleese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-16

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 59 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Candid and brilliantly funny, this is the story of how a tall, shy youth from Weston-super-Mare went on to become a self-confessed legend.

En route, John Cleese describes his nerve-racking first public appearance, at St Peter's Preparatory School at the age of eight and five-sixths; his endlessly peripatetic homelife, with parents who seemed incapable of staying in any house for longer than six months; his first experiences in the world of work, as a teacher who knew nothing about the subjects he was expected to teach; his hamster-owning days at Cambridge; and his first encounter with the man who would be his writing partner for over two decades, Graham Chapman. And so on to his dizzying ascent via scriptwriting for Peter Sellers, David Frost, Marty Feldman and others to the heights of Monty Python.

Punctuated from time to time with John Cleese's thoughts on topics as diverse as the nature of comedy, the relative merits of cricket and waterskiing and the importance of knowing the dates of all the kings and queens of England, this is a masterly performance by a former schoolmaster.

Members Reviews:

He's funny!

A major benefit of listening to a comedian's autobiography as read by himself: Timing!

And original clips of Cleese and Chapman, of course.

Very Enjoyable

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. John Cleese a ever is entertaining and honest, it was a pleasure to listen. Thank you.

Boring

If I had known this book was only about Cleese's first 30 years, I would not have bought it (caveat emptor!). That initial mistake acknowledged, it's seldom I stick to a book if I am not being informed or entertained, but I managed to finish all 13+ hours of this one simply because I couldn't believe that, with such an intelligent and brilliant author, it wouldn't improve. Sadly, it did not. Cleese's school and university years take up the first half of the book and they were no more interesting than mine. Even when he gets onto the stage, there is too much about writing and production and performance analysis and not terribly interesting anecdotes about other artists - all deadly dull unless, perhaps, you are an aspiring actor or theatre historian. The book is only slightly redeemed from Chapter 11 with the inclusion of a few sections from Cleese's best known skits. Overall the material is mundane, the writing pedestrian, and the tone uninspiring.

smashing

Loved it. Outstanding performance and superbly delivered.

The recall of stories and feelings mingeld with Mr Cheese warmth and timing is as good as any I've listened to.

Stunning

You need this in your life.

An insight into mad genius.

Wonderful in every way.

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Title: ICP: Behind the Paint

Author: Violent J, Hobey Echlin

Narrator: Violent J

Format: Unabridged

Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-16

Publisher: Psychoapthic Records, Inc

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 170 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Hear the incredible and unbelievable-but-true story of Insane Clown Posse's journey from Detroit scrubs to underground icons in this long-awaited, unabridged audiobook of Violent J's best-selling memoir Behind the Paint! In this all new and updated version, Violent J reads his classic autobiography that stands as one of the most uncompromising and uncensored memoirs ever told! Featuring guest appearances from ICP's Shaggy 2 Dope and other guest stars, this is the story you've waited years to hear, direct from the mouth of Violent J himself!

Members Reviews:

I really wanted to like this book...

What would have made ICP: Behind the Paint better?

Someone OTHER than Jay narrating this book would have made it better. That and getting rid of the idiotic sound effects in the background.

How could the performance have been better?

Jay's an interesting guy and has overcome a lot in his life to get to where he is. But it's very clear that Jay is also unsophisticated. I respect the hell out of him, but he should NEVER narrate another audio book, not even one he's written. It's just unlistenable.

Good read even if you are not a juggalo

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, its a great story about the struggles before ICP got famous and to some it might be inspiring, I recommend this to anyone.

What was one of the most memorable moments of ICP: Behind the Paint?

I got to say the time they were on the road and almost got killed by men in black robes, scary but a great story.

Have you listened to any of Violent Js other performances before? How does this one compare?

Music yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

This is a great example of don't judge a book by its cover, just because its from ICP don't mean it's not a great story, love every single minute of it. All though the way Violent J talked was a little annoying sometimes, but it was worth it.

Fresh as fuck

I love this book. Ive been a fan of icp since riddlebox. This book made me appreciate the music that much more. Im pulling out all my tapes and cds and a bucket of Faygo on ice and bumpin the tunes all over again

Job Bruce is a great story teller.

You dont have to be a Juggalo to enjoy this book. It will of course be extra fresh if you are! Violent J shines, its not just like hes reading his book. If feels like hes sitting on the couch with you hanging out telling bomb ass cool stories.

Much respect Joe Bruce - the scrubs truly won. WHOOP WHOOP! MCL!

Great Book

This is a really great book I love this book and icp whoop whoop :)

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Title: A Life in Parts

Author: Bryan Cranston

Narrator: Bryan Cranston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-16

Publisher: Orion Publishing Group Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a commercial. Soon Bryan was haunting the local movie theater, reenacting scenes with his older brother. Acting was clearly his destiny - until one day his father disappeared.

As a young man on a classic cross-country motorcycle trip, he found himself stranded at a rest area in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To pass the time, he read a tattered copy of Hedda Gabler, and in a flash he found himself face-to-face with his original calling. Suddenly he thought this was what he would do with the rest of his life. Act.

In his riveting memoir, A Life in Parts, Cranston traces his journey from chaotic childhood to his dramatic epiphany to megastardom and a cultlike following by revisiting the many parts he's played on camera (astronaut, dentist, candy bar spokesperson, president of the United States, etc.) and off (paperboy, farmhand, dating consultant, murder suspect, son, brother, lover, husband, father).

With great humour and humility, Cranston chronicles his unlikely rise from a soap opera regular to a recurring spot on Seinfeld. He recalls his run as the well-meaning goofball, Hal, on Malcolm in the Middle, and he gives a bracing account of his challenging run on Broadway as President Lyndon Johnson, pushing himself to the limit as he prepared for a tour de force that would win him a Tony to accompany his four Emmys. And, of course, Cranston dives deep into the grittiest, most fascinating details of his greatest role, explaining how he searched inward for the personal darkness that would help him create one of the most riveting performances ever captured on screen: Walter White, chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin in Breaking Bad.

Discussing his failures as few men do, describing his work as few actors can, Cranston has much to say about innate talent and its benefits, challenges and proper maintenance, but ultimately A Life in Parts is about the necessity and transformative power of hard work.

Members Reviews:

great book and narration

very good look into the personal life of the author, he shares very personal details in great detail. overall very interesting

Insightful

Insightful to his life but also his techniques and modus operandi!

I recommend it wholeheartedly!

Excellent!

Bryan delivers a beautiful reading and an inspiring account of his childhood, career, and family life. Mr Cranston's career path has been the complete opposite of an overnight success, and he (intentionally or not) teaches the reader important lessons on how to approach your career, perfect your craft, and be a good person along the way.

A Mesmerising Life

Bryan Cranston is a true artist. We all know the man can act, but to write and tell his story in poignant and insightful tales of the highs and lows of his life and career, and to actually keep you so invested with each word that you end up reliving that same feeling of addiction you felt when watching his stunning performance as Walter White/Heisenberg in Breaking Bad? That I don't think any of us knew.

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Title: I Am Brian Wilson

Author: Ben Greenman - contributor, Brian Wilson

Narrator: Fred Berman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 256 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

They say there are no second acts in American lives, and third acts are almost unheard of. That's part of what makes Brian Wilson's story so astonishing.

As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room", "God Only Knows", and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting. Derailed in the 1970s by mental illness, drug use, and the shifting fortunes of the band, Wilson came back again and again over the next few decades, surviving and - finally - thriving. Now, for the first time, he weighs in on the sources of his creative inspiration and on his struggles, the exhilarating highs and the debilitating lows.

I Am Brian Wilson reveals as never before the man who fought his way back to stability and creative relevance, who became a mesmerizing live artist, who forced himself to reckon with his own complex legacy and completed Smile, the legendary unfinished Beach Boys record that had become synonymous with both his genius and its destabilization. Today Brian Wilson is older, calmer, and filled with perspective and forgiveness. Whether he's talking about his childhood, his bandmates, or his own inner demons, Wilson's story, told in his own voice and in his own way, unforgettably illuminates the man behind the music, working through the turbulence and discord to achieve, at last, a new harmony.

Members Reviews:

Surviving the Minor Keys in Life - Love Overcomes

When I was young the Beach Boy sound made a big impact on me. Brian Wilson had written some American classic songs like God Only Knows, The Warmth of the Sun and In My Room. Like all lives, there were tough times with a overbearing father, pressure to duplicate hits, and intergroup tensions. This was made a lot worse by mental illness and incessant negative voices that plagued Brian as he was reaching the peak of his career.

He never eliminated those voices, but with the love of a woman and a support network of friends and ethical doctors (with the exception of a manipulative Dr. Landy) he is in a good place in the last decades of his life.

I loved listening to this story and for someone who grew up in the sixties, there was an added technological bonus that would have made me drop to my knees back then.

I recently subscribed to Google Play which makes almost any song available after a quick search. So Brian would mention a song and if it intrigued me, I would stop the book, search out the song and listen. I do not own the extensive catalog, but with this music service i found everything. So when Brian said he had the drummer put two snare shots in this spot - I immediately went to the song and verified the effect it had.

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Title: Cured

Subtitle: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys

Author: Lol Tolhurst

Narrator: Lol Tolhurst

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 143 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A deeply moving and engaging memoir by Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst, cofounder of The Cure, detailing the origins and creation of one of the most beloved bands of all time and Tolhurst's own return from the brink of self-destruction.

"On a damp September morning in 1964, my mother threw Robert Smith and me together. A bus had been arranged to take children from the outlying areas to St. Francis of Assisi School in Crawley. On our first day of school, Robert and I stood at the designated stop at Hevers Avenue with our mothers, and that's when we met for the very first time. We were five years old."

So began a lifelong friendship that 14 years later would result in the formation of The Cure, a quintessential postpunk band whose albums - such as "Three Imaginary Boys", "Pornography", and "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" - remain among the best loved and most influential of all time.

As two of the first punks in the provincial English town of Crawley, Lol Tolhurst and Robert Smith didn't have it easy. Outsiders from the start, theirs was a friendship based initially on proximity and a shared love of music, from the punk that was raging in nearby London to the groundbreaking experimentation of David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy. First known as The Easy Cure, they began playing in pubs and soon developed their own unique style and approach to songwriting, resulting in timeless songs that sparked a deep sense of identification and empathy in listeners, songs like "Boys Don't Cry", "Just Like Heaven", and "Why Can't I Be You?," spearheading a new subculture dubbed "Goth" by the press. The music of The Cure was not only accessible, but also deeply subversive, challenging conventional notions of pop music and gender roles while inspiring a generation of devoted fans and a revolution in style.

Cured is not only the first insider account of the early days of the band, it is a revealing look at the artistic evolution of the enigmatic Robert Smith, the iconic lead singer, songwriter, and innovative guitarist at the heart of The Cure. A deeply rebellious, sensitive, tough, and often surprisingly "normal" young man, Smith was from the start destined for stardom, a fearless nonconformist and provocateur who soon found his own musical language through which to express his considerable and unique talent.

But there was also a dark side to The Cure's intense and bewildering success. Tolhurst, on drums and keyboards, was nursing a growing alcoholism that would destroy his place in The Cure and nearly end his life. Cured tells the harrowing and unforgettable story of his crash and burn, recovery, and rebirth. Now, more than a quarter century sober, Tolhurst looks back on those days with clear-eyed honesty, delivering an inspiring account of his redemption and the process of coming to peace with The Cure and its continuing legacy.

Members Reviews:

Excellent

Would you listen to Cured again? Why?

I've started it over already

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cured?

The younger stories were great to hear. It's hard to imagine Lol or Robert fighting skinheads!

What about Lol Tolhursts performance did you like?

He seemed genuine in his performance.

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Title: Francis Bacon in Your Blood

Author: Michael Peppiatt

Narrator: Michael Peppiatt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-16

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

It is a story I have been wanting to write for a long time, telling it as it really was before that whole world that I shared with Francis vanishes....

Michael Peppiatt met Francis Bacon in June 1963 in Soho's French House to request an interview for a student magazine he was editing. Bacon invited him to lunch, and over oysters and Chablis they began a friendship and a no-holds-barred conversation that would continue until Bacon's death 30 years later.

Fascinated by the artist's brilliance and charisma, Peppiatt accompanied him on his nightly round of prodigious drinking from grand hotel to louche club and casino, seeing all aspects of Bacon's 'gilded gutter life' and meeting everybody around him, from Lucian Freud and Sonia Orwell to East End thugs; from predatory homosexuals to Andy Warhol and the Duke of Devonshire. He also frequently discussed painting with Bacon in his studio, where only the artist's closest friends were ever admitted. The Soho photographer, John Deakin, who introduced the young student to the famous artist, called Peppiatt 'Bacon's Boswell'.

Despite the chaos Bacon created around him Peppiatt managed to record scores of their conversations ranging over every aspect of life and art, love and death, the revelatory and hilarious as well as the poignantly tragic.

Gradually Bacon became a kind of father figure for Peppiatt, and the two men's lives grew closely intertwined. In this intimate and deliberately indiscreet account, Bacon is shown close-up, grand and petty, tender and treacherous by turn, and often quite unlike the myth that has grown up around him. This is a speaking portrait, a living likeness, of the defining artist of our times.

Members Reviews:

Riveting!

Highly enjoyable and fascinating account of the author's experiences with painter Francis Bacon. Great anecdotes, I especially enjoyed the high camp conversations from the colony room featuring the legendary Muriel Belcher.

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Title: A Torch Kept Lit

Subtitle: Great Lives of the Twentieth Century

Author: William F. Buckley

Narrator: Tony Pasqualini

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 134 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A unique collection of eulogies of the 20th century's greatest figures, written by conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. and compiled by National Review and Fox News White House correspondent James Rosen.

In a half century on the national stage, William F. Buckley Jr. achieved unique stature as a polemicist and the undisputed godfather of modern American conservatism. He knew everybody, hosted everybody at his East 73rd Street maisonette, skewered everybody who needed skewering, and in general lived life on a scale, and in a swashbuckling manner, that captivated and inspired countless young conservatives across that half century.

Among all of his distinctions, which include founding the conservative magazine National Review and serving as host on the long-running talk show Firing Line, Buckley was a master of that most elusive of art forms: the eulogy. Buckley drew on his unrivaled gifts in what he liked to call "the controversial arts" to mourn, celebrate, or seek eternal mercy for the men and women who touched his life and the nation; to conjure their personalities, recall memorable moments, herald their greatness; or to remind us why a given individual, even with the grace that death can uniquely confer, should be remembered as evil.

At all points these remembrances reflect Buckley's singular voice, with its elegant touch and mordant humor, and lend to the lives departed final tributes consistent with their own careers, lives, and accomplishments. Of the more than 100 eulogies located in Buckley's vast archive of published works, A Torch Kept Lit collects the very best, those remembering the most consequential lives (Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan), the most famous to today's listeners (Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana), those who loomed largest in the conservative movement (Barry Goldwater, Milton Friedman), the most accomplished in the literary world (William Shawn, Norman Mailer), the most mysterious (Soviet spy Alger Hiss, CIA spymaster Richard Helms), and those most dear to Buckley (his mother and father).

Members Reviews:

Excellent...inspiring imagery!

I am a fine artist and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history as well as a story well written.... A life well told.

The imagery created by the words and phrases chosen feels like a journey shared.....

The narration is comfortable and the narrator more than capable.

William F. Buckley.... I had no idea! An amazing life!

Really quite good.

You will excuse me for withholding the fifth star over the trifle of one mispronunciation. Otherwise, totally enjoyable and very well done.

This book was horrible!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Actual content that was interesting

What was most disappointing about William F. Buckleys story?

Boring...boring...boring.

What didnt you like about Tony Pasqualinis performance?

Same

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Torch Kept Lit?

Everything and started from scratch

Any additional comments?

This book put me to sleep...very easily.

Wonderful read

I most highly recommend it.

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Title: Sing for Your Life

Subtitle: A Story of Race, Music, and Family

Author: Daniel Bergner

Narrator: Ryan Vincent Anderson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 84 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The touching, triumphant story of a young black man's journey from violence and despair to one of the world's most elite artistic institutions, as if The Blind Side were set in the world of opera.

Ryan Speedo Green had a tough upbringing in Southeastern Virginia: His family lived in a trailer park and later a bullet-riddled house across the street from drug dealers. His father was absent; his mother was volatile and abusive.

At the age of 12, Ryan was sent to Virginia's juvenile facility of last resort. He was placed in solitary confinement. He was uncontrollable, uncontainable, with little hope for the future.

In 2011, at the age of 24, Ryan won a nationwide competition hosted by New York's Metropolitan Opera, beating out 1,200 other talented singers. Today he is a rising star performing major roles at the Met and Europe's most prestigious opera houses.

Sing for Your Life chronicles Ryan's suspenseful, racially charged, and artistically intricate journey from solitary confinement to stardom. Daniel Bergner takes listeners on Ryan's path toward redemption, introducing us to a cast of memorable characters - including the two teachers from his childhood who redirected his rage into music and his long-lost father, who finally reappeared to hear Ryan sing. Bergner illuminates all that it takes - technically, creatively - to find and foster the beauty of the human voice. And Sing for Your Life sheds unique light on the enduring and complex realities of race in America.

Critic Reviews:

"Sing for Your Life is absolutely riveting. Any rise to stardom in the daunting world of opera is bound to be dramatic, but Ryan Speedo Green's story is harrowing and rewarding in unexpected ways." (Renee Fleming)

"In Ryan Speedo Green we see a microcosm of American's own struggle to throw off the shackles of our troubled racial legacy.... His story, expertly told by Daniel Bergner, is proof of the possibility of all of our redemption." (Joy-Ann Reid, national correspondent for MSNBC and author of Fracture)

"Gripping and inspiring...Bergner chronicles the auditions and vocal contests as the struggles Green faces as a black man entering a musical world that is mostly white, delivering a moving portrait of a young man who succeeds, along with the help of encouraging teachers." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Made Me Want to See Him in an Opera

I heard about Sing for Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family on a recent episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. But before that, I went to my first opera in Vienna to see a majestic performance of Carmen. From that experience, I've become enraptured with wanting to see more opera, so when I heard about this book about Ryan Speedo Green a rising opera singer from New York I went on Audible and picked up the audiobook.

From the opening sentence I was enraptured in Ryan's plight. His upbringing is anything but conventional when it comes to opera singers. Daniel Bergner the biographer writing about Ryan's life does a great job of weaving his past and present to bring together a truly enriching story.

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Title: They Call Me Supermensch

Subtitle: A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock'n'Roll

Author: Shep Gordon

Narrator: Shep Gordon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 312 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

An eye-popping peek into the entertainment industry from the magnetic force who has worked with an impeccable roster of stars throughout his storied career.

In the course of his legendary career as a manager, an agent, and a producer, Shep Gordon has worked with and befriended some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, from Alice Cooper to Bette Davis, Raquel Welch to Groucho Marx, Blondie to Jimi Hendrix, Sylvester Stallone to Salvador Dali, Luther Vandross to Teddy Pendergrass. He is also credited with inventing the "celebrity chef" and has worked with Nobu Matsuhisa, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roger Vergé, and many others, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In this wonderfully engaging memoir, the charismatic entertainment legend recalls his life, from his humble beginnings as a "shy, no self-esteem Jewish nebbisher kid with no ambition" in Oceanside, Long Island, to his unexpected rise as one of the most influential and respected personalities in show business, revered for his kindness, charisma - and fondness for a good time.

Gordon shares riotous anecdotes and outrageous accounts of his freewheeling, globe-trotting experiences with some of the biggest celebrities of the past five decades, including his first meeting with Janice Joplin in 1968, when the raspy singer punched him in the face.

Told with incomparable humor and heart, They Call Me Supermensch is a sincere, hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the worlds of music and entertainment from the consummate Hollywood insider.

Members Reviews:

Life changing

What a great journey! I feel like I was in each phase of Shep's life...and I was thrilled to be there! Shep, thank you, thank you!

Truly enlightening.

If you have found your way to this book, Congratulations. Shep Gordon will not give you 5 steps to change your life, But what he will do is demonstrate how to be successful. Read, Share and enjoy.

What an amazing life...

What made the experience of listening to They Call Me Supermensch the most enjoyable?

The wrap up at the end brought the rest of the book together nicely. After the book is finished you think back through all of his experiences and just sigh. I even felt a little jealousness.

Every human should read this book!

My girlfriend and I listened to it together and we loved it! We both wanted to cry tears of joy through the entire thing!

Just download it!

Amazing life

It's great to have Shep read it; he adds emotional touches every now and then. Unbelievable stories and good lessons throughout.