Who is Dick Wagner and why is he writing books? He is a musician who seems to have been everywhere working with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Aerosmith, KISS, Peter Gabriel, Meat Loaf, Etta James, Rod Stewart and the list sorta keeps going. According to his website, he has played on over 200 notable albums that have received 35 platinum and gold record awards.
After 40 years in the Biz its time to tell all about it. I love these tell all books- as if they either have to boast of how cool their lives were or share info on artists to make others jealous. Then again tales of witty good rock and roll fun are a great way to make a buck and if you can capitalize on numerous artist you can expand your scope of sales. If anyone has the street cred to do this, its Wagner. We should be happy he's sharing this with us- they're really an insider glimpse.
Am I being harsh? I don't mean to be, just the dishy gossip coffee table books really never appealed to me, though I generally will like the pictures. This one though, I may just dig.
So heres the official babble:
Early encounters with Little Richard, Roy Orbison, BB King and Les Paul highlight moments of personal musical achievement. Poignantly recounted stories of days on the road and years of hit recordings contrast with emotional tales of drug abuse that led to near fatal health issues. After two heart attacks, a stroke and brain surgery leave him disabled and 'drying up in the desert,' Wagner finds enlightenment in the intensive care unit and takes the reader on a miraculous journey of courage and commitment. His return to live performance is an inspirational celebration of packed venues, overjoyed fans and critical media acclaim.
The book is available for both the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook and is now also out in a hardback edition that includes two CDs of music