I have to admit, I am not a particularly fast reader... Therefore, I have decided to review books that I have read in the past in order to keep myself blogging and to ensure that some really great books get reviewed! One of my recent favs...
I am a child of the 70's and a teen of the 80's and much of my musical interest is deeply rooted in those decades. While listening to the radio recently I discovered that much of the music I love is fast becoming "oldies". Ok...so I'm getting old. A positive note, however, is that the artists I like are reaching an age where they want to assess their lives (and hopefully make a few bucks doing it).I was thrilled, therefore, to see Rick Springfield (Jessie's Girl, General Hospital) release his autobiography, Late, Late at Night. I have long been a fan and have always expected that there was much more there than I knew...and boy was I right!
In this candid memoir, Springfield talks about his childhood in Australia and England and of his growing passion for music...and women. He shares stories about his rise to fame (if Aussie celebrity can be called that), his eventual move to the U.S. and achieving celebrity. He shares honestly his life-long struggles with depression, despite his success, and his efforts to tame the beast, a struggle he continues to fight today though with a bit more understanding and skill.
I really, really enjoyed this book. Springfield is nothing, if not honest. He is also funny, entertaining and able to retain that "sweet" quality he had in his hey-day (despite being born the same year as my father!). He speaks about just about everything: his successes, his failures (suicide attempts and admitted cheating on his extremely forgiving wife), the very painful and life-changing loss of his father, and ultimately about his acceptance of adulthood and spiritual peace. Because, and only because, I understand that not everyone is a fan like I am and/or will have the same interest in 70's-80's celebrity biographies as I do...
3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
1 comments:
I found your blog in my Rick Springfield google alert and wanted to say...I agree with what you have said here. Rick definitely is honest in his writing, and yes...he has a wonderful sense of humor, which is a constant throughout this book. I found myself laughing a LOT throughout the story (as well as a few tears!) I too have been a life-long fan and I had hoped for an autobiography from Rick for a very long time! It was a great read! The audio version of the book is cool too, with Rick doing the reading and throwing in his Aussie accent here and there. :)
Kelley68
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