Street Player
My Chicago Story
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4.5 • 40 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
The inside story of Chicago, one of the most successful and enduring rock bands ever
With their distinctive blending of soulful rock and horn-infused urban jazz, Chicago has thrilled music fans for more than forty years with their lyrical brilliance. In this no-holds-barred memoir, legendary rocker Danny Seraphine shares his dramatic—and often shocking—experiences as the popular supergroup's cofounder and longtime drummer. He reveals behind-the-scenes anecdotes about Chicago’s beginnings as the house band at Los Angeles's legendary Whisky A Go Go, where they were discovered by music icons Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, and personal insights about the group’s many comebacks and reinventions over the years.
Offers a lively inside account of the music and history of the perennially popular band Chicago, one of the most successful American bands ever with over 122 million albums sold, by the band’s cofounder and longtime drummer Danny Seraphine Includes riveting tales and rare photographs from Seraphine's time on the road touring with performers including Dennis and Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Bruce Springsteen Candidly tackles many rumors about Chicago, including Mafia ties, accounting and payola scandals, and major drug abuse Discusses the mysterious circumstances surrounding Seraphine's 1990 firing from the band as well as his comeback with his critically acclaimed new band, California Transit Authority
Whether you're a diehard Chicago fan or just love a well-told rock-and-roll memoir, Street Player will entertain and surprise you.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Drummer Seraphine, a founding member of Chicago, claims the band "always let the music do the talking." But now it's Seraphine's turn to blab. In his brutally honest memoir (the first by any Chicago member), Seraphine gives a lively insider's account of the music and history of a band that has sold more than 122 million albums. His stories from the controversial departure of Peter Cetera; the band's multiple comebacks; and the hairpiece that saved his life one night in Nebraska, to the 1978 Russian roulette death of founding guitarist Terry Kath and Seraphine's own sacking by the band in 1990 will satisfy longtime fans of the band, whose famous logo often revealed more personality than its members. Despite an overreliance on clich , Seraphine is a natural storyteller, recalling the early support Chicago received from Jimi Hendrix, how he almost came to blows with Janis Joplin, and the serious cocaine problem that gripped the band ("I considered coke a ninth member of our group"). He also covers his tumultuous childhood in a street gang and a tenuous connection to the Chicago Mafia, often naming names, and it's obvious that the wounds inflicted by his former band mates have yet to completely heal.
Customer Reviews
Chicago on the Flip Side
An amazing story and a great read. A side of and journey every fan of the band Chicago should know. It reveals how short life really is, despite achieving success. How important it is to stop and listen with an open heart, even to the littlest of things, as they stay with you for ever.
Could not put it down
I really loved this book and read it in a day. It was impossible to set down for long because it was well written, funny yet tragic in parts, and a great way for any Chicago fan to be a 'fly on the wall' for a little bit.
I didn't know Danny was so thoughtful and caring until I read it. Thanks for writing it!
Street Player
Great Read. I’ve read alot of music bio’s and this stands above all others. Great music history. This is a must read.