“What was it like being a rock star?

You asked, so I’ll tell you the whole story.”

After struggling for ten years as a musician in New York City, Jack Sonni got The Phone Call that lifted him, literally overnight, from the obscurity of working in a Manhattan guitar shop to the blinding spotlight of fame as a guitarist with Dire Straits, the biggest band in the world at the time.

“Rock n Rolled” chronicles Jack’s survival as he ricochets from obscurity to fame and back again. His journey—before, during and after his extraordinary fifteen minutes of fame—echoes the wide-eyed, hopeful innocence of an entire generation of dreamers.

“A rock n roll Cinderella story…this is a book for every kid who ever stood in front of the mirror with his guitar and wondered, ‘Why not me?’”

Read an excerpt from “Rock n Rolled” below! Get the free audio download of the complete Intro now.

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Advance rants & raves!!

“I freaking loved it!  Everyone at some time dreams of being a rock star….should a big seller. I shit you naught!”

“We all have dreams and hopes…I identify with your pages a 100%, it’s as if you were describing me as well…”

“…really really good and brutally honest…”

“More!  More!  More!  I absolutely LOVED it.  I found myself laughing out loud, some of your stuff just killed me!

“Ok, I want to read more!!”

“At first I was thinking this would be a book just for musicians…but it’s about everyone’s dreams”

“your writing is lively, smart, dramatic, vivid and energetic”

“…definitely leaves me wanting to read more”

“Many thanks for an enjoyable read. Such a vibrant style and compelling voice!”

“Brilliant writing!  I loved it all!”

“When I got to the end the first time I thought, “shit, I need more”, and so circled around again to read it a second time”

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Enjoy this excerpt & the audio download.

Please leave your comments or send email to jack@jacksonni.com.

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Introduction – chapter 1

SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS

“What was it like?”

The question is inevitable. Whenever anyone finds out I played guitar for Dire Straits during the time it was the biggest band in the world, they have to ask. Not that I mind, really. I know I managed to to live a portion of my life doing what millions can only dream about. Being in a famous rock band, touring the world, performing on stage in front of thousands and thousands of screaming fans. The parties, the VIP treatment, the groupies. It always comes around to the sex. Both men and women want to know.

What was it like?

Being a rock star.

Surreal comes close. Like a dream come true, which in reality, it was for me. Which made it all the more unreal. So much of what happened was so extraordinary, so pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming unbelievable, that I went through most of it as a removed observer, separated from the moment. As if I was watching a movie, viewing my life through the lens of a camera while standing just a little to the left and about three feet behind myself. Or someone who looked an awful lot like me. I see the photos or videos or concert footage now and I wonder who that is on stage. In the long red coat and wraparound shades. Or white suit, long scarf wrapped around his head and dancing barefoot.

I am the eggman. I am the walrus.

I am the rock star.

Goo goo ga joob.

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Introduction – chapter 2

ONCE UPON A TIME

July 13, 1985

It is a warm, sunny Saturday; rare even for summer in London. I step out of the faux Hard Rock Cafe that has been erected backstage at Wembley Stadium as a VIP bar, raise my face to the sky, close my eyes and listen. The sound hangs in the air, like surf crashing on a not too distant beach. The deep rumbling, rising and falling and rising again is the great whooshing white noise of 72,000 people. Cheering. Applauding. Screaming. Losing their collective minds. U2 has just finished their set which Bono spent dancing with a female fan he pulled from the audience. The crowd loved it. The large screens flanking the stage have switched the broadcast feed to JFK Stadium in Philadelphia for The Beach Boys set. A billion and a half viewers are watching on televisions around the world.

I slip my sunglasses on—these funky mountain climbing goggles I found in Paris, with super dark lenses and white leather on the sides that block out all light—and make my way toward the stage to meet the rest of the band. Weaving through the open air backstage area, I pass, seated at tables and gathered in clusters of twos and threes, famous face after famous face. Paul McCartney, Freddy Mercury. Faces I have only ever seen in magazines or on television or on a concert stage from no closer than twenty rows from the front. David Gilmour. Bryan Ferry. Faces who turn and nod and mouth their good lucks in my direction. Phil Collins. Bob Geldof. Faces that seem to think I belong here. That I am a face like them.

My shades keep anyone from seeing the wild dance of incredulity my eyes are surely doing behind the black-out lenses. You know, that pupil pinwheeling that says I have done way too much acid and Holy shit, you cannot fucking believe the things I am seeing right now! Not that I’m doing any hallucinogens. There’s no need with reality like this.

Seven months ago I was working in a guitar shop in New York City. Right now, I’m less than ten minutes way from performing in front of the largest audience gathered for a rock concert in history.

My life has become an unending string of Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass moments.

A few minutes ago, back inside the Hard Rock, I was killing time watching the live television broadcast when Pete Townshend walked into the room. Believe it or not, seeing him, while certainly a rush for me, wasn’t so unreal. That particular where’d-gravity-go moment happened earlier this month when I arrived for an afternoon sound check to find the legendary rock star, who was joining Straits for that evening’s show,  in the dressing room. Playing pinball. Seriously. The guy who wrote “Pinball Wizard” playing pinball. It’s too ridiculous to make up.

But the real mind-fuck is that when Townshend stepped into the Hard Rock trailing Roger Daltry and Kenny Jones, he glanced around and after seeing me…..(continued)

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Hear what happens with Pete now and get the free audio download of the complete Intro chapters below. Please leave your comments here or send an email to jack@jacksonni.com. And passing the link on to your friends is greatly appreciated.

Be well, hug them while you can &, as always, let it rock!

jack