Long John Baldry is considered the father of the '60s British blues movement. Drawing on intimate anecdotes from Baldry's legendary friends, lovers, and peers, author Paul Myers uncovers the man behind the mythic persona. An entire generation of British rock legends flourished under Baldry's tutelage, and It Ain't Easy features exclusive personal recollections from artists such as Sir Elton John, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Sir Paul McCartney, John Mayall, and Mick Fleetwood, as well as interviews with renowned music industry insiders like songwriter/producer Tony Macaulay, Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky, ex-Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, filmmaker Cameron Crowe, and others. Extensively researched, It Ain't Easy traces Baldry's extraordinary life from his birth during the London Blitz, to his discovery of black American music, to the sexual revolution, to the musical and social upheaval of the 1960s and 70s, and to his eventual happy retreat to the tranquility of Canada's Pacific Coast.
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"""A new biography of British blues man Long John Baldry finally gives credit where credit is due...It Ain't Easy...traces the crazed life that led a six-foot-seven-inch gay British white man to fall in love with the blues and mentor some of the era's greatest musicians while weathering a rocky road with the charts himself.""" (Canadian Press 2007-10-02)
"""Long John Baldry's story is told briskly and well in journalist and musician Paul Myers's It Ain't Easy... The biography is likely to be definitive. The important voices are here: friends, family, famous proteges. It's an affectionate account, part glimpse into a vibrant music scene, part life story of a talented but troubled man.""" (Globe & Mail 2007-10-20)
"""Myers never met Baldry, although he'd seen him up close when they were both doing [a TV show] a couple years back. His publisher suggested Baldry might make a good biographical study, and when Myers started looking into his life, he was hooked...[He] wound up talking to a who's who of British musicians from the 60's... and emerged with an engaging story of one of music's great storytellers, a portrait of a blues legend who never quite received the acclaim he deserved. Not that Long John Baldry would ever complain about it -- he was too busy enjoying life.""" (Vancouver Sun 2007-09-15)
"""Paul Myers didn't set out to write a biography of Long John Baldry...[he] eventually took on the task...because the more he learned about the man who launched the careers of rock behemoths Elton John and Rod Stewart, the more he wanted to find out.""" (Georgia Straight 2007-12-01)
"""Paul Myers entered not knowing Long John Baldry and left full of respect...It Ain't Easy gives him his due.""" (The Province 2007-09-23)
"""Paul Myers makes a credible case for the six-foot-seven bluesman as a seminal force in English pop music in It Ain't Easy.""" (Toronto Star 2007-09-23)
"""Long John Baldry's story is told briskly and well in journalist and musician Paul Myers's It Ain't Easy... The biography is likely to be definitive. The important voices are here: friends, family, famous proteges. It's an affectionate account, part glimpse into a vibrant music scene, part life story of a talented but troubled man.""" (Globe & Mail 2007-10-20)
"""Myers never met Baldry, although he'd seen him up close when they were both doing [a TV show] a couple years back. His publisher suggested Baldry might make a good biographical study, and when Myers started looking into his life, he was hooked...[He] wound up talking to a who's who of British musicians from the 60's... and emerged with an engaging story of one of music's great storytellers, a portrait of a blues legend who never quite received the acclaim he deserved. Not that Long John Baldry would ever complain about it -- he was too busy enjoying life.""" (Vancouver Sun 2007-09-15)
"""Paul Myers didn't set out to write a biography of Long John Baldry...[he] eventually took on the task...because the more he learned about the man who launched the careers of rock behemoths Elton John and Rod Stewart, the more he wanted to find out.""" (Georgia Straight 2007-12-01)
"""Paul Myers entered not knowing Long John Baldry and left full of respect...It Ain't Easy gives him his due.""" (The Province 2007-09-23)
"""Paul Myers makes a credible case for the six-foot-seven bluesman as a seminal force in English pop music in It Ain't Easy.""" (Toronto Star 2007-09-23)
From the Publisher
The remarkable story of an underappreciated legend of the British blues, a gravel-voiced singer who paved the way for an entire generation of British rock legends, including Elton John and Rod Stewart.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Mark Anderson
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
This is not only a biography of Long John Baldry but a really good history of the development of British blues and the British music scene in the 1960s and early 1970s.
I found this book really interesting and entertaining.
I found this book really interesting and entertaining.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars
5 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book I've been waiting for!
Nov 12 2009
By Edisaurus
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been a fan of Long John Baldry's music since the 1970's and have always wanted to know more about him. The small amount of information available from CD inserts only made him more intriguing. Baldry had a posh accent but could growl the blues with the passion of Leadbelly, and seemed to be at the epicenter of the British Blues movement. He was not only one of the most versatile singers ever, but he gave Rod Stewart and Elton John their start, and they returned the favor by producing and performing on several Baldry albums.
The author, Paul Myers, obviously understands and has a great love for music and a deep knowledge of how it all connects. He captures Baldry's fascinating story in an engaging and compelling way with an economy of words--no sycophantic slobbering or speculation--and a very visual sense. I would love to see the documentary by Nick Orchard which is mentioned in the book (Myers wrote the documentary too, obviously a perfect choice!) because growing up in the states, I was never able to see Baldry's amazing tv performances other than via Youtube clips. I hope the documentary will be released at some point, but until then, this book more than fits the bill.
You don't even need to know Long John Baldry's music to enjoy this book, although after you read it you will be seeking out his songs. People are still discovering what a great artist he was!
The author, Paul Myers, obviously understands and has a great love for music and a deep knowledge of how it all connects. He captures Baldry's fascinating story in an engaging and compelling way with an economy of words--no sycophantic slobbering or speculation--and a very visual sense. I would love to see the documentary by Nick Orchard which is mentioned in the book (Myers wrote the documentary too, obviously a perfect choice!) because growing up in the states, I was never able to see Baldry's amazing tv performances other than via Youtube clips. I hope the documentary will be released at some point, but until then, this book more than fits the bill.
You don't even need to know Long John Baldry's music to enjoy this book, although after you read it you will be seeking out his songs. People are still discovering what a great artist he was!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long John Baldry And the Development of British Blues
Aug 30 2011
By Mark Anderson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This is not only a biography of Long John Baldry but a really good history of the development of British blues and the British music scene in the 1960s and early 1970s.
I found this book really interesting and entertaining.
I found this book really interesting and entertaining.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An original R&B man...
April 26 2011
By Michael Kitt
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A great read! After seeing John in the late '70s at the Bottom Line in NYC, this filled in the backstory of his life. A must read for rock historians...
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
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