He messed with James Brown’s perfect hair. He counted a pile of cash with Aretha Franklin in her hotel room. He ate popcorn with Leonard Cohen. He cured a dying sparrow with Joan Baez. He got bamboozled by Chuck Berry.Kenny Weissberg followed the music his entire career. A disc jockey, critic, rock singer, bandleader, and concert promoter, he lived all his childhood dreams—some of which turned into nightmares.Off My Rocker presents a rollicking, backstage look at the joys and painful realities of a life devoted to music. During his early years as a radio personality, Weissberg basks in the creative glow of the free-spirited, post-Woodstock era but later rebels against the soulless corporate takeover of the music he’s loved forever. Along the way, he detours to the dark side, succumbing to the greed, deceit, theft, and drugs that plague the entertainment industry.In lively prose and vivid detail, Weissberg shares stories about the eccentric cast of characters who cross his path, including a spectacular array of showbiz legends. Equal parts spicy confessional and pop-culture adventure, with trenchant insights throughout, this page-turner of a memoir will stay with you long after the closing credits.
advertisement