L I B E R T
RELEASES NEW BOOK
'ROCK AND ROLL WARRIOR'
True tales from the Inner circle of the music industry, from Alice Cooper to Prince, on the road, backstage, on private jets and inside the notorious after-parties with music legends.
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David Libert had such a long and interesting career in the music business, his friends encouraged him to write a book about it…so he did.
The result is an autobiography 50-plus years in the making aptly entitled Rock and Roll Warrior, recently released on Sunset Blvd Books. It’s a chronicle of David’s inner circle life in the music industry as a popular international performer, singer/songwriter, tour manager, booking agent, producer, and drug dealer on the Sunset Strip. It’s a story so wild, so crazy, so over-the-top that it can only be true. You can’t make this stuff up!
In his book, he shares with the reader (and with you) unvarnished, no-holds-barred, stories of his life in the rock ‘n roll fast lane on the road, backstage, on private jets and inside notorious after-show parties with music legends in the era of free-spirit, hard driving rock ‘n’ roll and R&B. It’s life on the road in technicolor. A roller coaster ride peek behind the curtain at the good, the bad and the ugly in the music biz of years gone by.
The book is a riotous, humorous, intimate, provocative story of Libert’s life in music. He has absolutely no qualms about sharing stories of all aspects of his life that will amaze, titillate, impress, and endear him to those who read his fascinating life journey in music.
From his tenure as co-lead singer of 60s pop hitmakers, The Happenings, to his role as tour manager for Alice Cooper’s most legendary 70s tours, to managing funk/R&B legend George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic to eventually being imprisoned for dealing drugs in L.A., David is happy to share his way-too-interesting life with you in an interview…no subject is off-limits!
Hailing from Paterson, New Jersey, he co-founded The Happenings with three high school pals shortly after graduation. The Happenings went on to have several hit records including "See You in September" and "I Got Rhythm.” "See You In September" and "I Got Rhythm" were on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 14 weeks in 1966 and 13 weeks in 1967, respectively, and both songs peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at #3.
Sales for both "See You in September" and "I Got Rhythm" exceeded one million copies, resulting in R.I.A.A. gold record awards by 1969. The group had nine Billboard Hot 100 Singles hits from 1966 to 1968, including versions of "Go Away Little Girl" (#12) (a #1 hit for Steve Lawrence in 1963 and later for Donny Osmond in 1971) and "My Mammy" (#13) (popularized by Al Jolson in the 1920s). They also both achieved sales of over one million copies, garnering the group another couple of gold records.
Libert left the group to become a booking agent and eventually a tour manager. After a brief stint as road manager for Rare Earth, Libert became tour manager for Alice Cooper during Alice's most formidable years (1971–1975). Libert figured prominently in Bob Greene's book about accompanying Cooper's band on 1973's Billion Dollar Babies tour. Libert also was credited for singing background vocals on the Billion Dollar Babies album which was recorded at Morgan Studios in London in 1973. He remains friendly with Alice to this day. In 1975, Libert migrated from New York to Los Angeles and in 1976, opened the David Libert Management Agency which represented George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band and The Runaways (Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford).
In the early 80s, he met Prince through Sheila E, who was one of his management clients at the time. Sheila E opened for Prince on the legendary Purple Rain tour and Libert spent a lot of time hanging with Prince, many times assisting Prince with his shows.
In the late 90s, Libert formed Available Entertainment with entertainment attorney Alan Oken. Available Entertainment went on to represent George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, Brian Auger, Living Colour, Sheila E, Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, amongst others.
Libert also wrote hit songs for other artists including The Tokens, The Chiffons and Gerry & The Pacemakers.
Libert has promoted many concerts throughout his career including sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York (George Clinton) and the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater in Kansas City (Kool and the Gang).
His record producing credits include co-producing The Happenings album, Piece of Mind, with fellow Happenings co-founder Bobby Miranda, as well as producing on his own - Tomi Rae Brown, Attus, Steel Water Blue and Eric Kellogg's Imaginary Band.
Despite his success, Libert eventually became involved in drugs and, for a time, began dealing drugs before being busted and paying the price for it with jail time.
But he regrouped and made a successful return to the music industry as a manager, working with acts including Living Colour and Vanilla Fudge, who were respectful of his knowledge and skills and were happy to work with him.
These days, soon to be 80 years young, David is enjoying a much more relaxed and less hectic life. He lives in Southern California and is a devoted animal rights activist, helping to find homes for animals that desperately need one. There’s talk about the book being made into a feature length film as well, which excites David to no end.
PURCHASE
THE NEW BOOK
BY
DAVID LIBERT
ROCK AND ROLL WARRIOR
at amazon.com
David Libert shares the unvarnished, absolutely true tales from the Inner circle of the music industry from Alice Cooper to Prince, on the road, backstage, on private jets and inside the notorious after-parties with music legends in the era of free-spirit, hard-driving rock ’n’ roll and R&B. It’s life on the road in technicolor. A rollercoaster ride like none other. You’re in the trenches as “Dyno Dave” engages with his hilarious, edgy, and sarcastic wit. As Tour Manager for Alice Cooper, running the first large-scale, theatrical, international rock tour to Manager of Parliament-Funkadelic Libert leads the charges with wisdom, ingenuity, dexterity, psychology, and arm-tising. As much as it is the story of rock superstars, it is a tale of David’s journey from being the singer in the hit ‘60s pop group the Happenings (See You In September) through his days as a drug dealer on Sunset Strip.
Quotes from some of David’s friends about the book:
While looking back at the WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE tour,
there was only one person who could have been the road manager.
David Libert was somehow on the same frequency as the cast and
crew’s collective madness. If the fires of insanity were burning,
David Libert was fanning the flames. Every morning’s flight
began with roll call and the ‘ball’ scores.
—ALICE COOPER
First as booking agent and then as personal manager for
Parliament-Funkadelic during our wildest tours, David Libert
was Mission Control for the Mothership.
—GEORGE CLINTON, Dr. Funkenstein
In the dog-eat-dog world of Rock and Roll in the ‘70s and ‘80s,
Dave Libert was known for his upbeat style, his ruthlessness in
business and his epic Hollywood Hills parties. He wore many hats
as a booking agent and manager, and in those days, you couldn’t
find anyone better. Thanks for the memories, Dave!
—CHERIE CURRIE, The Runaways
GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT
ENTITLED
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
SERIES ONE
CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS
AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS
THAT SET US FREE!
BY MUSIC JOURNALIST ...TALK SHOW HOST...
AUTHOR RAY SHASHO
…Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com
Over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.
featuring
CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA… JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER... RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER... ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER
BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.
The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.
Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.
The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.
https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/
Gold Award Winner
