by Eric Clapton
First published 2025
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Dion DiMucci opens his story to close friend Adam Jablin in intimate conversations that span his entire career. From his breakthrough as lead singer of Dion and the Belmonts in the late 1950s through his solo success in the 1960s, Dion traces his path from chart-toppers like "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer" to "Abraham, Martin, and John." He reveals his struggles with heroin addiction, his sixty-year marriage, and his musical evolution through folk, blues, and gospel in the 1970s and 1980s. The conversations explore his relationships with influential artists including Hank Williams and Bob Dylan, his twelve gold records, his 1985 Grammy nomination, and his 1989 Hall of Fame induction alongside the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder. Over 200 photographs document not only Dion's personal journey but the broader transformation of American popular music across six decades.
Genres: biography, addiction, 20th-century, american, biography-memoir, music, 21st-century, musicians
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, redemption
Setting: United States
Period: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
228 pages · Hardcover · Lyons Press
Content warnings: addiction, substance-abuse