Livin' On A Prayer
Big Songs Big Life
David Ritz author Desmond Child author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Diversion Books
Published:19th Sep '23
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Desmond Child is the ultimate hitmaker, contributing to some of the biggest smash global hits that helped ignite the success of music icons KISS, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Ricky Martin, Katy Perry, and countless others. In Livin' On A Prayer, he reveals how he climbed his way to the top and beyond amid extraordinary circumstances and shares his very personal and unbelievable journey that shaped him into an artist of international renown.
For over half a century, Desmond Child has collaborated with the world's most celebrated artists creating timeless hits, such as Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer and You Give Love A Bad Name as well as Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca and The Cup Of Life amongst his vast catalog. But in Livin' On A Prayer, Desmond himself takes center stage to share his transformational story from misfit outsider to cultural pacesetter.
In collaboration with legendary music biographer David Ritz, Child recounts his unconventional upbringing as his colorful family fled Cuba in the 1960s and fell into poverty. He details his shocking discovery at age 18 that the man he called dad was not his biological father after all, and he courageously bares his soul about navigating the trials of being a Latino gay man in the macho world of rock and roll. His is a story of willing himself to succeed and overcome impossible odds to establish himself as one of the most influential composers and lyricists of all time.
A page-turner of an autobiography full of the remarkable stories behind his songs.
—The Guardian
The Desmond you don't know about is the one who not only taught me the next level of songwriting, but so many of the true aspects of friendship: truth, honor, and loyalty.
—Jon Bon Jovi
I can describe him in three words: Blood, Sweat & Hits.
—Alice Cooper
He only knows how to write one kind of song... a hit.
—Cher
I love myself for writing with him.
—Joan Jett
The first time we met, we wrote ‘Angel' in about an hour and 45 minutes—and I'm not bullshitting. The guy's a fucking genius.
—Steven Tyler
Desmond Child is a game-changer. As a singer, songwriter, producer, and visionary, he has deconstructed and reconstructed the global soundscape, adding an electrical charge that continues to light up our musical culture.
—Emilio Estefan
For over five decades of #1 hits that stretch across two centuries, Desmond Child and Diane Warren have ruled as the King & Queen of popular songwriting. The only problem is trying to figure out which one is which!
—John Stamos
Desmond Child... always a threat.
—Diane Warren
In the realm of music history, there are legends, and then there's Desmond Child.
—Give it a Spin
Child is a fascinating character, a candid individual with a multitude of anecdotes. It feels like you're right there in the room with him as he tells his story. With the assistance of ghostwriter David Ritz, Desmond tells a life story that's seen many highs and lows. It's a real rags-to-riches story in which Child comes across as a good guy with plenty to say.
—Rock Candy Magazine
ISBN: 9781635768534
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 33mm
Weight: 658g
400 pages