Bumping Into Geniuses: My Life Inside the Rock and Roll Business By Danny Goldberg Gotham, 2008 Nonfiction, Memoir

Danny Goldberg needed a job after college so he answered an ad for a receptionist position at a trade magazine. He thought the magazine was about outdoor advertising; turns out it was for Billboard magazine, the hottest music trade publication around, the perfect place for a nice, hardworking boy who happened to love rock and roll. His job there led him to writing record and concert reviews, which in turn had him rubbing elbows with the new movers and shakers of hipsterdom. He covered Woodstock, was friends with Andy Warhol, and got a job doing public relations with Led Zeppelin. His accidental beginnings in the music business led him to a long and colorful career working with some of the best and brightest rock stars, managing and representing KISS, Stevie Nicks, and Bonnie Raitt, eventually working his way up to a record company executive. Through it all, Goldberg kept his wits and his love for the music, never losing his sanity or sharp business sense as he climbed to the top of the ever-rocky world of the hit record. In Bumping Into Geniuses, he relates the real stories behind the music: what really happens on an MTV video shoot, juggling personalities and egos on the concert trail, and shepherding Kurt Cobain and Nirvana through the craziness of rock superstardom. Always lucid, and usually in the right place at the right time, Goldberg is a rock and roll survivor, and this book is his testament to hard work, hard rock and the success that can be reached by remaining true to yourself and your vision. Why You Should Read This Book: Bumping Into Geniuses is a rare rock and roll book, as its author managed to stay drug-free and sane throughout his forty-year career, a feat which offers readers a clear-eyed view of the business side of hit making. From his adventures as a young journalist and critic to the insanity of life on the road with the band, Goldberg's stories bring the hyper-real world of music stars to life in a most realistic way.