Eric Burdon has signed with Alfred Music and ABKCO Music and Records for the release of his memoir, Breathless. The book is expected late this year.
Eric Burdon with Paul Cashmere at SXSW. photo by Ros O'Gorman
It has been an amazing year for Burdon with the release of his critically acclaimed album ‘Til Your River Runs Dry and a major appearance at SXSW. His resurgence is an ideal time to get his stories down on paper.
“I live my life, Breathless…A life of constant motion and excitement. A life that many will envy and most would avoid! I’m extremely fortunate, at age 71, to look back on my life and write down some of the incredible things that have happened to me. In the day-to-day life of a traveling musician, it’s easy to miss so many details. The world goes by at high-speed; it will take your breath away. People we’ve encountered at pivotal moments who profoundly influence our direction are not necessarily the people whose names everybody knows. More often, they are the people who say or do just the right thing, at the right time. I’m writing this book to help myself remember the past, acknowledge the present and help the new generation to discover their own truth…I am writing this book for all of you who helped me discover who I am today.”
Alfred will put out the print version of the book. Burdon is working personally with CEO Ron Manus who said “Eric Burdon is such an important voice in history, musically and lyrically. What I find the most interesting in listening to him speak is his choice of words. They are very deliberate, very mesmerizing.
“The stories he tells are so thought out and appropriate. It’s not just his voice. It’s his inner voice and the tone of his language… that’s what we are so excited to capture in this book. We are looking forward to hearing Eric’s stories, as only he can tell them, and want to use our 90-plus years of publishing experience to help him fulfill his vision in the best way possible.”
ABKCO will release the audio version. Senior Executive Vice President Alisa Coleman said “ABKCO always looks to extend the reach and range of our artists into various media. We are proud to present Eric Burdon’s Breathless as our first audio book concurrent with the release of Alfred Music’s printed version. Over the years ABKCO has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Alfred and they were our first choice with this project.”
