To Hell and Back

Name: To Hell and Back
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SKU: 9781493059881
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My Life in Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, in the Words of the Last Man Standing

By Walter Lure

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Summary

To Hell and Back recounts Walter Lure's firsthand experiences as a member of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, offering a unique insider's view of the punk scene's explosive rise in New York and London. Through his contemporaneous journals, Lure vividly captures the raw energy, chaos, and culture of the era—clubs, tours, and the infamous personalities that defined the movement. He also honestly shares his personal struggles with addiction and his subsequent transformation, balancing a Wall Street career with his passion for music.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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To Hell and Back

$45⁹⁷

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This memoir will appeal to readers interested in punk rock history, music lovers seeking an authentic account of the 1970s punk explosion, and those drawn to gritty, honest tales of personal struggle and resilience.

Alongside Richard Hell, Walter Lure is the last surviving member of seminal punk band Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, and the only one who was there for the full stretch. From New York to London and back again, Lure's autobiography unflinchingly explores both the sensational story of the band and its lurid legacy.

Description

There have been many books written about Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, but only by people who weren’t there. Walter Lure was— from the band's chaotic beginnings on New York's Lower East Side, through a now-legendary UK tour with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, and on to a yearlong stay in London—eyewitness and midwife to the birth of UK punk.

Now, he tells his story in To Hell and Back, a thrilling ride through the clubs and dives of two continents, in the company of one of the most notorious junkies in rock 'n' roll history. Drawing from his own contemporary journals, Lure paints a vivid portrait of life in both cities, during perhaps the most crucial musical uprising of the past forty years… the music, the characters, the clothes, the fights, the drugs, the orgies, the lot.

Lure lays bare his own battle with drugs, and reflects upon his life after the band's split—rising to become a Wall Street fixture yet still finding time to make music.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781493059881

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 May 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Backbeat Books

Illustration: 24 b/w photos; 25 colour photos

Contributors:

With Dave Thompson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 226.0mm

Weight: 440g

Pages: 280

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction Walter Lure

About the Author

Walter Lure

Walter Lure continues to play live and record. His latest album, Wacka Lacka Boom Bop A Loom Bam Boo, received great reviews across the media spectrum, and his most recent (spring 2019) tour sold out venues throughout the US. He is also heavily involved with Jungle Records’ regular reexaminations of the Heartbreakers’ recorded legacy, and maintains an active presence on social media.

Dave Thompson

Dave Thompson is the author of over 150 books, including co-written memoirs with New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain, Motown legends Brian and Eddie Holland (forthcoming), Hawkwind’s Nik Turner, the Yardbirds' Jim McCarty, Fairport Convention’s Judy Dyble, and more. He is a columnist for Goldmine magazine, and his work has also appeared in Rolling Stone, Spin, Alternative Press, Mojo, Record Collector, and many other major publications. He has contributed to music documentaries produced by VH-1, A&E, the BBC, and others. Born in the UK, Thompson is now a US resident living in Delaware.

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To Hell and Back

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