Guardian Of The Gods: An Inside Look at the Dangerous Business of Music [Paperback]

Mark Rodgers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 1999

A figure, moving at blinding speed, shot out from the left side of the stage. Within seconds, the offender wadded up like a piece of paper lay bleeding. The severity of the violence was almost sickening. The band never missed a beat.

The powerful person who made such easy work of a deranged fan was none other than the gentle, well-spoken Andre Augustine.

Throughout his phenomenal career Andre has worked with such rock and rap giants as Aerosmith, The Artist Formerly known As Prince, Kiss, Bon Jovi, George Thorogood, Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy and N.W.A.

This is his story - an insider's look at the glamorous, not-so-glamorous and sometimes dangerous business of music.

Now, for the first time, author Mark Rodgers tells the story of a concert security director and his life on the road with artists who have helped create music history. Packed with insight, Guardian of the Gods is not an expose; rather, it offers a new and unseen perspective on the music business and reveals dozens of untold stories.

The book is packed with over 75 never-before-published photographs, including a 32-page section of color photographs that features a shot of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's grave and many unique backstage photos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born about an hour outside of Philadelphia, Mark cites his first Kiss album, Kiss Alive! as the beginning of his real interest in music. Since then he has been an avid music fan, guitar player and voracious reader of music biographies. Like many of his generation Kiss, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin ruled his music collection.

For a 'real' job Mark turned to Harley-Davidson. For 12 years he has worked in various capacities and positions. Starting out at a dealership in Philadelphia, Mark quickly found himself working at Harley-Davidson corporate. Working as a sales & marketing trainer, product marketing manager and later a manager of sales and business development, Mark has traveled the world, spreading the good news of Harley-Davidson. He also met his wife at H-D, as she was a product manager there.

The entrepreneurial spirit proved too much for Mark as he and his wife resigned their salaried positions and are now consultants, spending much of their time (when not creating book projects!) working for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycles and Eaglemark Financial services.

Combining passion and productivity, whether its motorcycles or music, is a driver Mark lists as one key to success. "When you love what you do, it doesn't seem like work!" Which is why others have commented his work is so good.

Mark holds his BA in Mass Communications and Public Relations and a Masters Degree in Education. He has also participated in Executive Education programs at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. Mark is also an award winning author, the recipient of Advanstar Communication's Grand Gold Award for his article column Series: Improving Human Performance, which ran in the motorcycle publications DealerNews and American Big Twin Dealer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Monkey Boy Media (June 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967128803
• ISBN-13: 978-0967128801
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,681,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book !!, October 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guardian Of The Gods: An Inside Look at the Dangerous Business of Music (Paperback)

Guardian of the Gods is a great book for any music fan. There is a lot of trash out there written about the music industry and I was thrilled to see that this book is not a part of that. To find a good quality written book from "behind the scenes of the music business" is rare.

The stories are great - I bought it for the rock stuff and did not think I'd read the rap sections - but I have to admit that I found the whole book intriguing.

Mark Rodgers did a great job of capturing Andre's life and career in the music business.

The whole book is great - and all the color photos - WOW. I felt like I was right there in the stories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very in-depth and entertaining look behind the music scene, October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guardian Of The Gods: An Inside Look at the Dangerous Business of Music (Paperback)

Guardian if the Gods tells the story from AndrŽ Augustine's perspective as the head of security, and in some cases, the tour manager for various Rap and Rock bands. From the start of his career touring with Run D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys in their early days to touring with KISS, Aerosmith, and Bon Jovi, Augustine and writer Mark Rodgers have produced a book that keeps the reader interested from the first page to the last. It also includes a lot of great private, never-before -seen photos from Augustine's private collection. Guardian of the Gods is not an exposŽ, but more of a highlight journal that shows the good times, wild times, and in some cases the sad times of the music world, plus, the dangerous times dealing with over zealous fans and groupies.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read !!!, October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guardian Of The Gods: An Inside Look at the Dangerous Business of Music (Paperback)

This is a great book for any music fan. There is a lot of trash out there and I was pleased to see that this book was above all that. It was a fun book and hard to put down. The behind the scenes stories gave you a peek at the inside. And the photos were fantastic.