Killing Bono: I Was Bono's Doppelganger [Paperback]

Neil McCormick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2004

Some are born great.

Some achieve greatness.

Some have greatness thrust upon them.

And some have the misfortune

to go to school with Bono.

Everyone wants to be famous. But as a young punk in Dublin in the 1970s, Neil McCormick's ambitions went way beyond mere pop stardom. It was his destiny to be a veritable Rock God. He had it all worked out: the albums, the concerts, the quest for world peace. There was only one thing he hadn't counted on. The boy sitting on the other side of the classroom had plans of his own.

Killing Bono is a story of divergent lives. As Bono and his band U2 ascended to global superstardom, his school friend Neil scorched a burning path in quite the opposite direction. Bad drugs, weird sex, bizarre haircuts: Neil experienced it all in his elusive quest for fame. But sometimes it is life's losers who have the most interesting tales to tell.

Featuring guest appearances by the Pope, Bob Dylan, and a galaxy of stars, Killing Bono offers an extremely funny, startlingly candid, and strangely moving account of a life lived in the shadows of superstardom.

"The problem with knowing you is that you've done everything I ever wanted to," Neil once complained to his famous friend. "I'm your doppelganger," Bono replied. "If you want your life back, you'll have to kill me."

Now there was a thought...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author of this exuberant rock memoir went to school with the members of super-group U2 and stayed friends with Bono (ne Paul Hewson) as he rose from garage-band front-man to rock colossus to world dignitary thanks to his stumping for debt relief for the world's poorest countries. But the book is less about the distant figure of Bono than about McCormick's feverish quest to emulate his success in a series of bands; he spent 10 thrilling, agonizing years on the brink of making it. The result is a funny, jaundiced celebration of rock 'n' roll fantasy and reality, chronicling the music, the debauchery, the search for band mates who can play an instrument, the philistinism of major label A&R reps, the wasted talents of the wannabes they crush, the seething resentment toward those who make it and the intoxicating rush of live performance that transfigures even those who don't. McCormick, now the rock critic for Britain's Daily Telegraph, includes some overwritten analysis of Bono's lyrics and musings on God and the meaning of life, but his book is also full of trenchant observations of the 1970s Dublin punk scene and the shifting styles of 1980s New Wave and pop. McCormick's is an authentic, gripping rock 'n' roll voice, veering between self-importance and self-loathing on an unsteady journey toward self-knowledge.
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Review

'Envy may be a sin, but it is a godsend to drama. Honest and always hilarious' Daily Telgraph 'Fantastic, very funny. The best sort of book about rock, being both personal and intimate ... illuminating a dozen big subjects by side-light' -- Andrew O'hagan --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: MTV Books; Original edition (October 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743482484
• ISBN-13: 978-0743482486
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Music Book of 2004, November 23, 2004

By 

D. Sean Brickell (gorgeous Virginia Beach, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Bono: I Was Bono's Doppelganger (Paperback)

Let's get something straight from the get-go: this is the best book on music for 2004. Darn-sure qualifies as one of the Top 5 of all time, for that matter. And speaking of the matter, this is the most painfully pleasant description of the music biz's sorry-ass state ever put on paper.

Anyone who ever has even remotely dreamed of making it in a band (HELLO-OOO all you folks) must read this book. Mr. McCormick pulls no punches. He shovels the blame on incompetentcy, including his own. He documents the rise from gymnasium cover band to the most exhaulted level stardom by his school chums in U2, particularly Bono to whom he remains close.

The comparison and contrast could not delineate a clearer gap.

The writing reads as rapidly as a Ramones song: "onetotreefo" so you never get the slightest bit bored or anxious over the author's misguided efforts and tragicomic outcomes. How many ways can a band win in the music biz? Well, there's only one way things work when you're successful. How many ways can things get screwed up? Incalculable.

A modern classic is what we got with this. Sadly, I don't know if the ol' boy has anything left for a follow-up of substance. But he certainly did provide plenty of insight in this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mr. McCormick - you are certainly not a loser, April 12, 2005

By 

Robert (LOS ANGELES, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Bono: I Was Bono's Doppelganger (Paperback)

This book succeeds on three levels

1) A vivid portrait of growing up a rock fan in Ireland in the 70's and coming of age as a struggling rock musician in the 80's
2) An excellent portrait of the makings of a supergroup and rock icon written from a fascinating perspective- a long time friend who is STILL a friend.
3) A great autobiographical rumination on letting go of your dreams while building new ones and embracing the person you are.

As a U2 fan, I loved the captions with Bono. It's refreshing when a famous person who seems to be a nice person in the glare of celebrity actually turns out to be a nice person behind the scenes. Bono comes across as a good guy and genuine person.

I like that the two are still friends nearly thirty years later despite their different experiences. It's as if Paul McCartney had still shared a pint and chewed the fat with Pete Best on occasion....

A wonderful aspect of the book is that confirms that you never outgrow your true friends (and shouldn't)and that you shouldn't forget where you came from....

Mr. McCormick- please write another book! You are a fine talent and more importantly- a fine human being....

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why do some rise and some fall?, July 12, 2006

By 

Bookenator - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Killing Bono: I Was Bono's Doppelganger (Paperback)

First the basics. McCormick grew up with this guy named Paul. They both formed bands and played the circuits, making connections with the music industry big wigs and recording their songs. Paul is now better known as Bono. McCormick is now better known as the music critic for the Telegraph. So what happened? What makes one person become a star and another fail to break through the maze of the music industry? Talent? Fate? Luck? This book takes you on the whole journey, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, but always interesting. I blazed through its 384 pages in four days, and wish there were still more of it to read. Along the way I was treated to deep discussions of fame, fortune, misfortune, music, the music industry, religion, and life in general. McCormick weaves together several themes and keeps them all relevant and alive. If you've ever dreamed of being a rock star, read this book.