Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story [Paperback]

Greg Prato (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0578003171 | ISBN-13: 978-0578003177

To many, Tommy Bolin was the legitimate heir to Jimi Hendrix's rock guitar throne. Stints with the James Gang and Deep Purple - as well as solo albums and a groundbreaking release with jazz-rocker Billy Cobham - certainly proved that the adulation was rightly deserved. And with a techno-color fashion sense, he certainly stood out from the pack. Only one problem, Tommy had a death-defying drug addiction, which ultimately would lead to a premature and tragic end - before he was able to truly take his standing among the elite musicians of the world. 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story' is the first book to focus entirely on the life story of Tommy Bolin - compiled from nearly 50 exclusive interviews (including family, friends, and band members that played alongside Tommy throughout the years). "After reading 'Touched by Magic,' it seemed to me every interview 'takes you there' for the moment...I give 105 stars to Greg!" -Johnnie Bolin, Tommy's brother

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The truth is definitely stranger than fiction - Greg Prato brings to light the sad and compelling truth, revelations, and recollections of those that were directly involved with one of the great talents of music history. Tommy Bolin was a musical genius." --Greg Hampton (Whips and Roses and Teaser Deluxe producer)

"Touched by Magic will give you the true feel of a cult hero. A story people should know, and finally get to learn about it." --Stone & Double T, WXRX, Rockford, IL

"Touched By Magic:  The Tommy Bolin Story will give fans the journey into Tommy Bolin's life they always wanted to take." --Keith Roth, The Electric Ballroom Radio Show  

"This 252-page book is a remarkable achievement and hits every target whilst paying respectful justice to the memory of one of the world's greatest guitar stars." --blogcritics.org

"A tragic book, but one well worth reading." --curledup.com

"It's an absolute blast and I rate it as essential for Tommy fans." --John Herdt, Webmaster and Producer, Tommy Bolin Archives

"Upon reading Greg's book, I found myself, once again, immersed in the deep emotional impact that Tommy had on my life." --Glenn Hughes (bandmate of Tommy's in Deep Purple), glennhughes.com

"After reading 'Touched by Magic,' it seemed to me every interview 'takes you there' for the moment." --Johnnie Bolin (Tommy's brother), foreword of book

About the Author

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-–based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, All Music Guide, and Classic Rock Magazine. He is the author of several popular books, 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' 'Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, 'No Schlock . . . Just Rock!,' 'The Eric Carr Story,' 'MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,' and 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets.'

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Greg Prato (December 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0578003171
• ISBN-13: 978-0578003177
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-–based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, All Music Guide, and Classic Rock Magazine. He is the author of several popular books, 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' 'Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, 'No Schlock . . . Just Rock!,' 'The Eric Carr Story,' 'MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,' and 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets.'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story, January 23, 2009

By 

J. Chapman (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story (Paperback)

There is a reason why some artists develop a cult following that continues to grow exponentially some 33 years after they have left the mortal coil. In the case of Tommy Bolin, it is his musical artistry, in general, and his transformingly brilliant guitar playing majesty, specifically, that leaves more and more people year after year discovering what has been lost but should be found.

While I could not recommend this book more highly, if you are new to Tommy Bolin, you first need to listen to his 2 solo releases: "Private Eyes" (which can be had for a criminally low price, so what are you waiting for?) and "Teaser" (which costs a few extra shekels as it is only available as an import). However, just a gander at the guest artists that performed on "Teaser" lets you know that it is well worth the investment.

Greg Prato's "Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story" continues the discovery of an artist whose brilliance transcended his life. Bolin fans have been waiting for this book for literally longer than Tommy's life time. Because it is written from interviews with most of the important people in Tommy's personal and professional life, there is a "warts and all" feel to the book that is very much appreciated. And my takeaway from "Touched by Magic" is the realism that being fortunate enough to be brilliant at one thing (music) by no means bestows upon one competency at others (business management decisions, modifying addictions/lifestyle, etc.).

To his credit, Prato allows the interviews speak for themselves. The interviews reinforce to those who do not (or could not) remember how "matter of fact" casual recreational drug use was to many (if not most) of us who came of age in the 70's. There are some extremely interesting revelations surrounding Bolin's ultimate demise (an unintended poor play on words) that have not been known (at least publicly) until now.

So first, dive into the music and soak up the magic. When you are ready to come up for air, grab this book and appreciate how much someone can accomplish in 25 years of life by maximizing the gift that they have been given.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tommy Bolin: Gone But Never Forgotten, February 25, 2009

By 

Christopher R. Mcbeth "Chris M." (Walnut Bottom, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story (Paperback)

What a wonderful...and haunting book. I was born in 1963 and it is very easy for me to say that Tommy Bolin was the most original and talented guitarist of my lifetime, right next to and along with Jimi Hendrix. This book tells the story of a brilliantly talented, very young lost soul who could make his guitar sing like no other man could but also battled the demons of drugs and alcohol; a battle which took his life at the age of 25. "Touched By Magic" is told through texts and remembrances by Tommy's friends and family with the occasional line by Tommy himself. It also includes passages from his "so-called" manager...note the "so-called". From his early teenage years to his shadowy death in a Miami hotel room in December of '76, "Magic" connects us with a genious for the ages. For anyone familiar with the name "Tommy Bolin", get this book NOW !! For someone un-familiar with his name, I think the book will be interesting but will certainly not be of the same importance. For these people, I say "Get some Tommy Bolin music...anything". Then you will KNOW !! Many thanks to Greg Prato for helping to keep Tommy's name (and music) alive. Through this book and his timeless music, Tommy will be forever "Touched By Magic".

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars disjointed!, April 18, 2009

By 

james gallagher (naples, florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story (Paperback)

i was a huge fan of tommy's during the deep purple years and his solo stuff and was always very interested in hearing the whole story of what happened to him.

i've read this book twice now and a lot of questions have been answered but i feel that a lot of what's been written in this book are only opinions given by people that were angry and shocked at his death. i'm 47, and when i look back at my life at 25, i was a lot like tommy,(minus the talent) and i guess i'm blessed to have made it through those years.

many of those interviewed here would have you believe that barry fey, (tommy's manager) is the devil. well, a few things evident are that he was a businessman and that he believed in tommy's God given gift. although some of the things he did were shocking!

i really feel for tommy's family and their loss! only God knows what he would have accomplished had he lived a full life.

i only became a tommy bolin fan when he joined deep purple but have discovered many other great things he did later. i'll read this book a few more times and maybe i'll have a different opinion then...but one thing i've gathered so far is that there were a lot of shenanigans going on around him late in his life! r.i.p. tommy