Only the Strong Survive
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How different this book is from so many other autobiographies I have read. In the first place Jerry Butler holds a couple of university degrees and is well educated, in the second he has lived a full life which not only encompasses music but a political career as well. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly he is a man. As a result we have a book that is about much more than 'soul' music, one which gives us views and perspectives on other African-American issues as well. The tome begins with a reminder about the racism experienced by Emmett Till, a young man who was beaten to death for whistling at a white woman and Bessie Smith, the blues singer who could not find treatment at any 'Whites only' hospitals and eventually died from injuries suffered in a car crash. He also reflects upon the Vietnam War in a prologue which gives context to the lives of African-Americans at the time. It is a wonderful description of the cocktail of influences which gave rise to 'Soul' music at that time. The book is sensibly organised into a chronological order with Part 1 covering his early years, part 2 covering his work with Vee Jay, Part 3 his time with Mercury and part 4 his time with Motown and Philadelphia International. Part 5 is the epilogue which concentrates exclusively on his political career. As Jerry is quick to point out, no other star has worked at all four of the big black owned record companies. In the soul field his experience is massive and his contribution immense. And why is this book so different from other soul autobiographies. The fact Jerry is a man means that we are spared the rather pointless detail of which clothes were worn for which show. We are also spared the bitchiness which women artists seem to enjoy indulging in. If criticisms of other artists are to be found in this book they are so well disguised they are almost imperceptible. The fact that Jerry is an educated man means that he has the ability to stand back and comment on the events that shaped his life. He resists the temptation to rant and rail about perceived injustices when things have gone against him. The contrast between his life and artists such as Jackie Wilson or Marvin Gaye is stark, indeed many may consider it bland. He married his childhood sweetheart Annette, and as far as we are able to judge remained faithful to her throughout his life, no divorce, no marital strife, just a genuine loving relationship. Jerry also stayed clear of the other big temptations of the rich and famous, drugs and drink. As a result his perspective is very different from those who achieved stardom at the expense of failed lives. I think it is possible to tell from reading somebody's autobiography whether you would like them or not. I am very definitely left with the impression that I would like Jerry Butler were I ever to have the honour of meeting him. Despite his successes he comes across as a very modest man, and one who appreciates the qualities in others around him. His acrimonious split from the 'Impressions' clearly wounded him despite the fact the problem was not of his making. The executives insisted on billing the group as 'Jerry Butler and the Impressions' which left a bad taste in the mouths of other group members. The billing was beyond Jerry's control. Overall the book superbly covers all professional aspects of Jerry's career, and his personal views on larger issues. He gives a balanced perspective on racism which he believes is equally to be found amongst both black and white communities. I believe however that there are many areas of his personal life that he chooses to omit. If I'm wrong then he has truly been blessed with a life of un-naturally little pain. Maybe he's just not prepared to wash his dirty linen in public. The only chapter which I did not enjoy was chapter 10 'A Little Help From My Friends'. I could find little purpose to it except for Jerry to indulge in a major exercise in name dropping. Forgetting this indulgence I liked the man and I like this book, and it is one which most soul fans would enjoy. |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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