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), and featuring many never-before-seen photos.
‘Touched by Magic’ is available through www.lulu.com for $19.98 (U.S.), and there is a sample chapter to read at the site (the chapter is titled “Moxy/’Teaser’/Deep Purple). The book was written by journalist Greg Prato, whose work has appeared in a variety of sites and magazines, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, Rolling Stone.com, Record Collector Magazine, and Classic Rock Magazine, among others. A long-time fan of Tommy’s music, Greg conducted interviews with such renowned rock names as David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Eddie Kramer, Carmine Appice, Jan Hammer, Martin Barre, Jimmy Haslip, Mark Stein, Prairie Prince, Dale Peters, Jim Fox, Alphonse Mouzon, Kenny Passarelli, Henry Paul, Narada Michael Walden, Reggie McBride, and Otis Taylor, as well as Tommy’s brother, Johnnie Bolin (among countless others), for the book. continue reading...