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The Lives of Brian

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The Lives of Brian

By: Brian Johnson
Narrated by: Brian Johnson
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'It wasn't me. I didn't do it. And I'll never do it again!' says Brian Johnson of The Lives of Brian. That AC/DC's legendary front man got to do it all is one of the most cheering and entertaining stories in rock 'n' roll history.

The son of a British army sergeant-major and Italian mother, Brian grew up in Dunston, Tyne and Wear, as it emerged from the shadow of the Second World War. Then he saw Little Richard on the BBC and it changed the course of his life.

The choirboy and cub scout was going to be singer.

For over a decade he tried to make his mark with a succession of bands. He appeared on to Top of the Pops, toured Australia and yet the big time looked out of reach. Then he was invited to London for an audition for one of the world's biggest rock acts. AC/DC were a band in crisis following the tragic death of their lead singer, Bon Scott, but with Brian on board they would record their masterpiece: Back in Black. It became the biggest selling rock album of all time. The tour that followed played to packed out arenas. Quickly embraced by the band's fans, the new boy had earned his spurs. But there was to be a twist in the tale. In 2016, Brian was forced to quit the band after being diagnosed with hearing loss, only to make a triumphant return to the band he loved with the release of 2020's smash hit album Power Up.

It's been a rollercoaster of a life, throughout which Brian's kept his feet firmly on the ground, never losing touch with his roots.

Warm, vivid, evocative, life-affirming and often laugh-out-loud funny, The Lives of Brian tells the story of one of our most well-loved performers in his own inimitable words.

©2022 Brian Johnson (P)2022 Penguin Audio
Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity Funny Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

What listeners say about The Lives of Brian

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Excellent listening!

Love the book, love Brian. If you like AC/DC do yourself a favour and give it a listen

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  • Overall
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Back In Black

Great book, great narration. Brian seems like a top bloke, having followed him for a while thanks to ACDC and Life On The Road.

Would have loved to hear more about albums and tours following Back In Black... maybe a sequel?

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Rock or bust

Brian rocks! Was a great listen made even better by hearing it from Brian. In rock we trust!

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A must for any autobiography lover

What a great and funny story I recommend this to anyone who loves autobiographies and music

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Recommend!

It is always inspiring to listen to the life stories of others, but this book made me look at Brian from the other angle - not just a rock star performing in the stage but a human with his fears, struggles and happy moments. Thank you Mr Johnson for sharing your stories with us!

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Sensational, 9 lives alright

What a remarkable story yet Brian has managed to make me feel in his style of narration, that he was telling me over down the pub over a pint, what a true gentleman of Rock and Roll.

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Magnificent!

Truly captivating like all great Geordie story tellers. Real authenticity, emotion and humility. Proof you should never give up and take the easy road. The reason we in the northeast have such tremendous pride. And if you read this, thank you Brian.

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Excellent but might need a paper copy to translate

One of the better rock autobiographies. Delves deep into the making of Back in Black then skips the next 30+ years' worth of albums, which would have been interesting. Johnson's accent takes some earlobe twisting; in some spots I skipped back a few times only to give up and have a chuckle at what I imagined he said.

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Love AccaDacca? Get this book!

Brian's story is a rags-to-riches fairytale of slugging it out in bands, while working full time running a windscreen & roof repairs business, and being a dad & husband. Then one day he gets a call... and is invited to audition for AC-DC. No shite. Humble and honest, this is a fast moving tale to the peaks of rock 'n roll. Johnson tells of his own insecurities as a singer, his affairs, about Bon Scott, touring, recording Back in Black, his almost total hearing loss and recovery... there's a lot here and it's entertaining and interesting for us AC-DC fans. My only grudge is at times I struggled to understand his accent... but these were few. Enjoy!

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awesome

absolutley loved this - well read by Brian - the whole book was amazing thanks for sharing Brian

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