Bet My Soul on Rock 'n' Roll Diary of a Black Punk Icon

by Beauvoir, Jean; Ostrosky, John; Blackwood, Kermit

• ISBN13: 9781641604765
• ISBN10: 164160476X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2022-03-22
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Summary

The life and career of Haitian American musician Jean Beauvoir, a member of the legendary New York City punk band the Plasmatics

Jean Beauvoir joined the Plasmatics in 1979, playing bass and keyboards for the most notorious band to emerge out of the New York City punk scene. By 1982, he was a member of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, a retro-rock revival act headed by Steven Van Zandt. The Disciples of Soul videos played on MTV during the network’s earliest years, making Beauvoir one of the first Black recording artists to cross the start-up music channel’s “color line.” 

Beauvoir went on to become a multi-platinum artist, producer, and songwriter. Bet My Soul on Rock 'n' Roll follows his ride through the American music industry, detailing his encounters with rock stars such as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Lita Ford, as well as the actor Sylvester Stallone, the billionaire executive Richard Branson, and even Donald Trump. Beauvoir also considers the manner in which his Haitian heritage has shaped his public image, his music, and his role as an activist for the dispossessed and the poor.
 
Beauvoir’s collaborations—and stories—span genres, including work with KISS, Debbie Harry, Lionel Richie, and the Ramones
 

Author Biography

Jean Beauvoir is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter of Haitian descent. Guitar World featured him on its list of the fifty “Most Influential Black Rockers” of all time. Beauvoir’s worldwide music catalogue, currently administered by Universal Music Publishing, contains over 600 published titles. As an artist, producer, and songwriter, he has sold in excess of 40 million records. He lives in Bonita Springs, FL. John Ostrosky, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Ace Frehley's No Regrets, is the cohost of Talking Metal and a Berklee alumnus who has performed with musicians including members of the Ramones and Twisted Sister.