Fire And Rain: The James Taylor Story The James Taylor Story B trade pbk - 2003

From the publisher

Many musicians sing about heartache, despair, and confusion, but few have experienced those feelings more intensely than James Taylor, who rose from a childhood of privilege as the son of an affluent medical school dean to become a modern day troubadour and pop superstar. When he was seventeen years old, his demons lead him to a Massachusetts mental institution where he confronted them the only way he knew how, by writing his first songs. After thirty years in the music business, he remains a beloved and admired performer, earning three nominations at the 2002 Grammy Awards and moving millions of people with his heartrending performance of "Fire and Rain" at the Concert for New York in 2001.

Fire and Rain chronicles the remarkable life of James Taylor, from his privileged childhood in Boston to his tumultuous marriage to pop star Carly Simon and the premature alcoholism-related death of his brother, Alex. Award-winning journalist Ian Halperin reveals the troubled man behind the public persona, including fascinating stories such as:
-- His ten-month stay in the exclusive psychiatric institution where he finished high school-- His self-imposed exile to England where he submitted his music to the Beatles' Apple Records and the mentoring role played by Paul McCartney
-- The story behind his second album, Sweet Baby James, which contained the song "Fire and Rain" about the hopelessness of mental illness and suicide-- His battle with heroin, alcohol, and mental illness.