The Gospel According to Abraham
From Delta Boy to Tour Manager
by Paul Abraham
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Pub Date Oct 09 2017 | Archive Date Mar 05 2018
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Description
Going on the road with a bunch of talented musicians isn’t all glitz and glamour, says Paul Abraham, but a more enjoyable job would be hard to find. His memoir will take you behind the scenes, offering intimate details of the kind of life a roadie or a musician leads. But that’s not all. There is much more to Paul than his experiences as a tour manager. He has had a full and entertaining life, indeed.
Having grown up in the Mississippi Delta, the Birthplace of the Blues, Paul’s interest in music flourished and would expand into a wide range of sounds—from classical to classic rock, from country to bluegrass, from big band to jazz. He has been influenced by it all. The first concert he attended was the Beatles in 1966, and from that moment, Paul knew what he wanted to do. Live music was where it was happening, and by hook or by crook, he was going to be involved.
Paul eventually would meet Ronnie Van Zant and the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. No one could guess at the time that Paul’s fate would be to befriend this legendary band and, a long time down the road, to actually tour with the survivors of the 1977 plane crash. He was witness to and, often times, a participant in the antics chronicled here.
Paul went on to tour with other artists such as Bad Company, the Marshall Tucker Band, 38 Special, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Paul Rodgers, the Barefoot Servants, and Michael Peterson. He spent a dozen years, on and off, with Billy Ray Cyrus. There are stories within this book about all of them.
This is the Gospel According to Abraham.
A Note From the Publisher
A music memoir. Also available in Paperback and Hardcover
Advance Praise
Ellen Easter Powell, wife of Lynyrd Skynyrd pianist, Billy Powell: I love him! Paul was such an integral part of the guys being on the road. A more salt-of-the-earth person, would, I think, be difficult to find. Paul is so fair. He had a lot on his plate looking after these guys! Without a complaint or a whimper he was always, with a smile, doing all that he could do and had people’s best interests at heart. They were so fortunate to have Paul.
Randall Hall, former guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd: During my tenure with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul Abraham was the calming force, with a smile on his face, when the chaos of touring was tough. We shared many laughs, miles and smiles, and extremely good times like a real brother.
Ed King, former guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd and co-writer of “Sweet Home Alabama”: Paul is a brother of the road, and I couldn’t have done it without his help. And he’s SUCH a great story teller!
Iain Monk, Skynyrd blogger, Edinburgh, Scotland: It is September, 1988 and Lynyrd Skynyrd are about to hit the stage at the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey. This fresh-faced young Scot, having travelled thousands of miles to see his heroes, makes his move towards the stage. My route is cut off as a large figure looms into view and shoots me a menacing glare. “Move back, son,” he orders.
I later found out that it was Paul Abraham uttering those words, delivered with a quiet authority, an assertive tone. It goes without saying that I took a backward step, as if retreating from an advancing Grizzly bear. Over the years, as I continued to criss-cross America and Europe following the band, our paths crossed on numerous occasions. Each time Paul was helpful, gracious with his time and unflappable.
I always imagined Paul not so much as a tour manager—more a high-wire artiste walking a tightrope stretched very high above the ground. A tricky balancing act: on one hand keeping the band happy, on the other, dealing the insatiable demands of the fans who wanted to get close to their idols. Working for Skynyrd, Paul must, at times, have felt as if he was herding cats or juggling rattlesnakes. From where I stood, the Skynyrd fan in love with the band and their music, all I ever saw when Paul Abraham stood before me was a good, kind man. At all times, he exhibited the very best of human characteristics.
Killer Beaz, “world-famous” comedian: Paul Abraham is equal parts psychic, cat herder, gang enforcer, priest, judge-jury-executioner, AND GRIZZLY! With a heart of gold. Love that man. “Save up!”
Michael Peterson, chart-topping musician and songwriter: I have worked with several road managers during my career of 30+ years. I was friendly with all of them, but only became true friends with one. That would be Paul Abraham. He always did a great job handling details, but more importantly, he did a fantastic job taking care of the people he was with. He never failed in that regard. He was and still is one of the finest men I know. What a privilege it has been to work with and known him.
James T. McCafferty, author of The Bear Hunter: The Life and Times of Robert Eager Bobo in the Canebrakes of the Old South: You won’t find this gospel at the Baptist bookstore, but between its covers you’ll meet a collection of folk who form a virtual Who’s Who of southern popular culture. From the boys of Lynyrd Skynyrd to Dale Earnhardt to Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, Paul Abraham has known—and now writes about—them all. Read the book!
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9780999247907 |
| PRICE | $7.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Janice B, Reviewer
Paul Abraham grew up in small town, Mississippi Delta and cheerfully outlines what sounds like quite an idyllic childhood. His childhood was quite the opposite of most kids today, focusing on the outdoors and playing with friends rather than sitting alone indoors on electronic devices. The good old days! The author spends a fair bit of the book describing his growing up years in the South, giving a good picture of his family, friends and town. He first heard Lynyrd Skynyrd in Atlanta in the early 1970s and was immediately moved by how much the band's music reminded him of growing up in the South. And that started his career as a concert promoter . At that concert featuring Skynyrd he met Ronnie Van Sant and began his friendship with the band. Contrary to my expectations from reading the book description, this book focuses more on the author's general life story than on his experiences as a road manager for Skynyrd. He has certainly lived a full and interesting life. It was a pleasant read full of insight into a part of the world I have never seen, the Southern USA.
Dave W, Reviewer
Paul Abraham was a tour manager for Lynrd Skynrd, Rossington Collins, and Billy Ray Cyrus, among others. He is probably not a household name. Part autobiographical, part reminisces, this book chronicles his life growing up in a small Southern town, trying to make it as a musician, and eventually stories and legends about being on tour, the headaches, the stunts, the practical jokes. Unlike most music biographies, this one feels as if it it really was written in Abraham's unpolished, unvarnished voice.
Micheal L, Reviewer
To be clear; this book is about a Southern kid named Paul Abraham whose love of music led him to an unusual life of concert promoting, tour managing, and world travel with some very famous musicians. It is NOT the story of those musicians. It is Paul's story. While relating where he came from and where he went Paul shares reminiscences of his times with several bands and artists, most notably The Lynyrd Skynyrd Band and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Those expecting "tell all" secrets or in depth biographies of those artists will be greatly disappointed. Mr. Abraham's doesn't sugar coat it, but none of the information is particularly salacious or earth shattering (The boys in Lynyrd Skynyrd partied a lot and had a tendency to feud with each other - Billy Ray's band smoked a LOT of pot).
It's a decent memoir. As has been stated in a blurb by former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King (who was a member of what is considered the "classic" Lynyrd Skynyrd line-up) Paul Abraham is, indeed, a great storyteller. One thing that particularly struck me is how much he treats everyone he talks about as being equals, whether just local folks he knew as a kid or famous people he's met in his travels, everyone he speaks of gets the same respect. I liked that. The man has had an unusual life and known some legendary people but he still comes across as just a kid from the delta.
***Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and to Mr. Paul Abraham for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title.
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