The Soloist

A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music

By: Steve Lopez

Narrated by: William Hughes

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

When journalist Steve Lopez sees Nathaniel Ayers playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles' skid row, he finds it impossible to walk away. More than 30 years ago, Ayers was a promising classical bass student at Juilliard - ambitious, charming, and also one of the few African-Americans there - until he gradually lost his ability to function, overcome by schizophrenia.

Over time, the two men form a bond and Lopez imagines that he might be able to change Ayers' life. The Soloist is a beautifully told story of devotion in the face of seemingly unbeatable challenges.

©2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With self-effacing humor, fast-paced yet elegant prose and unsparing honesty, Lopez tells an inspiring story of heartbreak and hope." ( Publishers Weekly)

Fascinating true story

Stories like this open our eyes and remind us that there are people all around us who struggle with enormous challenges; and that sometimes we CAN make a difference. The author gets drawn into the mysterious life of a homeless man and is forced to confront not only the problems that get people to that situation, but also the choices and forces that keep them there. He learns much about mental illness, but can he get the man off Skid Row and help him deal with his problems and reclaim his rare gift of music? Well written, fascinating topic, and a true story to boot. Just published this year, and already there is a movie version in production. Listen to the book first before the movie spoils it for you!

Excellent

I saw the movie and loved it.Then I listened to the book. As usual, Hollywood condenses and intermingles scenes to present a point, but that's ok. The story is well written and well narrated. It's definitely worth the credit.

Someone get the scissors , please.

This is actually a 2 hr book. Oh, he managed to keep me listening , as I waited for a climax to this story, but I was disappointed. It plods along. It was with a sense of relief that it ended. Even the author seemed happy to have it over with. Maybe...that was the point of this whole exercise. How much , as we do for others ,are we actually doing for ourselves ? The book was very well read, without that, I would not have made it through.

Where was this book when Columbus, Ohio needed it?

I don't know why I haven't found this book or heard of the movie earlier. Columbus, Ohio had a very similar "Nathaniel Ayres" in 2011 when a Columbus Dispatch reporter found Ted Williams "The Golden Voice" panhandling on a street corner. The homeless man had a long career in radio, only to end on the streets when drugs and hard times made him unemployable. The video of Ted William and his voice went viral after being posted to YouTube, and Williams subsequently received numerous job offers. His "golden voice" became the voice of Kraft foods and Pepsi, a dentist gave him new teeth, the Today Show and GMA welcomed him into their studios. For a few years Ted was shuffled between handlers - mostly the latest person who saw an opportunity to make money. Unfortunately Ted did NOT have a Steve Lopez who, while chronicling the myriad of issues which lay beneath and behind his talent, understood that money does NOT solve all problems, especially when dumped in the bank account of a homeless drug addict. This story is well told. In addition to telling the incredible story of a musician savant and his unlikely friendship with a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist, Mr. Lopez takes the time to weave the social issues that keep men and women like Mr. Ayres on the street. It is a no-holds-barred recounting of mental illness, addiction and it's contribution to Skid Row. Mr. Ayres was more than a deadline-driven newspaper column, he grew to be a friend of Mr. Lopez and the friendship demanded persistence when the journalist wanted to move on. Mr. Ayres is far better off having been launched from obscurity by the LA Times ~ not because of the publicity but because of the dogged tenacity of Mr. Lopez to make sure Nathaniel did not remain "on the streets of Calcutta" as he so aptly described the hellish pool of humanity among LA's homeless.. Unfortunately Columbus' Mr. Thomas did not have that kind of unselfish commitment. After being awarded voice contracts of $1.5 million and a half-million advance for his book - as of 2021 "The Golden Voice" is homeless, back on the street, very likely no longer sober (although he claims to be) and wishing he had never "gone viral."

A very well-done book.

This was a "special" on Audible, and when I started to read it, I wasn't sure that I would like it. After all, the description of the book pretty much tells the whole story. Except that it doesn't.

The writing by Steve Lopez is so non-judgemental of this musical prodigy. He is able to describe in a very benign manner the oft bizarre Nathaniel Ayres and his life living on the streets of LA and coping with schizophrenia, somehow making sense of his behavior. It was touching and insightful, and a very enjoyable listen.

Surprised by life

This is a marvelous tale of how the unplanned in life can be wonderful. Nathaniel went from being an enigma, to a cunundrum, to a project, to a frustration, to a discovery of who Steve Lopez could be by the aforementioned Steve Lopez.

Good Listen

Interesting on several levels (music, family, homelessness, and the field of psychaitry). Since it was published 14 years ago, one will be curious as to what has transpired since in those areas of life.

Sad story

Well told sad story about the inability to reform or cure LA’s skid row. Journalist makes a career, telling a necessary tale of poverty, and untreated mental illness.

Music to the Ears

The words of Steve Lopez that were brilliantly written were conducted by a reader who brought the power of the story to life and into the hearts and minds for all-Bravo!

Phenomenal Classical Musician

If you could sum up The Soloist in three words, what would they be?

Brilliant/Hope/Mental Illness

What did you like best about this story?

Knowing that Nathaniel was still able to play beautiful, classical music with string instruments and the piano, gave me internal peace and such happiness for Nathaniel. When Steven Lopez first noticed Nathaniel playing classical music with his not so perfect violin, while on a street corner in the city of Los Angeles, he saw a story for the newspaper. However, he found himself taking an interest in Nathaniel as a man and a friend. Steve worried about Nathaniel and worked with him and the system to find a place for him to live with supervision. It was a struggle for Nathaniel to come in off of the streets and live in a place of his own. He did not like living with the rules that govern society. He had lived on the streets for almost 35 years. Steve had to come to terms with the power and limitations that schizophrenia had over a man such as Nathaniel. There was no certainty that Nathaniel wouldn't leave the apartment and live on the streets again. Nathaniel was unpredictable but Steve had found a friend and realized that he would have to continue to learn to accept him as he was.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator did not distinguish the character's one from the other. His voice was good and I had no issues with listening to the book but I was glad that he did let the reader know who was talking. I found that the character's all sounded too much alike. I enjoy listening to individual character's. The narrator did use good characterization of feelings such as anger, disappointment, happiness, etc.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not have an extreme reaction to this book.

Any additional comments?

Schizophrenia usually presents itself from a person's late teens through their early twenties. There is medication that can help the schizophrenic stabilize the voices that they hear, medication that is helpful in decreasing a person's psychotic episodes as well as their paranoia. However, even when a schizophrenic takes his medication daily. as prescribed by his physician, he will have break through episodes that do require hospitalization until stabilized. The schizophrenic is never symptom free. However, not all schizophrenic's live how Nathaniel lived. The deinstitutionalization of some of the mentally ill patient's, with many different types of mental illness, back into society was not good for the patient's themselves. Saving money was the issue, not providing "freedom from an institution." Not all of them knew to take care of themselves, even though the social workers found placement for each patient who left the hospital. They walked away and started living on the streets. Therefore, some of these people are now part of the homeless, who live in the cities all across America. Nathaniel managed to survive on the streets with schizophrenia but I think retaining the ability to play his music was awesome. Having someone such as Steve Lopez becoming involved with Nathaniel, as he did, was a miracle, if you believe in miracles. I was very happy that Steve finally learned to accept Nathaniel as Nathaniel.