Last Chance Texaco

Chronicles of an American Troubadour

By: Rickie Lee Jones

Narrated by: Rickie Lee Jones

Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

Grammy Award-winning musician Rickie Lee Jones tells all in this electrifying, intimate memoir about how a little girl grew up to be one of the most legendary, groundbreaking artists of her time. Read - and sung - by Rickie Lee Jones!

This troubadour life is only for the fiercest hearts, only for those vessels that can be broken to smithereens and still keep beating out the rhythm for a new song.

Last Chance Texaco is the first-ever no-holds-barred account of the life of two-time Grammy Award-winner Rickie Lee Jones in her own words. It is a tale of desperate chances and impossible triumphs, an adventure story of a girl who beat the odds and grew up to become one of the most legendary artists of her time, turning adversity and hopelessness into timeless music.

With candor and lyricism, the “Duchess of Coolsville” (Time) takes us on a singular journey through her nomadic childhood, to her years as a teenage runaway, through her legendary love affair with Tom Waits, and ultimately her longevity as the hardest working woman in rock and roll. 

Rickie Lee’s stories are rich with the infamous characters of her early songs - “Weasel and the White Boys Cool”, “Danny’s All-Star Joint”, and “Easy Money” - but long before her notoriety in show business, there was a vaudevillian cast of hitchhikers, bank robbers, jailbreaks, drug mules, a pimp with a heart of gold, and tales of her fabled ancestors.

In this electrifying and intimate memoir by one of the most remarkable, trailblazing, and tenacious women in music are never-before-told stories of the girl in the raspberry beret, a singer-songwriter whose music defied categorization and inspired American pop culture for decades.

Features exclusive new performances of some of Rickie Lee’s most beloved songs, which she recorded especially for this audiobook, culminating in a new recording of the title song “Last Chance Texaco”, plus other memorable and sometimes never-before-heard moments from her long musical life, including the unreleased demo of her early classic “Night Train”. 

©2021 Rickie Lee Jones. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

"Fans of the celebrated musician Rickie Lee Jones will be delighted to hear her narrate her autobiography, which is focused on family memories and making music. Jones is as giving with her delivery as she is with her story. She reaches back through the years - all the way back to her mother's childhood - in a revealing, raspy voice laced with a country twang. Listeners will sink into this experience, which is punctuated by Jones singing short songs between chapters. She doesn't flinch when recounting the harsh years experienced by her mother and uncles as orphans during the Great Depression. While some listeners may find aspects of the gritty realism distressing, Jones's easy and fluid delivery has the flair of an expert storyteller's." (AudioFile Magazine)

Wow

I ordered this book a couple years ago and have been anxiously waiting for it. I’ve been a fan since her appearance on SNL. Years later when I came across her blog, my first thought was “she should write a book.”
Her writing is as beautiful and intimate as her songs. Her wild stories are told with a lyricism and rhythm that is unique RLJ. Hearing her voice telling her stories is the icing on the cake!
Thank you Rickie Lee

My favorite audible book- ever

Any lover of music... or artistic creation of any sort, would find this story compelling. The writing is as good as the subject.

Whpa

200 billion stars. Best audible experience i have ever had. Lovely soundtrack of my life too thanks

Addictive

At first I was put off by RLJ speaking voice, but within a chapter or two I felt like I was listening to an old friend telling about their life. She’s very expressive in her performance.

Her life story is dramatic and interesting, I often craved to listen when I had other things to do. I love the song performances interspersed into the “reading.” I always wish we had the photos included from book versions, but audible has the benefit of her singing.

An incredible tale of overcoming the odds.

I have been a Rickie Lee Jones fan since the release of her first album in 1979. I read “Last Chance Texaco,” a memoir that was hard to put down. Although familiar with the material, I found the audio version of the book to be interesting in a different way. As read by the author herself, the struggles and heartbreak she experienced prior to and after becoming famous became more real, and had a greater emotional impact than when presented as words on a page. An added bonus was the inclusion of several never-heard-before versions of some of Rickie Lee’s best songs, including the title song “Last Chance Texaco,” which is now my favorite recording of the several versions I own.

BEST. AUTOBIOGRAPHY. EVER.

I saw an interview on a songwriting show on the coda channel recently on prime with Ricki Lee Jones. I remembered her music from Jr High School and loved it but was too young to really grasp what an amazing songwriter she is. I then saw on audible she released her autobiography. I read the reviews and thought I’d listen and get to know more about her life. Wow. Just wow. She is a brilliant writer and paints with words in a way that will hang pictures in your memory forever. Her honesty and relatability in storytelling is second to none. Starting the book again as I didn’t want it to end after 16 plus hours of her telling her life story……..

Her story read by Ricki Lee Jones

The best way to learn about Rickie's journey is from the lady herself. She is so relatable and humble as she shares her lowest lows and highest highs. A phenomenal artist who on the audible recording sings her songs to us. I laughed and cried along the way. Highly recommend.

Best memoir I’ve ever heard

I’ve been a fan of Rickie Lee Jones since I heard Chuckie’s in Love in 1977. I absolutely loved listening to her read this, and break out into song. She lived an amazing and unusual life and she is an incredible writer and story teller. I loved listening to how her songs came together, the inspiration, her friendships. I remember her performance on Saturday Night Live and I feel like I was right there with her , nervous and on pins and needles. She is so generous with her thoughts, in telling her story beautifully and honestly, with the highs and the lows. I cannot recommend this book enough, for aspiring songwriters, fans, and anyone who wants to hear an interesting story from a groundbreaking artist.

Exceptionally good!

I’m was so pleased that Rickie Lee Jones read this book & interjected her songs & singing. No one else could have stepped into her shoes here. It was perfect.

Love her narrating her own story

She makes her story so interesting and personal. Even if you are not a big fan.

Wow! Rickie Lee.....

Thank you Rickie Lee Jones, this was a fantastic story. I just had a slight interest in it due mainly to the Tom Waits connection, but it was the best book I have listened to in a long, long time. I felt it rather than listened to it, so moving.

A Poet's Tale

This is a wonderfully written and narrated story of a life lived fully and shared generously.

There is not a sentence here that doesn't glow with poetry and Rickie Lee's voice fans that glow with it's lovely musicality.

Don't read this to hear about Tom Waits. Don't read this to hear about her meeting with Van Morrison in Lisdoonvarna.

This book is about the birth, flowering and journey of a poet's soul.
It's like a beautiful breeze, so just open a window and let it in to warm your heart.

Just extraordinary! Thank you Rickie Lee.

just wonderful

I loved everything, every chapter. it was like having a time machine back to the heady days. she's so honest. I loved her.

A mournful, but compelling story

Rickie Lee Jones has lived some moments of joy. But from her childhood to the present day, hers has been a life overshadowed by doubt and sadness. Last Chance Texaco is the story of an old bohemian troubadour, looking back over a long and accomplished life. Told in Rickie Lee’s unique, mournful voice, it’s a tale rich in regret, but one that accepts that this was a life lived on her own terms, and maybe that’s all for the best.

it's a good one

Great book, Rickie has had some tough times, and you find yourself saying what is she doing,what was she thinking? but happily she is here to tell the story literally, about some of the most amazing songs you will hear

The real thing is back in town

I’ve read a lot of “rock star books”. For what my opinion’s worth, I’d say this is all that, and more, far more. I found this book lacerating, devastating, funny, enormously moving, infuriating, uplifting, magical, real. I think she is as fine a writer of prose as she is a lyricist, which is saying something. And yet for all the revelations she leaves intact the mystery of the art, the voice, the phrasing, the musicality. Which is just how you’d want it, really. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I'm crying

So captivated by her storytelling. I have always loved her voice, music and performance and this did not let me down.
I would recommend this wholeheartedly.

Just listen, you'll love it!

This was such a pleasure listening to, I loved that it was read by Rickie Lee herself, hearing her sing the songs, the poetry of her life, it was beautifully put together.

Wonderful

Great listen lots of historical snippets relating to the 60s and 70s Woodstock moon landings hendrix and Dylan going country .... all wrapped up up with a young runaway looking for a hippie dream and becoming a rock star