Lonely Boy

Tales from a Sex Pistol

By: Steve Jones

Narrated by: Steve Jones

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Without the Sex Pistols there would be no punk. And without Steve Jones there would be no Sex Pistols. It was Steve who, with his schoolmate Paul Cook, formed the band that eventually went on to become the Sex Pistols and who was its original leader. As the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of punk - the influence and cultural significance of which is felt in music, fashion, and the visual arts to this day - Steve tells his story for the very first time.

Steve Jones's modern Dickensian tale began in the street of Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush, West London, where as a lonely, neglected boy living off his wits and petty thievery he was given purpose by the glam art rock of David Bowie and Roxy Music. He became one of the first generation of ragamuffin punks taken under the wings of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood.

In Lonely Boy, Steve describes the sadness of never having known his real dad, the abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepfather, and how his interest in music and fashion saved him from a potential life of crime spent in remand centers and prisons. He takes listeners on his journey from the Kings Road of the early '70s through the years of the Sex Pistols, punk rock, and the recording of "Anarchy in the UK" and Never Mind the Bollocks. He recounts his infamous confrontation on Bill Grundy's Today program - the interview that ushered in the Filth and the Fury headlines that catapulted punk into the national consciousness. And he delves into the details of his self-imposed exile in New York and Los Angeles, where he battled alcohol, heroin, and sex addiction but eventually emerged to gain fresh acclaim as an actor and radio host.

Lonely Boy is the story of an unlikely guitar hero who, with the Sex Pistols, transformed 20th-century culture and kick-started a social revolution.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Steve Jones (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Perfect in every way

One of the best rock bio's I've ever read...maybe the best. And listening to Jonesy on the audio makes it even better. Thank you from a long time fan(never made a show but bought Bollocks on day 1 of it's US release...).

One of the best

One of the best audiobooks I’ve ever heard. Narration is great and story is even better

Jonesy tells it like it was... and is!

An incredible read, made all the better by being narrated by the author himself. Loved it.

Great book missing details- no surprises.

Great book, or atleast good, too many very similar early childhood memories which i found redundant, while
alot of what we know of Steve-his admiration for NY Dolls Johnny Thunders is hardly mentioned other than a small reflection, i would have loved more details about Thunders/Childers other than "i did heroin in Leee Black Childers apartment with Thunders"
same with Andy Taylor & Iggy Pop hardly anything new or details presented here.
just minimal at best.

ultimately Steve sold himself short with repeat & very similar bleak stories of poverty stricken childhood, shagging birds, & random acts of thievery from the 70s until mid 80s i get those stories have their place in his history, but alot of details regarding his musical history & career timeleline are missing.

having read EVERY book about sex pistols i was also shocked at the almost ZERO detail regarding the Sex Pistols American tour.
it very quickly went from tour prep in England to band breaking up in America.
(which was my biggest dissatisfaction with lonely boy)

Raw and honest

Jones tells the no holds barred narrative of his life before during and after the Pistols. If you're just in it for band stories, you can skip this book -- that's really only the middle third. If anything it highlights how incredibly brief this foundational chapter of music was. "Lonely Boy" is about the man, not the musician -- what makes him tick, his background, his highs, and most definitely his lows.

What is it about that generation and that region which produced such good story tellers? I've listened to memoirs from members of The Cure, Joy Division, and other punk and post punk bands and they all have a certain engrossing way of keeping your attention at every moment.

An all time great memoir and reading performance

Absolutely loved this book and Jonesy's delivery of it. Forget about rock, this is about as good as memoirs in general get. Definitely up there with Keith Richards', Bruce Springsteen's, and Sammy Hagar's (which one should read before knocking), in my all time favorites.

Also, if you're not listening to Jonesy's Jukebox, which can found in podcast form, start now. It's amazing!

Honest, raw, brave, and funny account by a legend

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Steve Jones about his life. It’s such a raw and honest account. He keeps it real, even when it’s not pretty. What a legend!

Good one

Good book. Great narration.. wish the rest of the band did the same and read their own books.

BRILLIANT

I grew up thinking Sid and Johnny were the kings of punk rock. had I only known the true backbone of everything that made me feel good about who I was as a "Punk" was Mr. Steve Jones. His life story will keep you riveted to the speakers and when it's over you will have a whole new respect for everything "Jonesy". The way he opens up about every detail no matter to ashamed or embarrassed it may be. makes me want to give this man a hug.

Gripping!

If anyone listened to punk, or has ever heard of the Sex Pistols, then they will enjoy this book. Many parts are laugh out loud, some serious, and some sad. From the forward on I didn't want it to end. It's a great tale of a group of dysfunctional kids that formed a band that was a world-wide hit, household name, and government enemy before their first (and only) album was ever released. Brilliant read and narration.