Uzg84 (Library ebook) Stolen Online [Uzg84.ebook] Stolen Pdf Free Mr. Jim Grady ePub | *DOC | audiobook | ebooks | Download PDF Download Now Free Download Here Download eBook #4131932 in Books 2016-06-23Original language:English 9.00 x .85 x 6.00l, #File Name: 1534615105374 pages | File size: 64.Mb Mr. Jim Grady : Stolen before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised Stolen: 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. JAW-DROPPING SAGABy John J. SchauerTo start with full disclosure, I know Jim Grady; he was my best friend in college. We were both music majors at Northwestern University School of Music in the late 1960s, and it was apparent to everyone at the time that he was an astonishingly gifted composer who had a golden future ahead of him.If only.We stayed in close touch during the three years I was in grad school, by which time he had made a bundle writing commercial jingles in Chicago, enough for him to take the daring step of moving to Los Angeles to have a go at a career as a singer/songwriter, but within a few years after that we lost touch for something like 35 years. It was only a year or two ago that I relocated him through on online search and we re-established communication. It was around that time that he began writing Stolen, and he would send me copies of each chapter. It was a jaw-dropping experience; I had had no idea of the remarkable misfortune that befell him at virtually every turn of his appallingly tortuous career path. As he quotes his own mother as saying in his book, he truly seemed to have been born to suffer. While he was blessed with enviable breaks and opportunitiesmdash;three recording contracts, working with iconic celebrities, passionate relationships that were at least initially upliftingmdash;it also seemed that for Jim, every silver lining had a big, dark cloud, even if it wasnrsquo;t immediately apparent. As I progressed through his remarkable saga I almost dreaded learning what would happen next, but an overpowering fascination kept me going. I had been present for some of the events that transpire in the first chapters and knew a number of the characters that populated several of his anecdotes, but I was not ready for what would follow. And make no mistake about it; although Grady sets his book in a fictional future and tells his life story as a flashback, the names, places and events are real, even when seeming unbelievable. Equally unbelievable was his ability to forge onward through one disaster after another without ever throwing in the towel, and that is what makes this scathing indictment of the entertainment industry ultimately uplifting. That he was able to calmly and objectively record his mind-boggling story without a trace of self-pity is quite a testament to his mettle. If you have any interest in the worlds of the recording industry and Broadway, you owe it to yourself to read this remarkable odyssey. And even if those worlds seem foreign to you now, you will find them feeling vividly familiar by the time you finish this enormously entertaining and transforming life epic.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One Man's Judgment DayBy Steven KerryThis is a show biz memoir that is kaleidoscopic in its depiction of one man's triumphs and tragedies in his struggle for recognition and success in the fickle, merciless machine of the popular music and musical theater world in an era more patient with developing talent, but just as ruthless as our own. As such , it is brimming with the bright lights of the stage, youthful excitement and hope, more than a few daffy and delectable encounters with well-known celebrities, and the nobility of struggling to attain one's dreams. As such, it appears to illustrate that which any show biz dreamer is oft warned about and indeed suspects: that bountiful talent, good connections, a hustling spirit, and resilient perseverance can get one admitted into the Emerald Palace but may not offer the golden eggs one hoped for once beyond the gate. Indeed, as is often the case with those who engage in this age-old struggle, one's greatest success comes from that which one least expects: the man who aspired to be the next Andrew Lloyd Webber instead ends up being celebrated for his innovative music to accompany Toyota commercials; the songwriter who aspired to a Top 10 hit with Celine Dion instead finds himself "big in Belize" or "huge in the Hungarian pop market" for writing some pop trifle he was certain would go unnoticed after writing a half dozen songs on the level of "My Heart will Go On". This book is, by turns, humorous, heart-breaking, and philosophical. Grady's life is told in retrospect from the point of view of a soul awaiting entrance to Heaven as he is being interviewed and interacted with by assorted celebrities, his parents, and J.C. Himself. The humor is raucous as the Celestial stage fills with a stage full of characters, sometimes bumping into one another like so many ping pong balls. The zaniness is sometimes laugh-out-lpud and other times as congested as Los Angeles freeway rush hour traffic.However, Grady never lingers too long over such passages before returning to his earthly journey. Ultimately, he is left to reflect and come to terms with the rise and fall, sparkle and sputter, tears and triumphs of a life that might be best summed up in the lyrics of one of Pet Shop Boys most poignant and melancholic songs about those of us from a delerious, decadent,and doom-challenged era of gifted gay men that shone so brightly it ended up literally blinding us at times: we were always many things, doing many things, doing many people (!) perhaps as well, but "we were never being boring"...And that, my friend, is indeed "A Beautiful Thing".0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Totally EnlighteningBy CookieI know and am of a good friend of Grady, but I call him Jim! He is a wonderful and talented man that I became good friends with at Cottonwood Pres Church. I was the office manager. I missed him very much when he left. I loved this book, because I got to know Jim in a way I would never have otherwise. I am very saddened and heartbroken to learn of all the obstacles and tragedies that keep Jim from the success he should have had. This book tells it all. A very creative and enlightening book. Shari STOLEN tells the story of Jim Grady, a nearly famous, gay songwriter of the 1970s who accidentally arrives at the "Celestial Gates" on the day of the Rapture and discovers that 2030 Eternity is as challenged as Earth as he visits with the souls of such celebrated personalities as Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Shelley Winters, Barry White and Princess Diana--not to mention the infamous HIV Virus, beloved Jesus and ultimately God Himself. The philosophical implications of his Rapture Day tales boldly challenge widely held religious and secular beliefs, while their vivid imagery would push the technical limits of todayrsquo;s moviemaking. Constantly teetering between fanciful moments on The Celestial Plane and actual Earthly experiences, STOLEN will leave its readers astonished at the author's brutal honesty and merciless self-judgment without ever losing a sense of wonder and amazement at the lot his life dealt him. About the AuthorJim Grady was honored by Chicagorsquo;s Mayor Daly for writing the radio theme song for Dalyrsquo;s 1970 REACH OUT AND TOUCH campaign to create summer jobs for high school students while receiving a Clio Award for his arrangement of YOUrsquo;VE COME A LONG WAY BABY for Virginia Slims. Grady was also nominated for a Chicago Emmy for his score to the CBS-TV special NOTHING LIKE US EVER WAS. He was a finalist in the 1976 American Song Festival with his TOUCH DANCINrsquo; which became a regular dance competition in Japan. His arrangements for GROUCHOmdash;A LIFE IN REVUE continue to be heard in various productions throughout the U.S. after enjoying an 8 month 1986 Off-Broadway Production at the Lucille Lortel Theater in the West Village in Manhattan. His A BEAUTIFUL THING became a hit in Japan after 9/11. His vocal arrangements for Richard Perlmutterrsquo;s SILLY SYMPHONIES I II were twice inclusively nominated for the Grammy. Grady penned the score and co-wrote the book and lyrics for the standing-room-only CHUCK DImdash;THE TABLOID MUSICAL produced by the Long Beach Playhouse. Grady also wrote many arrangements for The Los Angeles Gay Menrsquo;s Chorus, Long Beachrsquo;s South Coast Chorale as well as many Contemporary Christian anthems for Cottonwood Presbyterian Church and Interfaith Concerts in Salt Lake City. In his lifetime, he has written well-over 200 songs for his musicals and three released albums, JIM GRADY on 20th Century Fox, EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE on RCA Records and TOUCH DANCINrsquo; on Chanterelle Records. Grady wrote most of the songs on Liza Minnellirsquo;s TROPICAL NIGHTS as well as arranging the entire album. His songs have been covered by Shirley Bassey (NOBODY DOES IT LIKE ME), Betty Everette, Donny Gerrard, Cleo Laine (A BEAUTIFUL THING) and, on their gold-selling DO IT BABY album, The Miracles. [Uzg84.ebook] Stolen By Mr. Jim Grady PDF [Uzg84.ebook] Stolen By Mr.