FIRE AND FAME - Joerg Deisinger / Carl Begai

Television would have you believe stardom is only an elimination round away. Indeed it is... if you want to settle for being a flash in the pan.

Before nightly programming became cluttered with "talent" shows, before wide-eyed wannabe stars lined up every year by the thousands for another season of throwing away their dignity on TV in the hopes of grabbing the brass ring, people used to work for the fame and fortune they desired. They didn't allow a jury of overpaid celebrities to dumb them down and decide who should live to see another day, they created something for themselves to be shared with anyone willing to pay attention. All in the pursuit of a not-so-impossible dream. FIRE AND FAME is one such story. Every word is true.

Co-written by Joerg Deisinger, former bassist for the German hard rock band Bonfire, and Canadian music journalist Carl Begai ( BW&BK ), Fire And Fame traces Deisinger's journey from small town kid to international recording artist, to his inevitable fade from the stage. Inspired by his escape from certain death at the hands of the 2004 tsunami that ripped through Southeast Asia, it is a recounting of the blood, sweat and hairspray he invested in his search for the spotlight, ultimately earning the right to tour the world and bask in the public eye. Penned in Begai's unique and entertaining style, the focus is on the good, the bad, the often hilarious, and utterly mind-boggling aspects of the music industry, including first hand encounters with artists such as Accept, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, vocalist Don Dokken, W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, photographer Ross Halfin, and actors David Hasselhoff and Brigitte Nielsen. Rather than being a cautionary tale, it celebrates the circus on the other side of the curtain.

Fire And Fame is a real life behind-the-scenes look at how a kid from a small town with the seemingly impossible self-appointed task of becoming a rock star actually managed to pull it off. On the outside an all too familiar cliché, but every cliché is born from a simple truth. Or a dream. Fire And Fame is a book for anyone who has ever had a similar dream, for those who have lived it, and for those who continue to do so.

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People are talking and here's what they're saying...

MICHAEL WAGENER (producer) -- "What a great book, written with the heart and soul of a real Rock musician. I was transported back in time and relived every single page. Thank you Jörg."

EDGAR PATRIK (ex-Bonfire) -- "Fire And Fame is one hell of a ride. I didn't want it to end!!!"

OLLY HAHN (SPV) -- "Fire And Fame is an interesting journey through the glorious '80s. I had no idea Bonfire was so successful. Informative and entertaining."

CRISTINA BISHOP (Scarlet Sins) -- "I swear Joerg was sitting in front of me, drinking a beer and telling me the story; it was so good I forgot I was reading!"

DOMINIK HUELSHORST (ex-Bonfire) -- "Fire and Fame is authentic and extremely entertaining. Very, very cool!"

DAVID PERRI (BW&BK) -- "The highest compliment you can pay a book, in my estimation, is that you don't want it to end. Fire And Fame's charm lies in its easy-going recounting the goods times style and vibe, which translates into a highly recommended read even if, like me, you're not exactly familiar with Bonfire."

CHRISTOF LEIM (Sinner / The New Black / Metal Hammer Germany) -- "If you want to know what's next in a book, that's never a bad sign while reading, right?"

MIF (Slash Puppet / Disney XD's Aaron Stone) -- "An enjoyable read about a true rock 'n' roll experience that kept me enthralled, entertained and reminiscing every step of the way down my own memory lane."

CHAD BOWAR (About.com) -- "I was somewhat skeptical going in, but once you dive into Fire And Fame you’ll be hooked."

NEIL DANIELS (author / journalist): "A well-written and entertaining book that will be a welcome addition to your collection of rock autobiographies."

BRUCE MEE (Fireworks Magazine) -- "A book filled with passion and honesty burning from every page."

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American Nights (Peter's Pop Show - 1988)

Sleeping All Alone

Hard On Me

Joerg played his first guitar chord at nine years of age. At fourteen he formed his first band in his hometown of Nuernberg, Germany, which became the foundation for an impressive multi-facetted career as a professional musician. Early on, however, Joerg switched from guitar to bass when the ongoing search for a four-stringer proved fruitless, a position he agreed to fill until the right person was found - but it was a choice that would remain written in stone. Experiences in bands such as Rascal and Dynasty followed, including live performances throughout southern Germany.

In 1985, a friend heard that the Ingolstadt-based act Cacumen was searching for a bassist with interest in a professional career. Joerg stepped up to the plate, and following a few trial shows he was brought on board as a permanent member of the band.

Cacumen issued a professionally produced demo a short time later and things began to take off in earnest. In the middle of that same year the quintet recorded their debut album, Don’t Touch The Light, in the renowned Dierks Studios in Cologne, Germany, the same studio where acts such as Accept and the Scorpions had recorded some of the best known works. Shortly after recording was complete the band was approached by record label BMG Ariola and signed an international deal, changing their name from Cacumen to Bonfire in the process.

Bonfire celebrated their live premier at the famed Rock am Ring festival in 1986 in front of 20,000 people (a festival that included top acts such as Simple Minds and The Bangles), hitting the road immediately afterwards for two months supporting ZZ Top on the Afterburner tout. Bonfire’s big break came in 1987, however, with their sophomore effort, Fireworks. Recorded in Los Angeles by famed producer Michael Wagener, the album sold over 200,000 copies in a remarkably short time. It climbed the European charts and resulted in a sold out tour through Germany. To this day Fireworks is still considered a classic hard rock album by fans of the genre.

Early summer 1988 saw Bonfire hit the road with metal gods Judas Priest for the Ram It Down tour, which also gave them the opportunity to play the legendary Reading Festival in England on a bill featuring world famous acts such as Meatloaf, Uriah Heep and Starship. An extended tour through the U.S. carried on to the end of the year, the crowning “highlight” being the final show in New York City.

In 1989, Bonfire travelled to Amigo Studios in North Hollywood, California to record the follow-up to Fireworks, entitled Point Blank, once again with Michael Wagener behind the board. During the final stages of mixing the album the band was offered a chance to work with hit-maker Desmond Child on a song for the horror film Shocker, a soundtrack that featured Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop and Megadeth. The song ‘Sword And Stone’, co-written by Paul Stanley of KISS fame, came out of these sessions and Bonfire filmed a video for the track that was released simultaneously with the movie, put into heavy rotation on MTV. Point Blank immediately shot to 16 on the German Media Control Charts upon release, resulting in another sold out tour through their homeland and numerous live engagements across Europe. Bonfire was also invited to perform at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund on the national TV program Peter’s Pop Show in front of a live audience 20,000 strong, broadcast to millions of homes across Germany.

The Knock Out album followed Point Blank, recorded by Queen producer Mack at Musicland Studios in Munich. Internal problems and disagreements with management resulted in frontman Claus Lessmann throwing in the towel following a torturous tour in 1992. The band tried to carry on with a new singer, Michael Borman, but it quickly became apparent things weren’t working. After seven years on the rock scene and more than 750,000 albums sold worldwide Bonfire packed it in.

Joerg, together with Bonfire guitarist Angel Schleifer and American singer/songwriter Paul Sabu, launched a project under the Sabu moniker following the painful split. They recorded two albums, the self-titled debut and Between The Light, which were released in Europe and Asia.

Following a two year break from music, Joerg was bitten by the rock bug once again and hooked up with ex-Fair Warning singer Tommy Heart, guitarist Chris Lyne and drummer Zacky and formed Soul Doctor. Their self-titled debut climbed the Japanese charts shortly after its April 2001 release, and they supported the album in Europe on tours with Kingdom Come and Alice Cooper, as well as putting in an appearance at the illustrious Wacken Open Air. High profile one-off showcases were also arranged for Tokyo and Paris.

Early 2002 saw Soul Doctor on the road with Axel Rudi Pell, and the release of their second album, Systems Go Wild. The band premiered their new material supporting Ronnie James Dio on the German leg of the Killing The Dragon tour, earning them some new fans. Sadly, due to personal differences with Tommy Heart, Joerg decided to leave the band and pursue new ventures. He played his last show with Soul Doctor supporting Vanden Plas in November of 2002.

In 2003, Joerg moved to Thailand and became involved in music once again, taking on work as a session player and manager. He also opened an English school for Thai kids, with plans to stay in the country for an extended period of time. Those plans were altered, however, by the tsunami that ripped through Thailand on December 26th, 2004, which left thousands of people dead. Joerg should have been one of them, but he was saved by a strange twist of fate. Fire And Fame was born because of these events, as a celebration of life.