“Danny really delivers in this autobiography: The tale of his rise from Chicago gang thug to accomplished professional drummer makes a fascinating first act that leads to the globe-trotting, arena-filling years of Chicago's rule (alongside but over Blood, Sweat & Tears) of rock band with horns and a jazz bent.
The tragedies and excess and eventual ousting lead to the most personal third act: Seraphine alone and struggling to find himself personally and professionally, which he does.”
–Tom Schulte “Goodreads”
Excerpt from the book:
“I looked out over the faces of the crowd as they held anything over their heads for protection against the driving rain. The skies had opened up and it was a full-on downpour. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed over the audience.
Suddenly I felt a fluttering sensation coming from the front of my scalp. Earlier that day, I had decided to go with the tape and not the glue. Well, the double-sided tape was beginning to lose its hold and detach from my hairpiece. An almost debilitating fear came over me. I tried to throw a hand up to my head during a drum fill to press the tape back down, but I couldn’t do it. I tried a second time, but still didn’t solve the problem. Alert the control tower, I thought. My beloved hairpiece is preparing for takeoff.
It got to the point where I was basically playing drums one-handed with the other hand holding my hair in place. I envisioned the nightmare of my hairpiece flying off of my head in slow motion and being carried out into the audience by the wind…”
--From Street Player: My Chicago Story by Danny Seraphine