The Boy Who Wanted to Rock
Thank You!
Beth Patterson
I am eternally grateful to my friend Beth Patterson for editing the living daylights out of this book! She helped me to level-up far beyond where I otherwise would be if I'd been left flailing about on my own.
I'm a huge fan of Beth's work - please check it out! There's a lot of it, and it's all frighteningly good, from Celtic jams to prog-rock odysseys, from New Orleans Werewolves to her devastatingly funny alter ego, Bad Beth and Beyond.
Tim Quick
Tim Quick is one of those cats that everyone in our industry loves to hire. I had the incredible good fortune to see and hear Tim up close while we were working on School of Rock Broadway and Jesus Christ Superstar Live on NBC. When it came time to decide whom I should ask to play guitar, produce and co-write the songs for this project, he was my first choice, hands down. Tim's ability to authentically and effortlessly nail a wide variety of styles, combined with a manner that's kind and easygoing, means that he's in high demand even during lockdown! I'm beyond lucky and grateful to have him on board.
When he's not playing on Broadway, Tim can be seen and heard playing with acts like The Bacon Brothers and Gloria Gaynor. Check him out here!
Rebecca LeGates
There would be no book without a book designer, and The Boy Who Wanted to Rock would rock significantly less hard were it not for the skill, kindness and patience of our book designer, Rebecca LeGates.
One of the few contributors with whom I was unacquainted before the project, Rebecca treated me like an old friend just the same, from day one. As a newcomer to publishing, it would be a gross understatement to say that I needed a bit of extra help. Rebecca flawlessly executed everything just as I asked, but far more importantly, she gently guided me toward asking for the right things.
Many thanks! Hope we can do it again sometime soon! Please check out Rebecca's other work here.
Jef Rouner
Many thanks to Houston-based author and journalist Jef Rouner for additional edits and a metric ton of inspiration and encouragement throughout this project.
When I first encountered Jef's writing years ago, I was so blown away, and felt such a strong vibe of connection, that I remember saying to myself, "I need to be friends with this guy." Years later, I'm proud and grateful to say we are friends. He's one of those rare artists whose writing can pull ideas out of my head that have been swirling about aimlessly, and articulate them with a thousand times greater precision than I could ever manage. Jef's collection of short horror, The Rook Circle, remains one of the best, and most satisfying things I've ever read...and re-read! Please have a look here.
Ria Jones
It's been my great privilege, twice now, to have worked on shows with Ria Jones in the starring role. Her brilliance onstage, and kind generosity offstage and in rehearsals, have left me with thrilling and joyful memories.
I cannot begin to thank Ria enough for the captivating and engaging narration of The Boy Who Wanted to Rock. The fact that she recorded the narration from her London home, during COVID lockdown, is no less inspiring than the performance itself, and twice as humbling.
Our son Arlen is convinced that Ria used "actual, real magic" to bring the various characters' voices to life, and I am inclined to agree.
Thank you, Ria! I'm over the moon, and forever in your debt!
Sarah Weiser
No one deserves my thanks and praise more than my wife Sarah. While I've been fiddling around with keyboards and kids' stories, she's been working tirelessly (mostly from our dining room) with her fellow scientists at Pfizer on a vaccine for COVID-19. The vaccine represents something huge for those of us who work in theater: the prospect of getting back to work!
In the midst of mountains of work and the mayhem of a global pandemic, Sarah has still managed to be a better mom, a more loving wife and a more steadfast friend than I ever would have dared to hope for. You've always meant the world to me babe, even more so now, when you are literally saving it.