Swimming with the Blowfish
Hootie, Healing, and One Hell of a Ride
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Narrated by:
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Jim Sonefeld
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By:
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Jim Sonefeld
About this listen
The ultimate front-row seat to the rise, fall, and rebirth of a band that was - for a time - the biggest in the world, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Jim Sonefeld’s shattering and redeeming spiritual path from addiction to recovery and a more fruitful life.
For a time, there was no bigger band in the world than Hootie & the Blowfish - rock and roll’s unexpected foil to the grunge music that dominated the early ’90s airwaves. In Swimming with the Blowfish, Jim Sonefeld, drummer and one of the band’s principal songwriters, reveals the inside story of the band’s humble beginnings, meteoric rise, sudden fall, and ultimate rebirth - and in the telling he opens his heart to listeners about addiction, recovery, and faith.
Hootie became ubiquitous in the ’90s - their debut album, Cracked Rear View, was one of the best-selling in the history of rock music; they won two Grammy Awards; their live performances were played alongside the Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., and even Willie Nelson and Neil Young; and they appeared at the biggest venues in the world. Though Jim enjoyed the perks that came with fame - the parties, the relationships, the money, the drugs and alcohol - eventually it all became a camouflage that hid a deeper spiritual malady. As his life was careening toward disaster, he reached out his hands to seek relief in 12-step recovery, eventually settling into a loving, but by no means uncomplicated, homelife.
A book that encapsulates a band still beloved by legions of fans, Swimming with the Blowfish is much more - an unpretentious, emotional story of one man’s spiritual path to a more fruitful life. Jim’s journey is shattering, redeeming, and ultimately as comforting as your favorite flannel shirt.
©2022 Jim Sonefeld (P)2022 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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- Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl's halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That's how this extraordinary autobiography began. Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to this audio the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs.
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Me Springsteen's book moved me beyond words...
- By Ellen O'Brien on 12-12-16
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Toni Tennille
- A Memoir
- By: Toni Tennille, Caroline Tennille St. Clair
- Narrated by: Toni Tennille
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Since bursting onto the scene in the mid '70s, the pop duo Captain and Tennille have long defined the sparkling, optimistic idea of everlasting love, both in their music and through their image as a happy and, seemingly, unbreakable couple. They were an irresistible pair to millions of fans all over the world, further underscored by the rousing "yes, we can!" gospel of their biggest hit, "Love Will Keep Us Together". But underneath the image was an entirely different story that the fans never saw.
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Loved it for several reasons
- By Jennifer on 05-28-16
By: Toni Tennille, and others
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Wild Tales
- A Rock & Roll Life
- By: Graham Nash
- Narrated by: Graham Nash
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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From Graham Nash - the legendary musician and founding member of the iconic bands Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Hollies - comes a candid and riveting autobiography that belongs on the reading list of every classic rock fan.
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The Best of the Recent Rock Biographies
- By Steven Schuster on 10-28-13
By: Graham Nash
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The Gospel According to Luke
- By: Steve Lukather
- Narrated by: Steve Lukather
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In this incisive memoir, Steve Lukather tells the complete Toto story. He also lifts the lid on what went on behind the closed studio doors, shedding light on the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, and Aretha Franklin. Lukather’s extraordinary tale also encompasses the dark side of stardom and the American Dream. Frank, engaging, and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir.
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Wow Best Rock Biography Ever
- By Hercules on 09-29-18
By: Steve Lukather
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Punk Rock Blitzkrieg
- My Life as a Ramone
- By: Rich Herschlag, Marky Ramone
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Having outlived his bandmates, Marky is the only person who can share the secrets and stories of the Ramones' improbable rise from obtuse beginnings to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But it wasn't all good times and hit songs, and Marky doesn't shy away from discussing his own struggles.
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Dedicated Punk Fans Must Read
- By Leostriple on 03-26-15
By: Rich Herschlag, and others
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Who I Am
- By: Pete Townshend
- Narrated by: Pete Townshend
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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From the voice of a generation: the most highly anticipated autobiography of the year, and the story of a man who wanted The Who to be called The Hair; wanted to be a sculptor, a journalist, a dancer and a graphic designer; became a musician, composer, librettist, fiction writer, literary editor, sailor; drank too much and nearly died; detached from his body in an airplane, on LSD, and nearly died; planned to write his memoir when he was 21; and published this book at 67.
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Glad To Meet You
- By Mel on 10-12-12
By: Pete Townshend
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How to Be a Man
- (and Other Illusions)
- By: Duff McKagan
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Duff McKagan is one of the most respected survivors in hard rock. In How to Be a Man, he shares the wisdom he gained on the path to superstardom - from his time with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver to getting sober after a life of hard living to achieving his personal American dream of marrying a supermodel, raising a family, and experiencing what it's like to be winked at by Prince.
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Overly dramatic reader.
- By CB on 01-07-17
By: Duff McKagan
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Iggy Pop
- Open Up and Bleed
- By: Paul Trynka
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Iggy Pop's legendary career has been tumultuous, reaching great heights with mega-hits and then hitting rock-bottom lows in jail and mental institutions. Along the way, he's become a cult-rock hero, an inspiration for dozens of other famous rockers, and has had a pretty good time of it, too. But the image of Iggy Pop versus the man behind that image, James Newell Osterberg, Jr., is surprisingly contradictory.
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Banal and Boring
- By Michael on 12-03-08
By: Paul Trynka
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Turn Around Bright Eyes
- A Karaoke Love Story
- By: Rob Sheffield
- Narrated by: Rob Sheffield
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Turn Around Bright Eyes picks up Sheffield’s story right after Love Is a Mix Tape. He is a young widower devastated by grief, trying to build a new life in a new town after his wife’s death. As a writer for Rolling Stone, he naturally takes solace in music. But that’s when he discovers the sublime ridiculousness of karaoke, and despite the fact that he can’t carry a tune, he begins to find his voice.
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Witty (sometimes sad) love story/Soundtrack
- By Wally Tonra on 05-07-15
By: Rob Sheffield
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The Emperor of Sound
- A Memoir
- By: Timbaland, Veronica Chambers
- Narrated by: William Harper
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Timbaland is indisputably one of the most innovative music producers working today. The Grammy Award–wining producer, rapper, songwriter, and composer has collaborated with the mega-superstars of pop, rap, hip-hop, and R&B, from Jay Z to 50, Madonna to Justin, Nelly to Björk. His solo album Shock Value has sales tipped in the millions, and the video for his international chart-topping single "Apologize" has been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube.
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It's called a De-esser
- By Ethan on 05-02-16
By: Timbaland, and others
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Hit Hard
- By: Joey Kramer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1997, amid Aerosmith's sold-out world tour and number one album release, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith.
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The things we never knew
- By bluestar on 08-22-18
By: Joey Kramer
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Deal
- My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead
- By: Bill Kreutzmann, Benjy Eisen
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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On their 50th anniversary comes a groundbreaking rock-and-roll memoir by one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead are perhaps the most legendary American rock band of all time. For 30 years, beginning in the hippie scene of San Francisco in 1965, they were a musical institution, the original jam band that broke new ground in so many ways.
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Decent but not great
- By Monty S on 03-02-16
By: Bill Kreutzmann, and others
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Unchained
- The Eddie Van Halen Story
- By: Paul Brannigan
- Narrated by: Mike Lenz
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-'60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential rock band of the 1980s. But the high-flying success was fraught with difficulty, as Eddie struggled with alcohol and drug addiction while simultaneously battling David Lee Roth over the musical direction of the band, eventually taking the band in an entirely new direction with Sammy Hagar and scaling new heights, before that iteration of Van Halen disintegrated.
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Please don't read other audible books
- By Mike on 02-01-22
By: Paul Brannigan
What listeners say about Swimming with the Blowfish
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-31-24
All around great listen
I really enjoyed the narration, the pace and especially the genuine passion and humility that comes through. I feel like Jim did a great job of bringing me along his journey through the highs and lows. Very easy guy to root for. NCHS '83
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- Kimberly Caristi
- 03-26-23
Great listen
I very much enjoyed listening to Jim narrate his own story. His soothing voice makes driving much less stressful. Congratulations on a great book!
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- Keith Cameron
- 02-09-23
Solid and surprising!
As a longtime fan of Hootie, I love their music but knew little about their history or personal lives. Not anymore. Jim’s extremely personal account reveals a lot of surprising stories. Good and bad. I wasn’t expecting the lowest of lows or the spiral inspiration jumping off the pages. Jim’s narration just adds magic to the words. Very good book cover to cover! Oh, and if you happen to read this review… Jim, you definitely stomped all over the “bro code”! Then you set it on fire and danced on it. Props to Bryan for allowing you to continue breathing! 😂
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- LE
- 01-23-23
Thank you
Thank you Soni for sharing with us! We are so proud of you. We’ve enjoyed the music and your friendship
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- Tiffani Smiley
- 07-27-22
Rock and Roll, and a little growth along the way.
I could not wait to listen through this book. Jim does the reading and his account of his life is riveting. I've never been paid to play an instrument or write a song, but his account of his addiction and struggles was very familiar to me.
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- Allan H.
- 07-05-22
Loved it!
Brought back so many memories. Loved the book and the fact that Soni did the reading. God bless you and your family Soni!
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-25-24
Metered Honesty
I’m not exactly a Hootie & the Blowfish fan; however, I appreciate Jim Sonefeld’s willingness to tell as much of the truth as he could with care and compassion. And, his way of finding the meaning in it. He’s a good storyteller. I’m also glad he voiced it himself.
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- j-rich
- 07-08-22
A must listen for any True Fan Johnson!
Changed my perspective on what artists go through but also brought up great memories from the 19 HBF concerts I've been to. Thank you and God Bless you Soni.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-28-22
The Story of Hootie and So Much More.
Man oh man, I can’t say enough good things about this book. Thank you Soni for being so honest, revealing, and heartfelt through these pages. I definitely didn’t want it to end. So glad Jim is the narrator, as well. His soothing, friendly, familiar, and expressive voice make listening that much better. I hope the Hootie journey isn’t over yet. I never got to attend one of the 2019 shows- so here’s to one last tour someday! And if you’re thinking about getting this book, definitely do it. I promise you’ll enjoy it immensely.
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- Rob M.
- 08-11-24
An Honest Reflection
l loved how Jim told his own story, in his own words and in his own voice. He was honest in is telling of his weaknesses and his passions. His love of family, music, and a fun time was evident before and after his recovery. His blended family is his joy, you can hear it in his voice. His faith and trust in the Lord is his balance. While he ends with Hooties' successful 2019 tour, we saw a Hootie concert July 2024, and it was AWESOME!! After reading Jim's and Darius' books, I'd love to see them again, now that I know their stories a little better. Their music, and thankfully the band members, live on to sing again!!
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