Party Like a Rockstar: The Crazy, Coincidental, Hard-Luck, and Harmonious Life of a Songwriter

This nonfiction book about the life and career of a Nashville-based songwriter is an entertaining read. It starts off in a slow and stiff fashion, and J.T. Harding initially appears to be self-obsessed. But soon enough Harding shifts into the higher gears and, in his words, we’re “off to the races.” The musical ones that is.

Harding makes it clear that “there wasn’t anything or anyone that could have kept him” from following his dream of becoming a successful songwriter-musician. There were many obstacles in his way, but he swept them aside when he moved from Michigan to Los Angeles and then to Nashville. It was in Nashville that he found his gift for writing country music hits, most often as a co-writer with other talented individuals.

In addition to showing readers what life is like behind the curtain of the music industry, Party Like a Rock Star will serve as a valuable guide for prospective songwriters. It’s a guide that would make a fine gift for a son, daughter, or relative who has ambitions of writing or playing on the world’s stage. It’s a rare gift in terms of informing the recipient that writing songs is not a part-time thing. It’s a constant art that must be practiced and maintained every single day of the year.

The fact that Harding has been wildly successful is proof of what he writes. He’s rewarded, as he notes, almost every day when he turns on the car radio and hears one of his own creations or co-creations being played. Well recommended.