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Lying Drunk
It was his dream life.
He got paid to publish his thoughts on music, film, celebrities, and
whatever else he wanted.
Strangers recognized him in public. He married a reader and won some
awards. He judged talent competitions, was on the radio, and signed a
deal with a literary agent. He knew rock stars - two of whom asked him
to write their books. His face was on advertisements trying to get people
to read his fairly large newspaper.
He was also the guy walking out of the liquor store with a bulging,
swishing paper sack at 3:30 p.m. Which, for him, wasn’t unusual at all.
His life was like the turkey scene in “Christmas Vacation.” It looked
perfectly cooked, golden brown, juicy, and quite wonderful from the
outside. But one serious poke revealed a heaving, steamy vacuum of
inedible disgust.
His name was Tony. And he was a liar … and an alcoholic. He drank
away his family, career, friends, and nearly his life. He escaped rehab.
He spent his 50th birthday in the hospital with more alcohol in his blood
than what killed Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. Hallucinations, hospitals
and homelessness couldn’t even stop his insanity.
Did anything? Read on …
He got paid to publish his thoughts on music, film, celebrities, and
whatever else he wanted.
Strangers recognized him in public. He married a reader and won some
awards. He judged talent competitions, was on the radio, and signed a
deal with a literary agent. He knew rock stars - two of whom asked him
to write their books. His face was on advertisements trying to get people
to read his fairly large newspaper.
He was also the guy walking out of the liquor store with a bulging,
swishing paper sack at 3:30 p.m. Which, for him, wasn’t unusual at all.
His life was like the turkey scene in “Christmas Vacation.” It looked
perfectly cooked, golden brown, juicy, and quite wonderful from the
outside. But one serious poke revealed a heaving, steamy vacuum of
inedible disgust.
His name was Tony. And he was a liar … and an alcoholic. He drank
away his family, career, friends, and nearly his life. He escaped rehab.
He spent his 50th birthday in the hospital with more alcohol in his blood
than what killed Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. Hallucinations, hospitals
and homelessness couldn’t even stop his insanity.
Did anything? Read on …
170 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 14, 2025
Read it!
I truly appreciated the honesty and transparency. Whether you’re struggling with addiction, know someone who is, or simply want to understand more—read this. It gave me a whole new level of insight.
I truly appreciated the honesty and transparency. Whether you’re struggling with addiction, know someone who is, or simply want to understand more—read this. It gave me a whole new level of insight.
February 15, 2026
If you lived in the SF Bay area in the 1990s–2000s, you know Tony Hicks was THE MAN. As a music journalist for Bay Area News Group, he was our tour guide to the local scene, interviewing rock stars and reviewing concerts and records. His previous experience as a drummer in an alt-pop band gave his writing an informed, insider’s perspective. His work became so popular that he launched a twice-weekly column, known for its dry wit and self-deprecating humor.
He brings those same qualities - along with a bracing dose of no-holds-barred honesty - to this memoir, which chronicles a long stretch at rock bottom. He obsessively planned his days around alcohol, even as it stripped away his career, marriage, and family. It’s not a pretty picture, and he doesn’t sugarcoat it. Yet the book is written with striking clarity, humility, and humor. Well worth a read.
He brings those same qualities - along with a bracing dose of no-holds-barred honesty - to this memoir, which chronicles a long stretch at rock bottom. He obsessively planned his days around alcohol, even as it stripped away his career, marriage, and family. It’s not a pretty picture, and he doesn’t sugarcoat it. Yet the book is written with striking clarity, humility, and humor. Well worth a read.
June 11, 2025
Reading this: shook me. Despite the lying, his honesty shocked me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews