a life... well, lived.

by Ray Wylie Hubbard

A Life... Well, Lived Hubbard, Ray Wylie, author This musician, poet, storyteller chronicles his life, with its ups and downs, from his beginnings in Oklahoma and Texas, to his performing and recording music in a mix of country, folk, and blues, and back to Texas. In between chapters are Hubbard's songs and road stories and vignettes from his musical life.

Genres: Music, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

174 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2015

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love music, music history, and music road stories, you will love this book. Ray Wylie Hubbard is a songwriter, a poet, and a mystic all wrapped up in one wonderfully gnarly (his word) package. His memoir is a great read, and is at the same time both laugh-out-loud funny and touching. His wife Judy wrote the afterword, and I sure hope she has time to write her own memoir in the near future! I love everything about this book. Go buy it, and you will too!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up in the Dallas Fort Worth area in the 70's and having had a taste at the time for the wilder side of life, I am very familiar with Ray Wiley Hubbard and the rest of the Texas outlaw country singers who were huge at the time. Started reading the book with admittedly fairly low expectations figuring it would simply be a series of stories illustrating how crazy he used to be. There were some of those, most of them pretty damn funny and many also pretty sad. The second half of the book described the process he went through recovering from those crazy times. Hubbard was never a favorite of mine but he had some songs I liked back then, Snake Farm mostly, among a few others. Reading his book however, gave me a large amount of respect for the man. He never really made it big, but he's still around plugging away and has put out some pretty good albums since he kicked the booze and drugs. I remember hearing Conversation with the Devil for the first time years ago and loving it. Anyway, great read, I finished it in day because everytime I'd set it down to do something productive I'd find myself picking it up again 20 minutes later....

[Rich Hornbuckle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Benn Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the format of this book. Throughout the book, not only does Ray Wylie Hubbard tell his life up to the 2010s, but he also intersperses it with various song lyrics and little anecdotes (like one about his appearance on David Letterman's show [which is how I discovered RWH]). These anecdotes and lyrics provide a break from Hubbard's life story while helping maintain the readers' interest.

It also helps that Hubbard seems to be very open and honest about the ups and downs of his life all while maintaining his sense of humor. Equally enjoyable for me, as someone who's lived in the Dallas area and know a bit about Texas, were casual references to the D/FW area. References to Loop 12, the Sportatorium, Channel 11's afternoon movies, Walnut Hill and Marsh Lane, Sons of Herman Hall, Poor David's Pub, are among many things that as a Dallas native I recognized. People outside the area may not know these places, but if you know, you know Dallas. (It was also kinda cool learning Hubbard and I lived in Oak Cliff in the '60s, though we most certainly would never have met.x

A short, simple bio. Definitely worth reading.

[Joey Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I have a mission and a small code of honor
To stand and deliver by whatever measures
And the message I give you is by this old poet
He said our fears are like dragons guarding our most precious treasures

I am not looking for loose diamonds
Or pretty girls with crosses around their necks
I don't want four roses and water
I am not looking for God
I just want to see what's next

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One of the best books I've read in awhile I discovered thanks to a random song on Spotify...

A blend of autobiography, stream of consciousness recollections, lyrics, humor, and life philosophy--

"a life... well, lived." by Ray Wylie Hubbard (@raywylie) is every bit as colorful and deep as one of his songs.

I highly recommend reading this book and checking out his music. There's a really good concert on YouTube from a few years ago that's worth watching.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Life...Well, Lived by Ray Wylie Hubbard (One Touch Point / Ginny's Printing 2015) (Biography). Here's a quirky autobiography from my favorite Texas storyteller. It's as much an AA recovery manual as a book of musician's tales He's a survivor who married the right woman. He's a friend of Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P. Nunn, Joe Walsh, and Ringo Starr. I'd say his bona fides are in order. My rating: 7/10, finished 7/13/17. I purchased my PB copy of this volume directly from the author's website for $25.00.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love Ray Wylie Hubbard! Just met him at the Hwy 30 Music Festival in Filer, Idaho last week. Great performance. I bought his book and devoured it in a day! This biography gives insight into the life and times of an American folk legend.

[Michae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable biography of a Texas songwriter. Includes lyrics. Strong description of what it takes to get sober and what is can mean for your life. Interesting tidbits about other famous Texas songwriters.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book. It's so Ray Wylie. Funny, honest, kooky, real.

[Wylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just fun. Good sense of humor and good stories

[Suzy Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiography by one of my favorite singers.

[Will Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not written like a typical book. Excerpts, songs, & recounted tales...I loved it!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has attended multiple RWH concerts, I already knew he was one hell of a storyteller. This book did not disappoint.

[Michelle Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I’ve read in years! How exhilarating to read about real life! Great advice! Great story teller! Great writer! Awesome human!

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

RWH it’s a true poet. He writes the truth and unlike many autobiographies, his story straight forward without being self-deprecating. I don’t find many autobiographies that ring true, but this one does. I plan to visit the book many times.

[Gary Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of RWH, you'll love this book. If not, you should be.

[Kevin Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book written by one of my favorite songwriters. This book mixes a straightforward autobiography intertwined with song lyrics and Ray's stream of consciousness stories of life on and off the road. Also includes an afterword by his wife Judy who also has plenty of stories to tell. I think she could probably also fill a book with interesting stories and maybe she can write one some day if she has any free time after managing Ray's career.

This is a book with a lot of humor, a lot of wisdom and a lot of heart.

If you ever get the chance to see Ray Wylie Hubbard in concert I suggest you go. He writes great songs and tells great stories about those songs. A talented artist and a great guy. And he can also write a pretty damn good book.

[CURTIS NUGENT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but then I have be a fan of Ray Wylie Hubbard since the 1970's. The book shows how Ray progressed from his humble roots in Oklahoma to a much loved cult songwriter. He describes his battles with alcohol and cocaine and finding peace through recovery. The book is interspersed with the lyrics to some of his songs and we start to see how we have always had his biography before us if we would just listen.

[Herzog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, if you're a fan of Texas music and not a fan of Ray's - you should be. And then, if you are a fan of Ray's, I think that you're going to love his book. It reflects his patter and humor on stage. It's also heartfelt as a redemption story, but includes tidbits of his wild and crazy days. In the afterwards, his wife, Judy, writes fondly of his gig at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble which I was fortunate enough to attend. So many memoirs by musicians disappoint, not this one.

[Brian Rothbart · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great book. lots of interesting stories. highly recommend it.

[Julie Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read. Really enjoyed learning more about RWH & his journey. Definitely have an even greater appreciation & understanding of his lyrics and the stories he tells from the stage.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievably great!

[Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Ray Wylie Hubbard then you'll love this book. If you don't like him or don't know who he is then most of the book will be lost on you.

[Sean Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I love Ray Wylie Hubbard. The man's a ragged poet and a complete inspiration, as is his wife, Judy. This is a cracking, inspirational read, with much humour and genuine gratitude. It's earned top place on my bookshelf. Cheers Ray, long may you run.