Beat Me 'Til I'm Famous

by Billy McCarthy

A no-punches-pulled memoir that sucks you in like the Hollywood dream it describes—it won't let you quit until you're finished, or, rather, it's finished with you.  *** It's the artist's that nagging temptation to chuck it all and head to Hollywood, your big dreams your only baggage. In 1981, Billy hears the call. He ditches his South Side Chicago suburb and jets off to the Sunset Strip to become a rock star. He only has three years of drumming under his belt, he's dead broke, and no one thinks he can hack it. Billy hits the road regardless, throwing naysayers the middle finger salute. Billy drums for a group called Kid Rocker. They live a floor above some unknown band, Mötley Crüe. Kid Rocker is red hot but fizzles. Meanwhile, his former neighbors and a bandmate planted the seeds to become MTV legends as Billy watches from his couch back in Chicago. It's 1986. Billy McCarthy is now Billy Dior. He forms another band—this one hits the Sunset Strip like a nine-pound sledgehammer. The crass, bold D'Molls perform in women's lingerie. Within days, they play sold out shows at iconic venues. A few weeks later, they land a deal with Atlantic Records. Reviewers laud them as the next band that has that thing—that indescribable thing that makes a band just ... rock. But ego hits the band. Fights break out. Blood is shed. D'Molls are a mess in a dress. Frustrated, disillusioned, and no longer bandleader and drummer in a Hollywood rock group slated for greatness, Billy dives into a dangerous cocktail of drugs, booze, and beautiful women. But before long, he's back in the game—only this time, on his terms. Beat Me 'Til I'm Famous is a raw, no-filter picture of the Hollywood rock scene at the height of its heyday—and what awaits an artist after fame fades, all the fans go home, and you can't shake that nagging voice that But what will you create next? For anyone with an ounce of artistic creativity in his or her blood, Beat Me 'Til I’m Famous is must read. Want to know more about the man who jumped into the fires of fame and basked in the heat until it burned too hot to stand—only to push through the pain and demand yet another round? Settle in and get ready for one hell of a story.

454 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2017

Reviews

[Tony Farinella]

This book was recommended to me by a Hair Metal social media group I’m part of, as I’m always on the lookout for rock memoirs. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not at all familiar with D’Molls or their music. This was also my first time hearing of their drummer, Billy Dior (real name Billy McCarthy), so I went into this book completely fresh. I’m a huge fan of 80’s hair metal and the music scene of that time with various bands trying to make a name for themselves, struggling, and fighting to make it big in an oversaturated market. The 80s were a special time for the music industry.

Billy’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. They were very close to making it big, but every time they got close, they either self-imploded or circumstances out of their control (management, producers, music executives) stunted their growth. Meanwhile, they watched their fellow LA contemporaries make it big. They were near greatness and knew what it looked like, but it never happened for them. Billy also tried his hand at acting, stand-up comedy, and even produced music for Rodney Dangerfield’s son after they formed a friendship.

I found the book to be a compelling and entertaining read, but it could have used a strong editor, as at times, it jumps around, timeline-wise, so I had to go back and remember who was who and what role they played in Billy’s life. But Billy is a fighter, an underdog, and a creator, and he’s never given up despite many opportunities not working out for him. He’s also a fellow Chicago resident like myself, so I felt a kinship with him.

[Craig lesterson]

Wanted to read this for a long time as I own some of the D’Molls music but didn’t know anything about the band. But the stories included in this book help shed a light on why me, and so many other fans of this genre never knew why they never got their chance like so many other LA bands at the time.
It was almost sadly refreshing to hear a story of a band that was in the right place at the right time and failed - seemingly due to bad luck, bad decisions, poor
management and trust/personality conflicts within the band. And became even more fascinating as so many of their peers went on to big things and long
careers in music.
A few small gripes: I think there was a lot of name-dropping that didn’t add much to the story. A few typos and spelling errors (legendary manager Pete angelus name was spelled “Angeles” and band Britny Fox was spelled “Brittany”, etc..and at certain points, he jumped back and forth between so many events and characters it was hard to remember who was who.
But the author was honest, likable and determined, which made for an overall fun read.

[Ken Churilla]

Fantastic read! A true first-person account through the eyes of a guy who was directly in the middle of it all when the Sunset Strip was alive and the rock scene of the '80s was swelling and then exploding. Billy draws back the curtain, and you learn a lot about the scene, the people, the superstars, the almost-stars, the process, and how YouCanBeThisClose but at the same time be oh so far away. If you enjoyed the glam/hair metal rock world of the mid-'80s to the early '90s, I couldn't recommend this more.

[Michealene]

Book is about a sexy drummer leaving a small town to hit the bright lights of LA struggling to make his dream of a rock star come true. Of course, there is sex, drugs, and Rock & Roll; but this book gives you more. Billy gives you insight of the industry, his friends, and family not holding back on his most personal details. I finished the book in 2 days and could not put it down. If you grew up in the 80's and loved the big hair bands this book is a must read.

[Susan]

Author creates clear, enduring "pictures" of real-life people (as characters!) and writes in a personable yet almost strangely sophisticated tone. Adeptly moves action forward to compel reader to turn the page. Inspiring and helpful for anyone interested interested in the arts-entertainment industry. Takes courage to tell truths! Read it over a weekend, because I was absorbed. Recommended.

[PETER]

Great read. I've read the Dirt by Motley Crue. It was a good book, but this book BEAT ME"""has a lot more to offer--lot's of famous in Hollywood inner action enter, it's shameless meets Entourage....along with their screwed-up band, Dmolls.

This book needs to be on a streaming series, there are way too many plots and exciting characters.

[Tania Mittelsteadt]

Wow!!

Everything you always wondered about during the 80's LA scene! A book that made you laugh out loud and sometimes made you want to smack the crap out of a few members & executives! Great story telling of a band that almost took the world, several times.

[Tammy Lynn Doyle]

Great read 😁 reminded me of my childhood, in Calumet Park and Blue Island back in the 60s 70s 80s. Experiencing "rock history" through Billy's eyes makes the book more enjoyable because he was there! Congratulations on your success 👏

[Carlton Duff]

Two stars is being very generous...
The word wanker is too lofty for this guy, but you get the idea…