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LIBERTY: Life, Billy, and the Pursuit of Happiness
(Percussion). For thirty years, Liberty DeVitto was the driving force behind one of the biggest pop artists of all time. With his intense drive, endless creativity, and New York swagger, Liberty created the grooves for 13 platinum Billy Joel albums that have sold over 150 million copies, and wrote and performed the drum parts on 22 of Billy's 23 top-40 hits and all of his six GRAMMY@ Award-winning recordings. He toured the world multiple times as one of the most well-known drummers of his era. The amazing success did not come without a price. This is Liberty's a tale of an Italian-American kid who followed his dream and attained unimaginable success, only to see it crumble before his eyes, and ultimately experience a rebirth after passing through the fire of broken relationships, divorce, substance abuse, the death of a brother and a bandmate and the pain of losing the persona the world knew as "Billy Joel's drummer." In this compelling memoir, Liberty takes you back to his immigrant roots and ultimate settling on Long Island, a place he recounts in warm detail. He then traces a musician's early childhood bands, a rise through the local club scene, wedding bands, building a career, his first tours, and then a juggernaut of success, excess, and stardom with Billy Joel. The making of each of Billy's albums is recounted in detail, with specific memories from the recording sessions of every song on every album from Turnstiles through Storm Front. Liberty then shares stories from the production and tour for River of Dreams and the end of his tenure with Billy. Liberty is a tale of following and fulfilling your dream, a love story of a drummer and his drum, and an inside look at the music and career of Billy Joel from the man who viewed it from the best seat in the drum throne.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published July 17, 2020
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134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 10, 2022
I'm frequently disappointed with celebrity memoirs - they often feel like random anecdotes strung together to fill pages. But I honestly enjoyed Liberty DeVitto's book. Yes, there are a few areas where I wanted more (for example, on the Face to Face Tour with Elton John, and the Millennium Concert at Madison Square Garden), but overall I found the book fascinating and touching. I don't know if a ghost writer was involved, but the narrative voice really feels like Mr. DeVitto is speaking directly to the reader.
August 13, 2020
I confess that I love autobiographies. It’s not that I’m into them because I want to live someone else’s life. Rather, I look for someone to tell me scores of amazing anecdotes. Oh, and I might learn a thing or two. In late 2020, look no further than Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness. The book’s main title is a play on words since the author is Liberty DeVitto, drummer, musician, son, father, Brooklyn resident and now, author.
Dear Reader, please notice how I just described Liberty. I think the description is fitting and in what I think, is the right order. You see, those who know Liberty and even those who are familiar with him typically say: Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel’s drummer. Indeed that is what Liberty is best known for, but this gifted performer is known for so much more. That in and of itself is what I learned after reading this incredibly well-written and researched life story.
What I’m most astounded with in ‘Liberty,’ is the rich detail that the author provides about his early life starting with his large Italian-Sicilian roots to growing up in the New York Long Island community of Seaford. It seems that Liberty remembers just about everyone who he came into contact with in those formative years ranging from every band, band member, friend, school chum, family member and every single landmark in his New York world.
‘Liberty’ is the story of a kid with a dream and perseverance. Just like so many who struggled and made it into showbiz, there were myriad doubters along the way. One girlfriend’s dad even offered Liberty a “real job” in which he quickly turned down along with the girlfriend.
As the old adage goes, with hard work, good timing and luck, one can achieve his or her dream. In a way that’s true today, but it seems far harder than in DeVitto’s “salad days."
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it seems that the sky was really the limit. DeVitto found himself working successfully with some well-known acts like Mitch Ryder before settling in with a group called Topper. DeVitto and some of Topper’s band members then hooked up with Singer-Songwriter-Piano Man Billy Joel in the mid-1970s. After recording the classic LP, Turnstiles and extensively touring in support of its release, Joel was in search of taking the act to a far higher level. It wasn’t because Joel himself who so wanted to up the ante, it was really the record company applying
that pressure on him to increase record sales which meant: make the hits! Otherwise, Billy Joel would have been dropped from Columbia Records, a place that he “attended,”rather than Columbia University.
After finding legendary producer Phil Ramone, the rest is rock ’n roll history. Along with Joel, Ramone and the rest of the band, DeVitto was involved with one of the most successful string of pop albums in recording history - starting with 1977’s The Stranger through 1986’s The Bridge. 1989’s Storm Front was produced by Foreigner’s Mick Jones. All of those releases during those years spawned countless Top 40 singles playing ad nauseam throughout the world. With long tours featuring sold-out arenas and stadiums, success came fast and furious for Joel and company.
Success can look great for these male rockers what with plenty of booze, women and drugs, but with all of these rock ’n roll fantasies come true, there is typically plenty of darkness. DeVitto comes clean in his own way in the book, describing his own bouts with marriage, divorce, drinking and business
issues. Indeed many of us have read similar accounts from those in the entertainment industry, but DeVitto writes about his trials and tribulations in such a compelling and honest way. The most tear-jerking moment in ‘Liberty,’ is when DeVitto writes about former Billy Joel band member Doug Stegmeyer,who took his life in August 1995. DeVitto reveals scores of emotions and details surrounding this tragedy.
There is a major “to be continued” feel to ‘Liberty.’ DeVitto’s journey is a work in progress with his current bands The Slim Kings and The Lords of 52nd Street, a band which includes fellow former Billy Joel band members Richie Cannata and Russell Javors. DeVitto found true love and happiness with wife Anna, who he has his fourth daughter with in Brooklyn. The book is also filled with DeVitto’s love for The Beatles (especially Ringo) and great advice for those who wish to get into the music industry.
Dear Reader, please notice how I just described Liberty. I think the description is fitting and in what I think, is the right order. You see, those who know Liberty and even those who are familiar with him typically say: Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel’s drummer. Indeed that is what Liberty is best known for, but this gifted performer is known for so much more. That in and of itself is what I learned after reading this incredibly well-written and researched life story.
What I’m most astounded with in ‘Liberty,’ is the rich detail that the author provides about his early life starting with his large Italian-Sicilian roots to growing up in the New York Long Island community of Seaford. It seems that Liberty remembers just about everyone who he came into contact with in those formative years ranging from every band, band member, friend, school chum, family member and every single landmark in his New York world.
‘Liberty’ is the story of a kid with a dream and perseverance. Just like so many who struggled and made it into showbiz, there were myriad doubters along the way. One girlfriend’s dad even offered Liberty a “real job” in which he quickly turned down along with the girlfriend.
As the old adage goes, with hard work, good timing and luck, one can achieve his or her dream. In a way that’s true today, but it seems far harder than in DeVitto’s “salad days."
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it seems that the sky was really the limit. DeVitto found himself working successfully with some well-known acts like Mitch Ryder before settling in with a group called Topper. DeVitto and some of Topper’s band members then hooked up with Singer-Songwriter-Piano Man Billy Joel in the mid-1970s. After recording the classic LP, Turnstiles and extensively touring in support of its release, Joel was in search of taking the act to a far higher level. It wasn’t because Joel himself who so wanted to up the ante, it was really the record company applying
that pressure on him to increase record sales which meant: make the hits! Otherwise, Billy Joel would have been dropped from Columbia Records, a place that he “attended,”rather than Columbia University.
After finding legendary producer Phil Ramone, the rest is rock ’n roll history. Along with Joel, Ramone and the rest of the band, DeVitto was involved with one of the most successful string of pop albums in recording history - starting with 1977’s The Stranger through 1986’s The Bridge. 1989’s Storm Front was produced by Foreigner’s Mick Jones. All of those releases during those years spawned countless Top 40 singles playing ad nauseam throughout the world. With long tours featuring sold-out arenas and stadiums, success came fast and furious for Joel and company.
Success can look great for these male rockers what with plenty of booze, women and drugs, but with all of these rock ’n roll fantasies come true, there is typically plenty of darkness. DeVitto comes clean in his own way in the book, describing his own bouts with marriage, divorce, drinking and business
issues. Indeed many of us have read similar accounts from those in the entertainment industry, but DeVitto writes about his trials and tribulations in such a compelling and honest way. The most tear-jerking moment in ‘Liberty,’ is when DeVitto writes about former Billy Joel band member Doug Stegmeyer,who took his life in August 1995. DeVitto reveals scores of emotions and details surrounding this tragedy.
There is a major “to be continued” feel to ‘Liberty.’ DeVitto’s journey is a work in progress with his current bands The Slim Kings and The Lords of 52nd Street, a band which includes fellow former Billy Joel band members Richie Cannata and Russell Javors. DeVitto found true love and happiness with wife Anna, who he has his fourth daughter with in Brooklyn. The book is also filled with DeVitto’s love for The Beatles (especially Ringo) and great advice for those who wish to get into the music industry.
July 15, 2020
Liberty gives us a great behind-the-scenes look at life as the drummer for Billy Joel, and so much more. The book starts with his grandparents emigrating from Italy, continues with his youth and early bands and keeps going after his three-decade run with Billy. Along the way, you get notes on every song he recorded with Billy, great road stories, notes from his drum clinics and more.
Billy Joel fans (especially drummers) will love this book. For anyone looking for a rock memoir, you'll find a damn good one here. Liberty's writing is frank and open, with a great sense of storytelling. He does a great job of avoiding sensationalism while giving you all the details to make the stories come to life.
Billy Joel fans (especially drummers) will love this book. For anyone looking for a rock memoir, you'll find a damn good one here. Liberty's writing is frank and open, with a great sense of storytelling. He does a great job of avoiding sensationalism while giving you all the details to make the stories come to life.
May 24, 2021
This was not even on my radar, but my neighbor, a huge music fan, like myself, surprised me by dropping a signed copy off on my doorstep. What could I do? I love Billy Joel's music and have seen him in concert, so even though I didn't really know anything about his former drummer, I felt I had to read this.
Let me start by saying that Liberty is not a professional author, so there were a few spelling/grammatical errors. There was also a bit of repetition and moments where I wished the story was laid out more chronologically. However, this was still full of amazing anecdotes, touching immigration stories about his family, and inspiring tales of Liberty's dedication to music. There were many ups and downs before he finally made it. It was not an easy road, and even that rock star life has its own perils.
All in all, it was a quick read and a nice reminder of one of everyone's favorite musical eras of all time: the 70's and 80's.
Let me start by saying that Liberty is not a professional author, so there were a few spelling/grammatical errors. There was also a bit of repetition and moments where I wished the story was laid out more chronologically. However, this was still full of amazing anecdotes, touching immigration stories about his family, and inspiring tales of Liberty's dedication to music. There were many ups and downs before he finally made it. It was not an easy road, and even that rock star life has its own perils.
All in all, it was a quick read and a nice reminder of one of everyone's favorite musical eras of all time: the 70's and 80's.
August 29, 2020
If you’re a Billy Joel fan from the late 70s thru the 80s, you’ll love this book. Detailed descriptions of how songs and arrangements came together are sprinkled throughout the pages of this book. As a fan of the actual Billy Joel band, I loved the stories (good and bad) of how interacted with each other in the studio and on the road. Stories of Doug Stegmeyer, Richie Cannata, and Russell Javors are highlighted.
The biggest disappointment however is the missing piece to this book: what happened for Liberty to be dismissed from the band? To claim it was personal reasons and skip over it makes the true Billy Joel fan feel disappointed. I wanted more. To disclose so much in this book and leave that part out was unfair.
With that said, I still loved the book and Liberty. As a huge Joel fan, there were two things I always looked forward to when Joel came to town on a tour: Billy, and Liberty just flailing away on those drums. I still miss him to this day and wish he was back. Maybe an MSG guest spot in the near future? Just sayin......
The biggest disappointment however is the missing piece to this book: what happened for Liberty to be dismissed from the band? To claim it was personal reasons and skip over it makes the true Billy Joel fan feel disappointed. I wanted more. To disclose so much in this book and leave that part out was unfair.
With that said, I still loved the book and Liberty. As a huge Joel fan, there were two things I always looked forward to when Joel came to town on a tour: Billy, and Liberty just flailing away on those drums. I still miss him to this day and wish he was back. Maybe an MSG guest spot in the near future? Just sayin......
October 3, 2020
As a lifelong Billy Joel fan, I was so excited to read this book. It does contain a few hilarious anecdotes, but overall it was hard to get through. DeVitto is a great drummer, but not much of a writer. The first few chapters, which contain nothing but family history, are tedious. The book feels like a bunch of stories strung together, rather than a fully realized narrative.
Part of the problem is that DeVitto doesn't do much self-reflection. For instance, he mentions frequently cheating on his wives, yet never talks about why, or how it made him feel, or how his wives reacted to his infidelity. One exception is the chapter about his current wife, Anna; the way he describes how they met and fell in love is the closest this book comes to being a compelling memoir.
For people who are interested in what makes Billy Joel tick, this book will be sorely disappointing. DeVitto doesn't really give much insight into Joel's personality, psyche, or even songwriting. You would do better reading Chuck Klosterman's essays about him.
Part of the problem is that DeVitto doesn't do much self-reflection. For instance, he mentions frequently cheating on his wives, yet never talks about why, or how it made him feel, or how his wives reacted to his infidelity. One exception is the chapter about his current wife, Anna; the way he describes how they met and fell in love is the closest this book comes to being a compelling memoir.
For people who are interested in what makes Billy Joel tick, this book will be sorely disappointing. DeVitto doesn't really give much insight into Joel's personality, psyche, or even songwriting. You would do better reading Chuck Klosterman's essays about him.
June 12, 2025
I got this book because I knew Liberty Devitto was the longest running member of Billy Joel's band, and I was hoping for some stories and tidbits about his time working with Billy Joel, with the understanding the book is his biography, not Billy Joel's.
I thought the book was well written, and it covers his early years on Long Island, as well as how he got involved with music and drumming, along with the people and music that was influential for him.
The chapters on his early bands and experiences each built on one another, and you could see a pattern evolving. The stories of drinking and youthful indiscretions were a bit tedious, yet it's his life and that's what happened, so I'm not going to fault him for including it. The stories about how his involvement with Billy Joel were good and gave a glimpse as to how things worked in the studio and on the road, without delving into the tedious parts of making a record.
Being a drummer, Liberty goes on at length about his drums and how much of an identity they are and what they represent for him. I'm not a drummer, so those parts were less interesting for me, but if you're a drummer, I'm sure you'll love it.
I was touched when he wrote about a period in his life when things were changing, and people he knew were moving on or passing away, and I found his thoughts and feeling on the matter interesting as I'm coming into the same phase of life.
Overall, I got some stories I didn't know about Billy and the band, and I was pleasantly pleased that the "Liberty" story was interesting as well. If you're a fan of his music, I'd recommend this book.
I thought the book was well written, and it covers his early years on Long Island, as well as how he got involved with music and drumming, along with the people and music that was influential for him.
The chapters on his early bands and experiences each built on one another, and you could see a pattern evolving. The stories of drinking and youthful indiscretions were a bit tedious, yet it's his life and that's what happened, so I'm not going to fault him for including it. The stories about how his involvement with Billy Joel were good and gave a glimpse as to how things worked in the studio and on the road, without delving into the tedious parts of making a record.
Being a drummer, Liberty goes on at length about his drums and how much of an identity they are and what they represent for him. I'm not a drummer, so those parts were less interesting for me, but if you're a drummer, I'm sure you'll love it.
I was touched when he wrote about a period in his life when things were changing, and people he knew were moving on or passing away, and I found his thoughts and feeling on the matter interesting as I'm coming into the same phase of life.
Overall, I got some stories I didn't know about Billy and the band, and I was pleasantly pleased that the "Liberty" story was interesting as well. If you're a fan of his music, I'd recommend this book.
February 19, 2021
As a fan of Billy Joel, I was very interested to read this book. I didn’t know much about the split that happened with Liberty and Billy until I saw the documentary “Hired Gun” on Netflix. As a drummer and a fan of music and the industry I was excited to read the tale of a drummer in one of the biggest bands of my youth.
Hearing the level of dedication and effort that went in to going from seeing the Beatles to world tours was very interesting. I was disappointed that the story of the falling out and rift between Billy and Liberty was glossed over. That said everyone is entitled to their privacy. The business workings of the music industry also fascinate me and I had hoped to learn more.
While wordy and detailed at times the story of a successful musician was fascinating to read. Liberty has put his life in order and appears to be dedicated to leaving the world a little better than he found it, if he can, despite the rocky path he walked at some points. To that I tip my cap!
Hearing the level of dedication and effort that went in to going from seeing the Beatles to world tours was very interesting. I was disappointed that the story of the falling out and rift between Billy and Liberty was glossed over. That said everyone is entitled to their privacy. The business workings of the music industry also fascinate me and I had hoped to learn more.
While wordy and detailed at times the story of a successful musician was fascinating to read. Liberty has put his life in order and appears to be dedicated to leaving the world a little better than he found it, if he can, despite the rocky path he walked at some points. To that I tip my cap!
November 18, 2022
I went back and forth on this book. Lib's insights into the songs were great, and I really enjoyed them; however, too much information a lot of the time. It's a familiar story of Rock' n'Roll drama: drugs, alcohol, sex, and then of course, redemption. I had never listened closely to Billy Joel's music before, and being a drummer myself, delving into the multitudes of styles and grooves the Lib created was fascinating. There is a sour grapes component to the story, and I felt it wasn't needed, nor do I believe it. I never thought of Billy Joel as a band; I thought of him as a solo performer. He hired a group to back him up, and after years of playing together, he changed. He has that right. All the same, it's an interesting read and even more fun to analyze the umpteen dozens of hits Billy Joel wrote.
March 30, 2022
Liberty Devito should get more respect as a drummer when it comes to naming the great ones. A huge part of the Billy Joel sound from "Turnstiles" up to "Storm Front "(he did play one song on "River of Dreams" album), he details his life before and after playing with Joel, including playing with Mitch rider and doing drum clinics.
The book really kicks in about 100 pages in when he breaks down the songs off of each Joel album he played on, which is the best parts of the book. He does put in quite a bit of details of streets and places when he was growing up in New York that gets a little bit much for someone like me who wants just to get to the Billy Joel stuff and how he got fired, but it is the author's prerogative.
The book really kicks in about 100 pages in when he breaks down the songs off of each Joel album he played on, which is the best parts of the book. He does put in quite a bit of details of streets and places when he was growing up in New York that gets a little bit much for someone like me who wants just to get to the Billy Joel stuff and how he got fired, but it is the author's prerogative.
December 30, 2021
A great biography of one of the most skilled drummers in the musical industry of the 70s and 80s. Provides insight on some minor aspects of the business, which is always nice to know.
As someone else stated, the only negative thing is that the book leaves some questions unanswered: for example, besides the reason of Liberty’s dismissal from the band in 2006 (I guess there are reasons to keep it private), another point for me was: why in the River of Dreams tour was Schuyler Deale let go? BTW, I think T-Bone Wolk was a great choice, nonetheless there’s something more I’d like to know.
Overall, a nice read and a biography every lover of Billy Joel’s music should read.
As someone else stated, the only negative thing is that the book leaves some questions unanswered: for example, besides the reason of Liberty’s dismissal from the band in 2006 (I guess there are reasons to keep it private), another point for me was: why in the River of Dreams tour was Schuyler Deale let go? BTW, I think T-Bone Wolk was a great choice, nonetheless there’s something more I’d like to know.
Overall, a nice read and a biography every lover of Billy Joel’s music should read.
August 2, 2020
This book is a must-read for anybody interested in drumming, Billy Joel, or the music business in general. Liberty DeVitto’s autobiography takes us through the highs and lows of his fascinating life and career, from playing at weddings, to touring the world with one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Liberty has an uncanny ability to bring his anecdotes to life: you feel like you’re really at the dinner table with his family, or in the studio with Billy Joel. Once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down.
Liberty has an uncanny ability to bring his anecdotes to life: you feel like you’re really at the dinner table with his family, or in the studio with Billy Joel. Once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down.
October 19, 2021
I am a huge Billy Joel fan and this book provided some interesting insights into how many of the songs from the Turnstiles to River of Dreams albums came together. More than that, this autobiography gave a wonderful view of Liberty’s childhood and first steps as a touring musician before meeting Billy Joel.
Overall this was a short listen on Audible and was narrated well by Liberty, I would definitely recommend this to any music fans and especially fans of the classic Billy Joel albums.
Overall this was a short listen on Audible and was narrated well by Liberty, I would definitely recommend this to any music fans and especially fans of the classic Billy Joel albums.
July 30, 2020
Fantastic! Check out my review here:
https://chuckearling.wordpress.com/20...
https://chuckearling.wordpress.com/20...
August 18, 2020
Who knew Lib toured with Mitch Ryder??!!
August 31, 2020
A fun recollection of stories from the road and the studio! And redemption from the excesses of the rock star life, to family and children, without losing passion for drumming!
July 7, 2023
These are just the stories I wanted to hear from someone who's body of work has meant much to me. I liked it was written in his own voice and not sugar coated by ghost writers and editors.
December 24, 2024
not bad but Alex Van Halen's autobiography was better.
July 7, 2023
Really captures Liberty's personality. Amazing stories told in a charming and funny tone.
September 4, 2022
Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel's longtime drummer, is not a writer and could have used help with this book. DeVitto does a good job of capturing his speaking voice but his book is often disorganized, and chapter to chapter, lacks focus; most chapters are short and skim the surface of his life experiences. Also, some of the details he chose to include made me cringe (taking advantage of groupies, for instance). However, folks interested in a first-hand account of the history of Billy Joel's band, warts and all, will find that here.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews