Buxton Books is honored to host Radney Foster and Jim Sonefeld for a discussion of music, life, and their books - For You To See The Stars and Swimming with the Blowfish respectively. This is a ticketed event - get tickets here!
Buxton Books is proud to present Radney Foster and Jim Sonefeld in a musician & author to musician & author conversation through story and song! These two powerhouses in the world of music will share story and song for a one night only talk in the intimate setting of the bookstore. After the talk, we will open the floor to a Q&A and then both Radney and Jim will be signing and personalizing their books.
About Radney Foster:
As a young musician straight out of Texas, Radney Foster spent the lengthy drives in between tour stops reading the likes of John Steinbeck, Larry McMurtry, and Harper Lee. Over 30 years of artist cuts later, there is no question that he himself is an established storyteller. Whether it’s navigating the ever-changing music industry or battling a sudden, terrifying illness – Foster definitely has a story to tell.
In late Fall 2015, the legendary songwriter got the diagnosis every musician fears-- a severe case of pneumonia and laryngitis. However, for someone who’s been producing songs for almost 40 years, the desire to write doesn’t fade along with the voice. During a grueling six week period of vocal constraint, Foster’s creative side emerged in the form of a short story inspired by the song, titled “Sycamore Creek,” and the idea for Foster’s newest endeavor was born.
About For You To See the Stars:
For You To See The Stars is a project comprising two parts – a book and a CD. The book is a collection of short stories published by Working Title Farm. Though the stories are fiction, they are informed by Foster’s upbringing on the Mexican border in Del Rio, TX. The story that most closely resembles memoir, “Bridge Club,” is a humorous and poignant retelling of the song “Greatest Show on Earth,” a recollection of playing music with family and friends on the back porch on a Saturday night.
While it’s evident that Texas has always been an inspiration for his music, in For You To See The Stars, Foster explores various landscapes, both physical and emotional, from the story of a retired spy in New Orleans, to the tale of a Dallas lawyer wandering the Rocky Mountains in search of redemption, to a post apocalyptic parable of a world in endless war.
For You To See The Stars is Foster at his classic storytelling best, both as a seasoned singer/songwriter and a soulful writer of prose. Although both components stand alone as separate pieces of art-- they are meant to be enjoyed together for a reason. When coupled, the book and CD give fans a deeper insight into the subconscious of Foster’s storytelling. Journalist Peter Cooper puts it best, “Radney Foster writes with uncommon depth of emotion, humor, empathy, and clarity. I’m going to ask him how he does it, and if he tells me I’ll let you in on his secret. Until then, it’s best that we read, wonder, and revel.”
About Jim Sonefeld:
Jim “Soni” Sonefeld has had a prolific career spanning from touring musician in one of the top-selling rock bands of all time, to award-winning songwriter, to solo artist. The Hootie & the Blowfish drummer grew up dreaming more of sporting victories than becoming a successful musician, but after that dream came to a close, he immediately began writing songs, performing, and chasing a music dream. With the unsuspected success of Hootie & the Blowfish’s 1994 debut release, “Cracked Rear View”, he and his bandmates found themselves traveling the world to support what would become the 9th best-selling album of all time in the United States.
The first single, “Hold My Hand,” a tune Sonefeld brought to the band early on, helped thrust Hootie & the Blowfish into its great success, and likewise showcases his songwriting ability. In the years to follow, the band would record six more studio albums and receive numerous awards, among them, two GRAMMYS®.
In the early 2000s Sonefeld began relying on drugs and alcohol to feed an emptiness growing inside of him and would struggle to control his substance use. It wasn’t until late 2004 that he finally accepted he was powerless over drugs and alcohol. It was there he made a turn that would save his life and eventually alter his spiritual path.
With a sober mind and new clarity, he began writing about his transcendent experience and the journey into healthier, happier living. Since his first full-length solo album Snowman Melting (2008) was released, under the name James Sonefeld, he has delivered a trilogy of EPs coined, Found In Love.
About Swimming with the Blowfish:
For a time, there was no bigger band in the world than Hootie & the Blowfish—rock & roll’s unexpected foil to the grunge music that dominated the early ’90s airwaves. In Swimming with the Blowfish, Jim Sonefeld, drummer and one of the band’s principal songwriters, reveals the inside story of the band’s humble beginnings, meteoric rise, sudden fall, and ultimate rebirth—and in the telling he opens his heart to readers about addiction, recovery, and faith.
A book that encapsulates a band still beloved by legions of fans, Swimming with the Blowfish is much more—an unpretentious, emotional story of one man’s spiritual path to a more fruitful life. Jim’s journey is shattering, redeeming, and ultimately as comforting as your favorite flannel shirt.