Why read The Girl in the Back?

Book cover of The Girl in the Back: A Female Drummer's Life with Bowie, Blondie, and the '70s Rock Scene

Book description

Nineteen seventy-seven. New York City. Dark. Dangerous. Thrilling. Punk Rock. Blondie. David Bowie. Drinking. Drugs. Happening at the speed of light.THSeventeen-year old Laura quaking within her skin while the bursting punk rock revolution explodes around her starts a band with her teenage friends called the Student Teachers. She's the drummer.…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Girl in the Back as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Madeline Bocaro

Author

Having lived through the time featured in Laura’s memoir, I was able to relive fond memories and learn much more about the people and incredible music of that era, when these bands were “our little secret” before the world caught on.

This memoir was written by Laura, the young drummer of the New York band Student Teachers in the late 1970s. Laura was Jimmy Destri's girlfriend (Blondie's drummer). She shares sometimes harrowing and many joyful tales of NYC’s downtown rock scene and the bands that would become legendary.

From Madeline's list on memoirs by women about their musical heroes.