
Swimming with the Blowfish
Hootie, Healing, and One Hell of a Ride
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Narrated by:
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Jim Sonefeld
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By:
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Jim Sonefeld
The ultimate front-row seat to the rise, fall, and rebirth of a band that was - for a time - the biggest in the world, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Jim Sonefeld’s shattering and redeeming spiritual path from addiction to recovery and a more fruitful life.
For a time, there was no bigger band in the world than Hootie & the Blowfish - rock and 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 listeners about addiction, recovery, and faith.
Hootie became ubiquitous in the ’90s - their debut album, Cracked Rear View, was one of the best-selling in the history of rock music; they won two Grammy Awards; their live performances were played alongside the Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., and even Willie Nelson and Neil Young; and they appeared at the biggest venues in the world. Though Jim enjoyed the perks that came with fame - the parties, the relationships, the money, the drugs and alcohol - eventually it all became a camouflage that hid a deeper spiritual malady. As his life was careening toward disaster, he reached out his hands to seek relief in 12-step recovery, eventually settling into a loving, but by no means uncomplicated, homelife.
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.
©2022 Jim Sonefeld (P)2022 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...




















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All around great listen
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Great listen
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Thank you
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Rock and Roll, and a little growth along the way.
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Solid and surprising!
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Loved it!
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Metered Honesty
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inspired
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Jim’s telling of his version of the history behind Hootie and the Blowfish was fascinating and I learned many new things, as well as relived and re-learned some old things that I had forgotten. I did not want the book to end…and the proof of that is that I finished the 8 hour audiobook in just a couple of days.
The story made Jim, Darius, Mark, and Dean seem more human than they ever have before. As soon as the book started with Jim telling the story of him getting drunk and high at his house in Columbia, it made me think back to that time and realize that I was probably less than 5 miles away from him as the crow flies when that happened. It’s a small world, but it was almost surreal to think that one of the creators of the music I was listening to on a daily basis was only a few miles away from me struggling with addiction.
Sure - in hindsight it all seems pretty obvious - the rock and roll lifestyle and all. But I just never imagined it, and this book puts it all in perspective.
I enjoyed the stories of how they wrote and recorded their albums; how they traveled; how they partied; where they are now; and so many more things. I would recommend this book to ANY Hootie fan, and it’s also a great book if you want to read about someone who overcame a very serious addiction problem. Jim had the means to continue doing whatever he wanted, but for his safety and many other reasons he chose to give up the rock and roll lifestyle.
I cannot recommend this book enough - it is that good. Get it now!
Amazing Grace
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Excellent book
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