Once A King, Now A Prince:

“There is no new thing under the sun”                                        King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 1:9 When you write a song, you will inevitably be writing about human nature, and human nature has remained essentially unchanged from biblical times to today. The Bible and Shakespeare wrote about it, and I am sure you have heard the phrase, “It’s an age-old story.” Whether you set out to write a song in pop, rock and roll, or country music, most writers will write about love, lost love, unrequited love, new love, or old love. Why is this the case? It is generally the most popular subject in pop or rock music. Of course, it is not the only thing you can write about. Still, whatever topic you choose to start your musical story, it must be one of universal appeal and one that almost everyone can relate to. The one necessary point to make is…

These dysfunctional family stories are not written from the distance of therapy language or hindsight alone. They come from growing up inside a home where confusion, conflict, fear, and survival shaped the way I saw the world long before music entered my life. The experiences in Once A King, Now A Prince show how family damage can follow someone into adulthood, ambition, relationships, and even success itself. The Enduring Fascination with Family Struggles Dysfunctional family stories have always captivated readers, whether they appear in classic novels, bestselling memoirs, or binge-worthy television dramas. In Once A King, Now A Prince, Ira Blacker brings that subject out of theory and into lived experience, showing how family damage can follow a person long before success ever enters the picture. At their heart, these narratives explore the messy, complicated realities of family life—the rivalries, unspoken resentments, betrayals, and strained bonds that often lurk beneath…

Why Fans Still Read The Stories Behind The Music Rock & roll books are for fans who never believed the song ended when the needle lifted, the cassette clicked, or the last encore faded into the rafters. The music may come first, but the stories give it bones. They tell us who was in the room, who missed the flight, who made the deal, who blew the deal, who saved the night, and who walked away carrying scars no spotlight could fix. That is why rock & roll books still matter. They do more than retell the hits. They pull the reader backstage, into hotel rooms, agency offices, recording studios, tour buses, dressing rooms, family wreckage, private triumphs, and public disasters. For real fans, that is where the music gets even louder. A great rock song can take you back to a year, a car, a person, a heartbreak, or…

My Personal Journey Through Jewish Food and Tradition As I reflect on my life in New York, I often think about the Great New York Delis in NYC from the 1950’s to 1970’s, and how they shaped my early years—a story I’ve been slowly piecing together in my rock and roll memoir, entitled “Once A King, Now A Prince.” Growing up in New York during that golden era meant that Jewish food wasn’t just nourishment—it was a cultural anchor, a way of life, and a connection to tradition that stretched across generations. Those delis were more than restaurants; they were meeting places where the smell of freshly baked rye bread, the tang of half-sour pickles, and the richness of corned beef piled high on a sandwich became part of the rhythm of daily life. Writing about these experiences feels almost like writing a memoir, where each sandwich, each barrel of…

More than a rock n roll book. It’s personal Every rock n roll book promises the same thing — wild nights, louder amps, and tales from the edge. But the truth is, a real rock n roll book isn’t just about the sex drugs rock and roll, or the chaos; it’s about what happens when the lights go out and the crowd disappears. Mine isn’t another collection of recycled road stories. It’s personal — the rise, the wreckage, and the raw truth that never made the headlines. It’s also about my family. If you like books about crazy families, it’s all here as well. The reality behind my rock n roll book When people pick up a rock n roll book, they expect the backstage drama, the excess, and the familiar rhythms of fame and fallout. But this story isn’t just about the music; it’s about survival. It’s about what…

Few literary forms feel as immediate or as revealing as an autobiography by famous people. From the opening pages, these books promise access. Not the polished press-tour version, but the private rooms behind it. An autobiography by famous people isn’t about fame itself. It’s about consequence. How success is earned, squandered, misunderstood, and survived. Readers don’t pick up an autobiography by famous people to admire trophies. They read to understand the machinery behind the curtain. The best of these books offer confession without apology, clarity without publicists, and memory sharpened by time. WHY AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY FAMOUS PEOPLE FEELS DIFFERENT What separates an autobiography by famous people from other nonfiction is narrative authority. The voice belongs to the person who lived it, not a journalist reconstructing events. When done well, the result reads less like history and more like a reckoning. A strong autobiography by famous people often mirrors my…

Please enjoy the official book trailers for my memoir, Once A King, Now A Prince. These videos explore the story behind the book, from the pain and chaos of my childhood to the rock and roll years, the music business, and the personal journey that shaped my life. Some book trailers focus on the emotional side of the memoir, while others capture the world of music, fame, survival, and the unforgettable people who crossed my path along the way. Future trailers will continue to be added to this page, as well as throughout the blogs on this website. AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNB67YSP More information and blog updates:https://onceakingnowaprince.com Official Book Trailer For Once A King, Now A Prince This first trailer introduces Once A King, Now A Prince, Ira Blacker’s memoir about family trauma, survival, rock and roll, and life inside the music business. AI Brings The Story To Life This trailer…

I didn’t write Once A King, Now A Prince to romanticize the past. I wrote it because the truth has weight, and the best music autobiographies don’t float above reality. They dig into it. They bleed a little. They tell the parts most people skip when the lights come on and the applause starts. When people talk about music autobiographies, they usually expect fame, excess, backstage stories, and celebrity mythology. Those things are part of the landscape, yes. But the best music autobiographies are never just about applause or headlines. What gives these books staying power is the human being underneath the public image. At its core, Once A King, Now A Prince is not simply a memoir about music industry life. It begins long before talent agencies, major bands, or rooms where everyone suddenly turns to look at you. It begins with childhood abuse, fear, and survival. It begins…

From left to right in the photo above, taken in the 70’s at the Capitol Records signing party for Kraftwerk, are Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk, my sister Tina, myself, Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk, Al Coury and Rupert Perry of Capitol Records. My choice of Kraftwerk as the main photo here was “tongue-in-cheek.” As to sex, well, I was not aware of them being chased by the groupies. ——————————————————————————————————————– There are phrases that feel less like words, and more like a backstage pass, and sex, drugs, rock and roll is one of them. It hums with distortion, sweat, neon lights, and the low thud of a bass line felt in the chest before it’s heard. For decades, this phrase has framed the public imagination of rock culture, shaping how fans understand the lives lived just beyond the stage lights. What makes sex, drugs, rock and roll endure isn’t shock value. It’s…

When it comes to books about crazy families, there is often an unspoken competition over who had it worse. Whose father raged louder. Whose mother vanished longer. Whose childhood felt less like childhood and more like a long-running endurance test. I do not claim victory lightly, but my family makes a serious showing, particularly my father, who ruled our home with volatility, volume, and a sense of entitlement that made daily life feel like a hostage negotiation. What still surprises me is not the dysfunction itself, but that I lived through it at all. SURVIVAL WAS NEVER NOBLE IN BOOKS ABOUT CRAZY FAMILIES Survival is a recurring theme in books about crazy families, yet it is rarely portrayed honestly. Survival is not noble in the moment. It is clumsy. Improvised. Often unhealthy. The tools I used were not chosen from a shelf of good options. They were scavenged from whatever…

Stories from my life are not polished fairy tales or borrowed legends. They are real moments shaped by family chaos, hard lessons, unexpected victories, and the kind of truth most people keep buried. If you have ever wondered how a life gets built through equal parts grit and nerve, these pages open the door. This is the story of my life told without perfume or padding. From painful family memories to wild chapters tied to music, ambition, and survival, these stories from my life reveal what it means to keep moving forward when the road keeps trying to break you. A Childhood Defined by Shadows and Survival One of the earliest stories from my life involves my father and the brutal environment in which I was raised. My upbringing was a crucible of conflict, emotional damage, and identity struggle — so much so that, as a child, I convinced myself…

ROCK N ROLL BOOK: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY A serious rock n roll book doesn’t come wrapped in nostalgia or fantasy. It doesn’t pretend everyone was brilliant, sober, and well-behaved. It tells you what happened, who was there, and what it cost. That’s why the phrase Life in the Fast Lane fits this story. Fast money. Fast decisions. Fast consequences. My memoir, Once A King, Now A Prince, is one rock n roll book in a crowded field, but it stays in its lane. It documents life inside the music business as it actually worked. No varnish. No revisionism. No pretending every choice was smart. If you’re looking for a rock n roll book built on memory, records, and accountability, this is how it’s done. WHAT MAKES A ROCK N ROLL BOOK WORTH READING A real rock n roll book isn’t written to impress anyone. It’s written…