KEITH RICHARDS'S "LIFE" - AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS
"The voice in my own head was never this hip. It’s Keithian to the tenth degree! Even after reading the book I can go back and listen to Joe again and again... poetry"
- JIMMY VIVINO, band leader/MD of the Basic Cable Band on THE CONAN O'BRIEN Show, May 2011.
"I had already read Life and I didn't really expect the revelation that the audiobook has to offer. I listened to it continually on tour and was drawn deep into that far away world of Keith and the Stones. Johnny Depp's interpretation was expectedly great, and I thought, how can anyone follow that? But Joe Hurley carries on superbly, in a grand gritty style that leaves no question that he is well familiar with that hard road that Keith traveled down. From Keith's acoustic songwriting to the excitement of the Stones on stage, and from the shrieking damp clubs of London to the tangles with the law, you are there with Keith because Hurley makes it so."
- R&R Hall-Of-Famer Dennis Dunaway, Alice Cooper Group. Co-writer of 'School's Out' & 'I'm 18'
Keith Richards & Joe Hurley with one of Life's Audie Awards, for " Audiobook of The Year" . Keith has been deservedly winning loads plaudits and prizes for LIFE, incl the recent Norman Mailer Award. Pic taken during rec session for Keith's X-Pensive Winos album.
Photo by Jane Rose.
"I was so happy and astonished when Joe Hurley's audio narration of Keith Richard's book Life began. Hurley is GREAT at getting Richard's voice. He has all this nuance and humor and understanding, and he got the tone exactly right in lots of tricky spots. He gets jokes across that might not seem funny if you were reading the words - he really gets it. I was so amazed at how much he packed into his performance of this material. In fact, when the real Keith Richards reads the end of the book, I missed Joe's version of Keith Richards - yes, I thought Joe Hurley was better at being Keith Richards than Keith Richards was."
- JULIA SWEENEY BLUM- SNL , 'Pulp Fiction'
"Hearing LIFE on CD, authentically portrayed by Joe Hurley, I felt as though Keef the Riff himself was sitting beside me in the car! LIFE is rife with all the colors of Rock & Roll, and Hurley tells the story utilizing every shade of the rainbow.
- Big Jay Sorensen, WCBS-FM 101.1 NYC
"Life is Great!"
- Adam Boretz, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY - 5/31/2011
"I'm so very proud to be a part of the team behind Audiobook of the Year. It was a rare privilege to bring together such iconic legends - brilliant storytellers - and have the project come together as a magnificent, historical audiobook."
- Hachette Publisher Director ANTHONY GOFF
"Life was and will always be a special project to all who worked on it, (lived it, as it were). Joe, Johnny, and Keith were spectacular and I am grateful for all their hard work, long hours, and dedication to this title. The love and respect for Keith and his life are palpable through out the audiobook."
- Director of Production MICHELE MCGONIGLE
For The Record - The ONLY quote Hurley gave on LIFE's Audie Wins, was to Publishers Weekly, as seen in the article here.
New York Post - Tues Nov 16th, 2010
NYC Singer Joe Hurley Breathes LIFE into Rock Legend's Autobiography
Joe Hurley, Johnny Depp and Keith Richards narrated the audio book of Keith's LIFE , released by Hachette, November 16, 2010.
AUDIE AWARDS HONOR AUDIOBOOK INDUSTRY'S BEST OF THE BEST IN NYC
5.25.11 - By John Florian, VoiceOverXtra
(VOXtra) - Life, the Hachette audiobook, was named Audiobook of the Year Tuesday night at the Audie Awards Gala - an apt winning title for the lively, elegant evening at the TimesCenter in New York City - the annual "Oscars of the audiobook industry" event sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA).
Drawing more than 1,100 entries this year, the Audies is the only awards program in the U.S. devoted exclusively to audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.
To applause, whoops and hollers, narrator/singer Joe Hurley and producer/director Michelle McGonigle (pictured right) accepted the award for the audiobook of the Keith Richards book, which was also read by Johnny Depp and featured Richards.
Moments earlier, Alfre Woodard was honored as best Solo Narration - Female, for her reading of Glorious, and Alan Cumming won the best Solo Narration - Male award for his reading of Zorgamazoo.
And the award for Distinguished Achievement in Production went to Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices, a Live Oak Media audiobook produced by Arnie Cardillo and directed by Robin Miles.
Hosting the presentations, Adriana Trigiani - the best-selling author of 13 books and writer for television and film - proved she could add stand-up comedy to her credits, stitching the audience with laughter.
JOE HURLEY TAKES HOME TOP AUDIE AWARD FOR KEITH RICHARDS MEMOIR 'LIFE'
6.3.11
Singer/songwriter Joe Hurley (l) and producer/director Michele McGonigle of Hachette Audio pose for the camera at the 16th Annual Audie Awards held in New York, May 24th, 2011. Hurley accepted two awards for "LIFE" which took home the top award of the evening, "Audio Book of the Year.
LIFE was narrated by Hurley and Johnny Depp and released by Hachette Audio. The audio book captures the rock-n-roll spirit and life of Keith Richards. LIFE competed against The Woody Allen Collection and The Red Pyramid for the prestigious award.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY WEIGHS IN ON "LIFE"
7.15.11
"Given the choice between reading Keith Richards' memoir LIFE or listening to Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley, and Richards breathe LIFE into my ear, there's no contest: The rasping, growling, low-down audiobook is where I want to be, with Johnny, Joe, and Keith contributing their own singular infusions of soul and swagger to an already righteous read..."
A WONDERFUL LIFE FOR JOE HURLEY, by Mike Farragher, IRISH VOICE 6/08/2025
"Joe Hurley,who narrated the critically acclaimed Keith Richards' autobiography LIFE with Richards and Johnny Depp, accepted the prestigious 'Best Audiobook of the Year ' Award at the 2011 Audie Awards Ceremony in NYC last week.
For anyone who has heard Hurley sing or speak, the choice to have him voice this book is obvious. Every crack in his smoky and deep register hints at the decadence and seen-it-all swagger that Richards embodies.
As a singer, songwriter, actor, playwright and voice-over artist, Hurley is a creative dynamo who also leads Joe Hurley & the Gents and Joe Hurley and Rogue's March. He is the founder and curator of the Allstar Irish Rock Revue, a musical/literary homage to the Great Irish Songbook celebrated annually around St. Patrick's Day.
DAILY MAIL, UK. Aug 5th, 2011 - "Life" by Keith Richards and James Fox
The secret greatness of this book is Joe Hurley, who narrates 70% of it. Johnny Depp reads a few of the first chapters and a few of the last chapters and he is good, but Hurley is great. In fact, Hurley is better at portraying Keith Richards than Keith Richards! (Richards reads the first and last chapters.) This audio book is 23 hours long. I alternated listening to it with play lists of Rolling Stones songs I love.
TalkBooksWorld.com - LIFE Takes Audie Award - May 24, 2025
New York based pop singer and songwriter, Joe Hurley, who narrated the critically acclaimed “LIFE” with Keith Richards and Johnny Depp, accepted the prestigious Best Audio Book Of The Year Award at tonight’s 2011 Audie Awards Ceremony in New York City. “LIFE,” the audio book released by Hachette Audio, captures the rock-n-roll spirit and life of Keith Richards and is narrated by Hurley and award winning actor Johnny Depp. The Audio book has won accolades since its release including New Yorker Magazine, Amazon’s Best of 2010, Publisher’s Weekly and numerous celebrities… More here.
LIFE by Keith Richards. Best listen ever: DWIGHT YORK - COMEDIAN, May 25th, 2011
During a recent week long road trip, I listened to Life by Keith Richards. The audio book is twenty CDs in length, unabridged. I thought it was start-to-finish terrific. I finished it in five days. Felt sad when it was over. Life is one of those books you never want to end. I guess in a way it won’t because Richards’ story is one that will stay in my head forever. Hurley and Depp’s narration are deserving of the Audie Award... More here.
DWIGHT YORK - June 3rd, 2011
Thanks to the power of the Internet and my new blog I have a cool (and famous) new facebook friend. Joe Hurley narrated the audio book Life by Keith Richards. I wrote about it last week (see previous post). Life won the prestigious Best Audio Book Of The Year; 2011 Audie Awards. Hurley accepted the award (Life won two) at the ceremony in New York City. “Helluva joy ride” is how Hurley described the privilege of narrating the Keith Richards autobiography. “Helluva joy ride” is how I felt listening to him read it.
Just how good is Hurley’s narration? Jimmy Vivino (band leader/music director of the Basic Cable Band on TV’s Conan) put it perfectly. The voice in my own head was never this hip. It’s Keithian to the tenth degree! Even after reading the book I can go back and listen to Joe again and again… poetry.
Enterase.com
"You thought that Keith Richards wouldn't remember anything, how wrong you were. The audio book edition is over 23 hours long, incredibly read by Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley."
HURLEY, DEPP, KEITH. LIFE is Award Nominated!
NYC 4/27 - APA Announces Finalists for Most Prestigious Audies Awards
The Audio Publishers Association has announced three Audies finalists for the prestigious Audiobook of the Year Award. The three titles in the running for Audiobook of the Year are:
Life, by Keith Richards, narrated by Joe Hurley and Johnny Depp.
The Woody Allen Collection, written & narrated by Woody Allen
The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan, narrated by Katherine Kellgren, Kevin P. Free
The winners will be announced at the Audies Gala Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 24, 2025 at The Times Center in New York City.
The 16th Annual Audies Gala and Awards
Presentation
Tuesday, May 24, 2025
The TimesCenter
242 West 41st Street
New York, NY 10018
Event Times:
7:00 pm Cocktails & Dinner
8:30 pm Awards Show
10:00 pm Champagne & Dessert
Dress Attire: Black-tie Optional
TIX $350-400 (incl: private reception Post-Awards)
LIFE is Amazon's # 1
Amazon have announced their 'Best of 2010' . LIFE is the #1 audio book of the Year !
Joe Hurley, Johnny Depp and Keith Richards narrated the audio book of Keith's LIFE , released by Hachette ,November 16, 2010.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley capture Richards' rock 'n' roll spirit in a wise, charming, and textured narration of the famed guitarist's memoir.Tracing Richards's trajectory from boyhood in England through the formation of the Stones to the band's rise to world domination, this audiobook is chock-full of frank revelations and enlightening stories behind the music. The three readers do superb turns... Hurley captures the voice of Richards throughout, narrating in a gritty growl that is spot on. And sections read by Richards are a real treat; his raspy voice is unmistakable and haunting. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Tampa Bay Times, Book Editor - Dec 26. 2010
"Life (Hachette Audio) by Keith Richards, read by Johnny Depp, and by singer-songwriter Joe Hurley and by Rollling Stones co-founder Richards himself — it takes all three since this boisterous, engaging memoir fills 20 CDs. Who knew Keef remembered so much?"
Cleveland Daily News
Revealing, lighthearted, candid beyond expectation, guitarist Richards also claims remarkable recall. He takes us from English childhood though the Rolling Stones' juggernaut to his current, hard-won sobriety. Richards is also fair -- never taking potshots -- but fearless in describing the dirty biographical details, his and others. Though well-written, the production is strange, as Richards opens and closes the audiobook sounding like Captain Jack Sparrow, while Depp is surprisingly soporific. Thankfully, a very talented Hurley reads the bulk of this with a rough British accent and lots of brio. Grade: A-
eMusic 'Best of 2010" LIFE is # 2 Audio Book Of The Year! - Claire Zulkey
'It might be impossible to find a man who’s done as many bad things in his life who is as darn likable as Keith Richards. Much of the Rolling Stones guitarist’s biography has already been detailed in other reviews and articles (the snipes at Mick Jagger, the drug binges, the death of his infant son Tara), yet there is still much to discover and enjoy in the audiobook, read by Johnny Depp, growled by Joe Hurley and intoned by the man himself. Life is a fun listen even for those who aren’t Stones aficionados or even tremendous rock fans, although some perfunctory knowledge of the Stones’ hits will enhance appreciation for Richards’ musical digressions. Listening to Life is like sitting next to the most interesting man at the bar for several hours and living vicariously through him — only without the hangover'.
Audiofile Magazine
Check out the interview/feature of Joe Hurley in AudioFile Magazine. The magazine talks with Joe about his work narrating Keith Richards' memoir, Life.
CINEMABIBLIOBABBLE.COM
...Joe Hurley, on the other hand, takes on the spirit and soul- with extreme relish, might I say?- of every character he voices. Texan, New York African-American, South American, German female...doesn't seem to matter. Listening to Hurley is like listening to an old-fashioned radio drama.Lush listening- even if you are not a Stones fan.
OneBookShy.com - Monday January 17th 2011
The narration for this 20 CD audiobook is provided by none other than Captain Jack himself, Johnny Depp. Rocker, balladeer, actor Joe Hurley also does some of the reading with his lovely Irish(y) gravelled voice. Their vocals along with the immediately recognizable tones of Mr. Richards give a fantastic feeling to this very in-depth telling of the LIFE and times of this rock and roll legend.
It was a brilliant move to get Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley - they made the audiobook version.
4.5 stars out of 5
SanFrancisco California Book Watch
LIFE is an unabridged presentation on 20 CDs of Keith Richards' musical heritage, is written by Keith with James Fox, and receives here a powerful reading by Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley. Any who love rock music in general and the Rolling Stones in particular will find this an unusually well detailed survey of Keith Richards' life and his experiences with the band. No music collection should be without this hard-hitting audio version.
LIBRARY JOURNAL MAGAZINE, March 2011 Issue
LIFE, The AudioBook. Read by Joe Hurley, Johnny Depp, and featuring Keith Richards.
This memoir by Rolling Stone guitarist/songwriter Richards is one of the most entertaining rock autobiographies in recent years.
Musician Joe Hurley and actor Johnny Depp share narration duties, each convincingly producing a range of voices and channeling Richards’s cool and cocky charm. Richards himself opens and closes the story. Highly recommended for adult listeners interested in Richards’s experiences with fame and fortune and in the Stones’ genesis, early years, inner workings, and creative growth. [Includes a bonus PDF of photos; the No. 1 LJ and New York Times best-selling Little, Brown hc also received a starred review, LJ Xpress Reviews, 12/17/10.—Ed.]—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia
THE INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER, May 2011
Life (Hachette Audio): Life is certainly an appropriate title for Keith Richards’ long-awaited autobiography. From humble beginnings through the early years of the Rolling Stones, narrators Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley make the most of the rich material, creating a listening experience that is both evocative and provocative. Richards himself makes an appearance, not only with his voice, but with his equally distinctive guitar