Bet My Soul on Rock ’n’ Roll: Diary of a Black Punk Icon

With this candid memoir, cowritten by Ostrosky (coauthor, No Regrets), Beauvoir, a Haitian American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and entertainment executive who played bass for the groundbreaking punk and heavy metal band Plasmatics, tells his story. He recalls stories over the course of a musical career that has spanned more than 40 years: playing with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, writing songs with Paul Stanley of KISS, appearing on MTV in the early 1980s, living in Sweden, touring the world, and more. As a Black man, Beauvoir often had to forge his own path in spaces not always open and accepting to him, and he discusses the racism he has endured and what it means to be a Black rock artist. He relates the recording and business side of rock and roll and discusses his work cementing deals and contracts throughout his career. However, though this is a unique look into Beauvoir’s life, clumsy writing and overuse of exclamation points may turn off some readers and detract from the larger narrative.